Disability Support Pension (DSP) Calculator 2026 — Rates, Income Test and Work Hours
From 20 September 2026 the Disability Support Pension is $1,237.70 a fortnight for a single person 21 or older and $933.00 each for a couple. You can work up to 29 hours a week and keep it; your pay reduces it by 50 cents for each dollar over $226 a fortnight (single), and it stops at $2,701.40.
How Much DSP Do You Keep When You Work?
How the income test applied
Income test only. Not modelled: the assets test (limits below), Working Credit (which can shield some of your pay — see the Working Credit calculator), the Work Bonus (only at Age Pension age), transitional rates and Rent Assistance.
What to check next
People reading this page usually work these out too.
- Working Credit CalculatorHow unused free area banks up and shields future earnings.
- Fortnightly Pay CalculatorThe fortnightly tax calculator: tax and take-home every pay.
- Carer Payment CalculatorThe other pension-rate payment, with a 100-hour work rule.
- Centrelink Income TestHow free areas, tapers and cut-offs reduce a payment.
DSP Rates From 20 September 2026
If you are 21 or older, or younger than 21 with a child in your care, DSP is paid at the pension rate — the same figures as the Age Pension, adjusted every 20 March and 20 September.
| Per fortnight | Single | Couple each | Couple combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum basic rate | $1,135.40 | $855.90 | $1,711.80 |
| Pension Supplement | $88.20 | $66.50 | $133.00 |
| Energy Supplement | $14.10 | $10.60 | $21.20 |
| Total | $1,237.70 | $933.00 | $1,866.00 |
A couple separated due to ill health each get the single rate. Services Australia's DSP page shows the couple Pension Supplement as $65.50 each, but its total ($933.00) only adds up with $66.50 — the figure in the DSS rates list and on the Age Pension page, which we use.
Under 21 with no children
| Your situation | Maximum per fortnight |
|---|---|
| Single, under 18, dependent | $581.50 |
| Single, under 18, independent | $839.80 |
| Single, 18 to 20, dependent | $645.00 |
| Single, 18 to 20, independent | $839.80 |
| A couple, under 21 | $839.80 |
These include the Youth Disability Supplement but not Pharmaceutical Allowance or Energy Supplement, and index on 1 January. Your parents' income does not affect the rate.
DSP Income Test
DSP uses the pension income test. It counts your and your partner's income from all sources, including deemed income on savings. If you are permanently blind the income test doesn't apply unless you get Rent Assistance.
| Your situation | Payment stops at (a fortnight) |
|---|---|
| 21 or older, single | $2,701.40 |
| 21 or older, couple living together | $4,128.00 combined |
| 21 or older, couple apart due to ill health | $5,346.80 combined |
| 18 to 20, single, no children, at home | $1,543.20 |
| 16 to 17, single, no children, at home | $1,414.80 |
| 16 to 20, single, no children, independent | $1,937.80 |
| 16 to 20, couple, no children | $3,805.60 combined |
Free area $226 a fortnight single ($396 combined for a couple); 50c per dollar above it (25c each for a couple). Cut-offs as published by Services Australia from 20 September 2026.
| Single, 21+, income a fortnight | Reduction | DSP | Income + DSP |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0.00 | $0.00 | $1,237.70 | $1,237.70 |
| $226.00 | $0.00 | $1,237.70 | $1,463.70 |
| $400.00 | -$87.00 | $1,150.70 | $1,550.70 |
| $600.00 | -$187.00 | $1,050.70 | $1,650.70 |
| $800.00 | -$287.00 | $950.70 | $1,750.70 |
| $1,000.00 | -$387.00 | $850.70 | $1,850.70 |
| $1,500.00 | -$637.00 | $600.70 | $2,100.70 |
| $2,000.00 | -$887.00 | $350.70 | $2,350.70 |
| $2,400.00 | -$1,087.00 | $150.70 | $2,550.70 |
| $2,701.40 | -$1,237.70 | $0.00 | $2,701.40 |
How Many Hours Can You Work on DSP?
- Up to 29 hours a week: you keep DSP, and your pay goes through the income test.
- 30 or more hours a week on an ongoing basis: DSP is suspended for up to 2 years. You keep your Pensioner Concession Card, and can ask for DSP to be restored within that time if your hours or income drop — no new claim.
- Exceptions: work in an Australian Disability Enterprise, under the Supported Wage System, or with ongoing Inclusive Employment Australia support doesn't trigger the suspension.
- Pay over the cut-off: DSP is $0 for that fortnight. After more than 12 fortnights in a row at $0, DSP is suspended (or cancelled if it's your partner's income on a payment like JobSeeker doing it).
- Report every 2 weeks: your and your partner's gross pay and the hours you worked. Tell Services Australia within 14 days when you start work.
DSP Assets Test
DSP uses the pension assets test: the lower of the income-test and assets-test results is paid. Above the full-pension limit, DSP reduces by $3 a fortnight per $1,000 ($1.50 each for a couple). Your home is not counted. Figures from 20 September 2026; couples combined.
| Situation (21+) | Full pension up to | Part pension stops above |
|---|---|---|
| Single, homeowner | $333,000 | $745,750 |
| Single, non-homeowner | $600,000 | $1,012,750 |
| Couple, homeowner | $499,000 | $1,121,000 |
| Couple, non-homeowner | $766,000 | $1,388,000 |
Under 21 with no children, DSP stops above $531,250 (16–17, dependent, homeowner) to $885,500 (independent, non-homeowner). Run your own figures on the assets test calculator — the 21+ limits are identical.
Who Can Get DSP
- You have a physical, intellectual or psychiatric condition that is likely to persist for more than 2 years and stops you from working, and you meet the medical rules.
- You are at least 15 years and 9 months and under Age Pension age when you claim, and meet the residence rules and the income and assets tests.
- If you are under 35 you may have participation requirements — a compulsory work-focused activity with an employment services provider.
- DSP is taxable only once you reach Age Pension age; you can then choose to transfer to the Age Pension.
Related Calculators and Guides
- Centrelink income test guide — free areas, tapers and cut-offs for every payment
- Carer Payment calculator — the pension-rate payment with the 100-hour work rule
- Carer Allowance — the fortnightly supplement and its $250,000 income limit
- Centrelink advance payment calculator — how much you can borrow and what comes off each fortnight
- Crisis Payment — the one-off payment after an extreme circumstance
- Centrelink debt — overpayments, refunds and the income apportionment scheme
- Cost of living payment 2026 — what actually exists this year
- Paid Parental Leave calculator — 26 weeks from 1 July 2026, days, split and super
- JobSeeker payment calculator — what you keep when you work part-time
- Age Pension calculator — rates from 20 September 2026 and the income test, with the Work Bonus
- Age Pension assets test calculator — limits, the $3-per-$1,000 taper and which test applies
- Deeming rates and calculator — 1.75% and 3.75% from 20 September 2026
- Commonwealth Seniors Health Card — the income limit, deeming and a quick eligibility check
- Child Care Subsidy calculator — your CCS % on family income and the gap fee
- Parenting Payment calculator — single and partnered
- Fortnightly pay calculator — the gross fortnightly figure Centrelink asks for
How this calculator works▼
- DSP = maximum rate − 50c per $1 of assessable income over $226 (single), or − 25c per combined $1 over $396 for each member of a couple, floored at $0. For 21+ this reproduces Services Australia's published cut-offs exactly (tests assert it).
- Under-21 maximum rates are as published and exclude Pharmaceutical Allowance and Energy Supplement, which the published cut-offs include — so the calculator reaches $0 slightly earlier than Services Australia's figure.
- Hours rule: up to 29 hours a week keeps DSP; 30+ ongoing suspends it. The calculator flags the hours; it doesn't decide whether hours are “ongoing”.
- Rates and rules read at Services Australia on 24 September 2026. Pay Calculator Australia is not Services Australia — use their Payment Finder for a claim estimate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Disability Support Pension questions and answers
How much is the Disability Support Pension per fortnight?
From 20 September 2026, if you are 21 or older the maximum DSP is $1,237.70 a fortnight single and $933.00 each for a couple ($1,866.00 combined), including the Pension Supplement and Energy Supplement — the same as the Age Pension. Under 21 with no children, the maximum is $581.50 (under 18, dependent) to $839.80 (independent).
How many hours can I work on the Disability Support Pension?
Up to 29 hours a week of paid work without losing DSP, as long as you meet the income test. If you work 30 or more hours a week on an ongoing basis, DSP is suspended — not cancelled — for up to 2 years, and you keep your Pensioner Concession Card. Work in an Australian Disability Enterprise, under the Supported Wage System or with ongoing Inclusive Employment Australia support does not trigger the suspension.
How much can I earn on DSP?
DSP uses the pension income test. A single person can have $226 a fortnight of income before the pension reduces; above that it drops 50 cents per dollar. For a couple the free area is $396 combined and each pension drops 25 cents per combined dollar. The payment stops at $2,701.40 a fortnight (single, 21+) or $4,128.00 combined (couple).
What happens if my wages go over the DSP cut-off?
Your DSP is paid at $0 for that fortnight — a nil rate period. If income stays over the cut-off for more than 12 fortnights in a row, DSP is suspended for up to 2 years, so you can ask for it to be restored if your hours or pay drop, without a new claim. Keep reporting your income every fortnight during a nil rate period.
Is DSP taxable?
DSP is not taxable if you are under Age Pension age. It becomes taxable once you reach Age Pension age. Tax-free DSP still counts towards your adjusted taxable income for family payments and Carer Allowance.
What are the DSP assets limits?
The same as the Age Pension: a full pension with assets up to $333,000 (single homeowner) or $600,000 (single non-homeowner), reducing $3 a fortnight per $1,000 above that; a part pension stops above $745,750 and $1,012,750 from 20 September 2026. Under 21s with no children have their own cut-offs.
From 20 September 2026, if you are 21 or older the maximum DSP is $1,237.70 a fortnight single and $933.00 each for a couple ($1,866.00 combined), including the Pension Supplement and Energy Supplement — the same as the Age Pension. Under 21 with no children, the maximum is $581.50 (under 18, dependent) to $839.80 (independent).
Up to 29 hours a week of paid work without losing DSP, as long as you meet the income test. If you work 30 or more hours a week on an ongoing basis, DSP is suspended — not cancelled — for up to 2 years, and you keep your Pensioner Concession Card. Work in an Australian Disability Enterprise, under the Supported Wage System or with ongoing Inclusive Employment Australia support does not trigger the suspension.
DSP uses the pension income test. A single person can have $226 a fortnight of income before the pension reduces; above that it drops 50 cents per dollar. For a couple the free area is $396 combined and each pension drops 25 cents per combined dollar. The payment stops at $2,701.40 a fortnight (single, 21+) or $4,128.00 combined (couple).
Your DSP is paid at $0 for that fortnight — a nil rate period. If income stays over the cut-off for more than 12 fortnights in a row, DSP is suspended for up to 2 years, so you can ask for it to be restored if your hours or pay drop, without a new claim. Keep reporting your income every fortnight during a nil rate period.
DSP is not taxable if you are under Age Pension age. It becomes taxable once you reach Age Pension age. Tax-free DSP still counts towards your adjusted taxable income for family payments and Carer Allowance.
The same as the Age Pension: a full pension with assets up to $333,000 (single homeowner) or $600,000 (single non-homeowner), reducing $3 a fortnight per $1,000 above that; a part pension stops above $745,750 and $1,012,750 from 20 September 2026. Under 21s with no children have their own cut-offs.
Sources & References
- 1Payment rates for Disability Support Pension— Services Australia
- 2Income test for Disability Support Pension— Services Australia
- 3Assets test for Disability Support Pension— Services Australia
- 4Working while you get DSP— Services Australia
- 5Non-medical rules for DSP— Services Australia
- 6Disability Support Pension— Services Australia
- 7Social Security Payment Parameters — 20 September 2026 indexation— Department of Social Services
Last verified: 24 September 2026. Our content is based on the latest information from official Australian government sources.
Anita Bell
AuthorFounder & Senior Bookkeeper
Accountancy degree (2015); certified in Xero, QuickBooks Online, MYOB, Saasu, Zoho and Reckon One
Anita Bell earned her accountancy degree in 2015 and has worked as a senior bookkeeper with Prime Bookkeeping for over 5 years. This built her skills in Australian and New Zealand tax legislation and industry regulations. She is certified in Xero, QuickBooks Online, MYOB, Saasu, Zoho and Reckon One, and works with payroll and rostering software including Gusto, Deputy, Tsheets and KeyPay. She has strong experience in hospitality, building and construction, financial services, real estate, ecommerce, and medical and health services.
Areas of Expertise
What to check next
People reading this page usually work these out too.
- Working Credit CalculatorHow unused free area banks up and shields future earnings.
- Fortnightly Pay CalculatorThe fortnightly tax calculator: tax and take-home every pay.
- Carer Payment CalculatorThe other pension-rate payment, with a 100-hour work rule.
- Centrelink Income TestHow free areas, tapers and cut-offs reduce a payment.