On 20 September 2026 the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card income limits rose to $105,048 single and $168,076 for couples, the Rent Assistance single maximum rose to $223.80 a fortnight, and the Home Equity Access ceiling rose to $1,856.55 single. Rent thresholds also rose, so renters whose rent didn't change can receive slightly less Rent Assistance than before.
Most coverage of 20 September 2026 stopped at the Age Pension rise and the deeming rate change, which we cover in our 20 September explainer. But the same indexation moved a number of other figures that matter to retirees: Rent Assistance, the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card income limits, the Home Equity Access Scheme ceiling and JobSeeker Payment. One of them has a counterintuitive effect: for many renters, Rent Assistance went down if their rent did not change. This article sets out each change with the before and after figures.
Rent Assistance: the maximum rose, but so did the threshold
Rent Assistance is paid at 75 cents for every dollar of fortnightly rent above a minimum amount (the rent threshold), up to a maximum. Services Australia updates the rates on 20 March and 20 September each year in line with the Consumer Price Index (Services Australia, https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/how-much-rent-assistance-you-can-get). The DSS payment parameters give the figures before and after 20 September 2026 (DSS, https://www.dss.gov.au/system/files/documents/2026-08/rates-list-20-september-2026.pdf), and they match Services Australia's current table:
| Per fortnight | Maximum (before) | Maximum (from 20 Sep 2026) | Rent threshold (before) | Rent threshold (from 20 Sep 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single | $219.40 | $223.80 | $154.80 | $157.80 |
| Single sharer | $146.27 | $149.20 | $154.80 | $157.80 |
| Couple (combined) | $206.80 | $211.00 | $250.80 | $255.80 |
The rent ceiling — the rent at which you reach the maximum — also rose: for a single person from $447.34 to $456.20, for a sharer from $349.83 to $356.74, and for a couple from $526.54 to $537.14.
Who gains and who doesn't. Because the threshold rose by $3.00 for a single person, someone whose rent sits between the threshold and the ceiling and did not change gets slightly less than before, by our arithmetic. A single renter paying $400 a fortnight received 0.75 × ($400 − $154.80) = $183.90 before, and receives 0.75 × ($400 − $157.80) = $181.65 now, a fall of $2.25. A couple paying $350 a fortnight combined went from 0.75 × ($350 − $250.80) = $74.40 to 0.75 × ($350 − $255.80) = $70.65, a fall of $3.75. Only renters paying at or above the ceiling get the full increase in the maximum. If your rent went up recently, tell Services Australia so your Rent Assistance is calculated on the current figure; see our article on Rent Assistance for pensioners for how it works.
Commonwealth Seniors Health Card: higher income limits
The Commonwealth Seniors Health Card (CSHC) is for people of Age Pension age who aren't receiving an income support payment such as the Age Pension, and it is income-tested, not assets-tested. Services Australia reviews the limits on 20 September each year in line with the CPI (Services Australia, https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/income-test-for-commonwealth-seniors-health-card). From 20 September 2026, per the DSS payment parameters:
| Annual adjusted taxable income limit | Before | From 20 Sep 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Single | $101,105 | $105,048 |
| Couple (combined) | $161,768 | $168,076 |
| Each member of a couple | $80,884 | $84,038 |
| Each additional dependent child | $639.60 | $639.60 (unchanged) |
A couple with combined adjusted taxable income of $165,000 was over the limit before 20 September and is under it now, provided they meet the other requirements. The test looks at both your adjusted taxable income and any income from account-based income streams, which are assessed using deeming if the income stream was bought or changed on or after 1 January 2015 (Services Australia, retrieved 21 September 2026). Our article on the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card explains how the card works and how adjusted taxable income is built up.
Home Equity Access Scheme: the ceiling moved with the pension
Under the Home Equity Access Scheme, your combined loan and pension payment each fortnight can't exceed 150% of your pension rate, and Services Australia charges interest at 3.95% a year compounding each fortnight (Services Australia, https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/how-much-you-can-get-under-home-equity-access-scheme). Because the ceiling is a multiple of the pension, it rose with the pension. DSS's typical maximum amounts per fortnight are:
| Per fortnight | Before | From 20 Sep 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Single | $1,801.35 | $1,856.55 |
| Each member of a couple | $1,357.80 | $1,399.50 |
| Couple (combined) | $2,715.60 | $2,799.00 |
Those figures reconcile with the new maximum Age Pension rates: 150% of $1,237.70 is $1,856.55 and 150% of $933.00 is $1,399.50. If your pension changes, Services Australia adjusts your loan payments so the combined amount stays within 150%. See our article on the Home Equity Access Scheme for the trade-offs, since the loan balance compounds against the equity in your home.
JobSeeker Payment: new rates for older workers
For older workers below Age Pension age, JobSeeker Payment rose on 20 September 2026 (DSS payment parameters; Services Australia, https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/how-much-jobseeker-payment-you-can-get). The basic rate for a single person with no children went from $808.70 to $824.90 a fortnight, and for a single person aged 55 or over after nine months on an income support payment from $866.00 to $883.30. A partnered person's basic rate went from $740.30 to $755.10 each. The Energy Supplement did not change. Our article on JobSeeker for older Australians covers the rules for the payment before Age Pension age.
The Pension Supplement overseas rule
The other significant change on 20 September 2026 affects pensioners who travel. Services Australia now states that your Pension Supplement will stop after 12 weeks if your travel is short term, or immediately if you are leaving Australia to live in another country (Services Australia, https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/travel-outside-australia-rules-for-pension-supplement; DSS Social Security Guide 3.12.1). Before that date it dropped to its basic amount after six weeks. See our full article on the change for who gains and who loses.
What did not change
The Energy Supplement amounts in the DSS tables were unchanged, and the additional CSHC allowance for each dependent child stayed at $639.60. The assets-test thresholds and income free areas for the Age Pension also stayed the same on 20 September; they are set on 1 July, and the cut-off points moved with the higher pension rate.
Checklist
- Renters: check the Rent Assistance you now receive against your current rent, and report any rent changes to Services Australia.
- Self-funded retirees near the CSHC limit: work out your adjusted taxable income against the new limits, especially if you were just over $101,105 single or $161,768 as a couple.
- Home Equity Access Scheme borrowers: check your combined pension and loan payment against the new 150% ceiling.
- Pensioners planning to travel: note the 12-week Pension Supplement limit.
Sources
- Department of Social Services — Social Security Payment Parameters, 20 September 2026 indexation
- Services Australia — How much Rent Assistance you can get
- Services Australia — Income test for a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card
- Services Australia — How much you can get under the Home Equity Access Scheme
- Services Australia — How much JobSeeker Payment you can get
- Services Australia — Travel outside Australia rules for Pension Supplement
- DSS Social Security Guide 3.12.1 — Pension supplement: qualification and payability
Key takeaways
- Rent Assistance maximums rose on 20 September 2026 (single $219.40 to $223.80, couple combined $206.80 to $211.00), but the rent thresholds rose too, so a renter whose rent is between the threshold and the ceiling and unchanged gets slightly less: a single renter paying $400 a fortnight falls from $183.90 to $181.65.
- The Commonwealth Seniors Health Card income limits rose to $105,048 (single) and $168,076 (couple combined) from $101,105 and $161,768; the limit for each member of a couple is now $84,038, and the card is income-tested only with no assets test.
- The Home Equity Access Scheme ceiling, 150% of the pension rate, rose to $1,856.55 a fortnight for a single person and $1,399.50 for each member of a couple, and the scheme's interest rate is 3.95% compounding fortnightly.
- JobSeeker Payment basic rates rose to $824.90 for a single person with no children, $883.30 for a single person aged 55 or over after nine months on payment, and $755.10 each for partnered recipients; Energy Supplement amounts did not change.
- The Pension Supplement now stops after 12 weeks of short-term travel overseas, or immediately when you leave Australia to live overseas, according to Services Australia.
Frequently asked questions
Did Rent Assistance go up on 20 September 2026?
The maximum rates rose (single $219.40 to $223.80, single sharer $146.27 to $149.20, couple combined $206.80 to $211.00 per fortnight), but the rent thresholds also rose (single $154.80 to $157.80, couple combined $250.80 to $255.80). Rent Assistance is 75 cents for each dollar of rent above the threshold, so if your rent is below the ceiling and did not change you can receive slightly less than before.
What are the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card income limits from 20 September 2026?
The annual adjusted taxable income limits are $105,048 for a single person and $168,076 for a couple combined, up from $101,105 and $161,768. The limit for each member of a couple is $84,038, and there is no assets test. Services Australia reviews the limits each 20 September.
How much can I get under the Home Equity Access Scheme from 20 September 2026?
Your combined loan and pension payment each fortnight can't exceed 150% of your pension rate. DSS's typical maximum amounts from 20 September 2026 are $1,856.55 a fortnight for a single person, $1,399.50 for each member of a couple and $2,799.00 for a couple combined. Interest is charged at 3.95% a year, compounding each fortnight.
What are the JobSeeker Payment rates from 20 September 2026?
The basic rate for a single person with no dependent children is $824.90 a fortnight, up from $808.70. For a single person aged 55 or over after nine months on an income support payment it is $883.30, and for each partnered person $755.10. The Energy Supplement did not change.
Did the Age Pension asset test thresholds change on 20 September 2026?
No. The asset-test full-pension thresholds and income free areas are set each 1 July and did not change on 20 September, although the cut-off points moved with the higher pension rate.