Rent Assistance rates and thresholds
Services Australia updates Rent Assistance rates on 20 March and 20 September each year, in line with the Consumer Price Index. The tables below are the rates that apply from 20 September 2026. They are the current indexation period at the time this site was prepared, on 25 October 2026. Figures from earlier indexation periods are superseded and are deliberately not reproduced here, so that no out-of-date figure can be mistaken for a current one.
Rates paid with an income support payment or ABSTUDY
| Family situation | Fortnightly rent must be more than | Rent for the maximum payment | Maximum, per fortnight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single | $157.80 | $456.20 | $223.80 |
| Single, sharer | $157.80 | $356.74 | $149.20 |
| Couple, combined | $255.80 | $537.14 | $211.00 |
| One of a couple separated due to illness, partner in respite care, or partner in prison | $157.80 | $456.20 | $223.80 |
| One of a couple temporarily separated | $157.80 | $439.14 | $211.00 |
The separated-couple rows matter because each member of the couple is assessed on the single threshold in some separated situations, rather than the combined couple threshold. Which row applies depends on the reason for the separation and on the rules of the main payment, so a separated couple should check which row Services Australia has applied to their case.
Rates paid with Family Tax Benefit
If you have dependent children, you usually receive Rent Assistance with Family Tax Benefit Part A, not with an income support payment. The thresholds and maximums are different, and they depend on whether you are single or a member of a couple, and on how many children you have.
| Family situation | Fortnightly rent must be more than | Rent for the maximum payment | Maximum, per fortnight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single, with 1 or 2 children | $207.34 | $558.09 | $263.06 |
| Single, with 3 or more children | $207.34 | $603.82 | $297.36 |
| Couple, with 1 or 2 children | $306.60 | $657.35 | $263.06 |
| Couple, with 3 or more children | $306.60 | $703.08 | $297.36 |
| One of a couple separated due to illness, partner in respite care or prison, or temporarily separated, with 1 or 2 children | $207.34 | $558.09 | $263.06 |
| One of a couple separated due to illness, partner in respite care or prison, or temporarily separated, with 3 or more children | $207.34 | $603.82 | $297.36 |
How to read the middle column
The middle column is the rent level at which the maximum is first reached. It is not a second threshold. At any rent between the threshold and that level, the 75-cent formula gives a part payment. At or above that level, the maximum applies and extra rent adds nothing. For a single person with no children, for example, rent of $300.00 a fortnight gives $106.65, rent of $456.20 gives the full $223.80, and rent of $600.00 still gives $223.80. The worked arithmetic is on the how it is calculated page.
Source for every figure on this page: Services Australia, “How much Rent Assistance you can get”, rates from 20 September 2026, checked at build time on 25 October 2026.