JobSeeker

For free and confidential legal advice about this topic, please contact us here.

Services Australia delivers social service payments and services to Australians through Centrelink. There are a range of options available from emergency on-off support, to long term support for Australians in need of assistance. You could be eligible for JobSeeker if you are 22 or older and looking for work or temporarily unable to work because you are sick or injured. Read below to find out more about JobSeeker, or visit the Centrelink website here.

Am I eligible for JobSeeker?

To get JobSeeker you need to be:

• • 22 or older;
  • unemployed or temporarily unable to work;
  • under the income and asset limit; and
  • an Australian resident.

The amount you may receive depends on factors such as your age, whether you are single, and whether you have any dependent children or someone else you care for.

To find out if you are eligible for JobSeeker payments, or to apply, you can visit the Centrelink website here.

Coronavirus supplement

The Coronavirus Supplement is an extra amount Centrelink is paying to help people during the COVID-19 pandemic.  You will automatically receive the Coronavirus Supplement, if you are receiving JobSeeker payments.

The supplement is $550 a fortnight until 24 September 2020. From this date, the supplement will be reduced to $250 a fortnight until 31 December 2020.

I study full time and don't intend to work, can I still get support?

If you need financial support and are studying full time or doing a full time Australian apprenticeship, you may be able to get support even if you are not working or looking for a job. You could be eligible for Youth Allowance or ABSTUDY.

I lost my job due to COVID-19

If you have lost your job or are working less hours due to COVID-19, you could be eligible for JobKeeper. The JobKeeper payment is $1,500 per fortnight and is the highest payment available to assist with financial difficulty arising from COVID-19.

To find out more, see out page on JobKeeper, or visit the ATO website here.