primary · Services Australia
Rate
Equivalent JobSeeker or Youth Allowance rate
From 2026-07-01 to 2026-09-19
The July 2026 booklet has no separate Special Benefit rate table.
I am in hardship and cannot get another payment · Services Australia
Special Benefit
Discretionary payment if you are in financial hardship and cannot get another income-support payment. The rate is generally aligned with JobSeeker or Youth Allowance.
Equivalent JobSeeker or Youth Allowance rate
Who it is for
People in hardship who are not eligible for another Centrelink income-support payment, including some newly arrived residents with an exemption.
A residual hardship payment. Not JobSeeker and not a charity grant.
Conditions
- No other payment
- You cannot get another income-support payment.
- Hardship
- Available funds and circumstances are assessed. The rate follows the equivalent JobSeeker or Youth Allowance rate.
Primary source first. A disputed or stale figure stays visible. Hover a rand or dollar figure for four other currencies. W weekly · F fortnightly · M monthly · A annually.
Cross-checks
- agrees A guide to Australian Government payments Rates from co029-2607 (2026-07-01 to 2026-09-19).
How to apply
Services Australia. Special Benefit is assessed case by case.
Methodology
coreau_ss_methodology.centrelink_indexation
Maximum rates from Services Australia. Pensions and most allowances index on 20 March and 20 September. FTB indexes 1 July. Income and assets tests can pay less than the maximum. Current Compass figures are overlaid from the 1 July–19 September 2026 payments guide (co029-2607). Change this row in Core AU and the Compass follows.
- Read the live Services Australia page for that payment.
- Cross-check A guide to Australian Government payments for the current quarter (Core AU job payments_guide_quarterly).
- Do not treat a September-preview blog figure as in force before indexation day.