Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth confirms indexation boosts to social security payments from September 20

About 5.1 million Australians on income support will see a bump in their fortnightly social security payments, with the pension, JobSeeker and Commonwealth Rent Assistance all increasing from September 20.

The twice a year indexation increase will result in the age pension, disability support pension and carer payment increase by $28.10 a fortnight for singles, and $42.40 a fortnight for couples.

Commonwealth Rent Assistance will also be boosted by 10 per cent – $23 a fortnight for single recipients and $27.02 for families with up to two children.

Payments for single parents will also increase by $19.80 to $1026.30 a fortnight.

JobSeeker will also rise by $15.30, with recipients who have an assessed partial capacity to work between 0 to 14 hours also moving to a higher rate of JobSeeker, which will increase their payments by $71.20 a fortnight.

These changes also come in effect on September 20.

Appearing on Sky News Sunday Agenda, Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth detailed the indexation changes.

JobSeeker would increase by 2 per cent increase, with the pension rising by 2.6 per cent. Rent assistance was also increased by a legislated 10 per cent, with an additional 2 per cent for indexation.

She said the changes would not push up inflation and were necessary to support low-income Australians struggling with cost-of-living.

“Our changes … to rent assistance in particular actually has downward pressure on inflation,” she said.

“The impact across the board on rent, if it had not been for our Commonwealth Rent Assistance means rents would have actually been higher.

“Other increases to indexation are really important to support people, but we’re talking about an overall small group in our economy.”