Last updated: July 2026  |  Reading time: 10 min 📋 Quick Summary — Youth Allowance (2026) Age range (students) 16–24 years old (up to 25 if still studying) Age range (job seekers) 16–21 years old (22+ → JobSeeker Payment) Rate — single, living away from home $762.70 per fortnight Rate — single, living at home $462.50 per fortnight Student income free area $480 per fortnight Job seeker income free area $150 per fortnight Who can apply? Eligible students, apprentices and job seekers under the relevant age limits Income Bank Available to students and apprentices, up to $11,800 Next indexation 1 January 2027 When I was at university, a friend of mine was working two casual shifts a week and assumed he earned too much to qualify for Youth Allowance. He'd never actually run the numbers. When he finally checked, he was entitled to a partial payment of around $400 a fortnight — money he'd left unclaimed for almo...

Last updated: July 2026  |  Reading time: 13 min ⚡ Quick Answer Australians aged 67 or older who meet the residency, income and assets tests may qualify for the Age Pension . From July 2026 , the maximum payment is $1,200.90 per fortnight for singles and $905.20 per fortnight for each member of a couple . The final payment depends on both the income and assets tests. 📋 Quick Summary — Age Pension (July 2026) Eligibility age 67 years old Maximum rate (single) $1,200.90 per fortnight (~$31,223/year) Maximum rate (couple, each) $905.20 per fortnight (~$23,535/year each) Assets test — full pension (single homeowner) Under $333,000 Assets test — cut-off (single homeowner) $733,500 Income test — free area (single) $226 per fortnight Income test — cut-off (single) $2,627.80 per fortnight Next indexation 20 September 2026 When my parents were approaching retirement age, they assumed the Age...

Last updated: July 2026  |  Reading time: 12 min Quick Summary — Super at a Glance (2026–27) Super Guarantee rate 12% of qualifying earnings Payday Super Starts 1 July 2026; contributions are generally due in the fund within 7 business days of payday Concessional contributions cap $32,500 for 2026–27 Non-concessional contributions cap $130,000 for 2026–27 Preservation age 60; access normally also requires a condition of release Contribution tax Concessional contributions are generally taxed at 15%; exceptions may apply Temporary residents May be eligible to claim DASP after leaving Australia and meeting the requirements When I first started working in Australia, my employer mentioned super during onboarding and I nodded along without really understanding what it was. I knew it was retirement money, but I did not understand how much was paid, who controlled it, whether I could choose the fund or what happened if I left Australia. Superannuation is the founda...

Last updated: July 2026  |  Reading time: 11 min Quick Answer: How do new migrants enrol in Medicare? Eligible Australian residents and some visa holders can enrol in Medicare online through myGov or by submitting a Medicare enrolment form with their supporting identity and visa documents. Check that your citizenship or visa status is eligible. Prepare your passport or ImmiCard and residency evidence. Apply online through myGov where available. Use the Medicare enrolment form if online enrolment is unavailable. Link Medicare to myGov and add your digital card to the myGov app. When you first move to Australia, Medicare can feel more complicated than it needs to be. You may know that it helps cover doctor visits and hospital treatment, but the difficult part is working out whether your visa is eligible, which documents you need and where the application actually goes. The process is much easier ...