Good news, all! Some five million Aussies can expect to have a bit more dosh in their pockets from next Centrelink Payments Increase March 2025, with government welfare payments being boosted to help keep up with the cost of living. That’s good news for those who receive the age pension, carer payments, rent assistance, youth allowance, JobSeeker, and disability support pension.
How much more will be based on how much prices have increased, as measured by things like the Consumer Price Index (CPI), changes in weekly wages, or for the age pension, the Pensioner and Beneficiary Living Cost Index. Basically, the highest of these is the one that is applied to work out the payment increase.
Centrelink Payments Increase March 2025 is in place
Why, so that these payments don’t lose their value when the cost of living goes up. It’s sort of like making sure your money can still get you roughly the same amount of stuff. These changes happen twice a year, in March and September.
How much: Centrelink Payments Increase March 2025
We’re expecting the official rates for the Centrelink Payments Increase March 2025 to be released early March.
Last September, age pensioners were granted a handy $28.10 a fortnight for singles and $42.40 a fortnight for couples. That brought the top pension to $1144.40 a fortnight for an individual, or about $28,000 a year, according to the Combined Pensioners and Superannuants Association. For couples, the total pension came out at around $44,900 a year.
Single parents were also given a boost of $19.80, taking their fortnightly payment to $1026.30, while JobSeeker payments went up by $15.30.
On top of that, Commonwealth Rent Assistance was boosted by 10 per cent, on top of the regular indexation. That was a fortnightly increase of $23 for single renters and $27.02 for families with two children or less.
Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth said these increases are vital to helping Aussies manage cost-of-living pressures. In September, she highlighted that, thanks to indexation and other government measures, maximum rent assistance rates have gone up by about 45 per cent since the Albanese Government came into power. She said the regular increases mean vulnerable Aussies have more money for everyday expenses.
