You can earn up to $150 pre-tax per fortnight on JobSeeker without affecting your payment, but beyond that, it reduces by 50c (up to $256) then 60c for every extra dollar earned, eventually stopping if earnings are too high for too long (around 12 fortnights). The specific cut-off where your payment hits $0 depends on your circumstances (single, partnered, carer), but generally, earning over $1200-$1400 a fortnight will significantly reduce or cease payments.
For work you're paid for, you won't see any reduction in your benefit for the first $150 you earn in a fortnight. However, for every dollar you earn over that, your payment will reduce by 50c and for every dollar over $256 your payment reduces by 60c.
You may get JobSeeker Payment if any of the following apply: you're unemployed. you're not in full time work, for example you're doing part time or casual work.
Your savings and capital (or your partner's savings, capital and income) are not taken into account when claiming New Style JSA . However, your earnings and any payment you're getting from a pension can affect the amount you may receive.
For singles, the test threshold is $5500. For singles with children, it's $11,000. Depending on the value of someone's 'liquid assets', and how far it puts them above these thresholds, JobSeeker payments can be delayed until a time they are deemed eligible to receive them, which can be up to 13 weeks.
You must tell Jobcentre Plus if you do any work while you're getting New Style Jobseeker's Allowance ( JSA ). Your benefit might be reduced or stopped if you do not report a change straight away. You cannot usually get New Style JSA if you work 16 hours or more a week on average, unless you work in certain jobs.
You can generally work up to 29 hours a week on some Centrelink payments like Disability Support Pension (DSP) without losing it, but exceeding 30 hours often affects eligibility, though it depends heavily on your specific payment (JobSeeker, DSP, etc.), your assessed work capacity (partial capacity), and your income level, with higher hours or income potentially reducing or pausing payments. For JobSeeker/Youth Allowance, exceeding around 30-35 hours (or full-time) can trigger a nil rate period. Always report any work to Services Australia within 14 days.
Many job seekers unknowingly sabotage their chances by repeating avoidable mistakes, from submitting generic resumes to going silent after interviews. These missteps can be the difference between landing a great opportunity and getting passed over without explanation.
Income Support or Jobseeker's Allowance
If you are working less than 16 hours per week, and your partner is working less than 24 hours per week, then you may be eligible to claim these benefits but the amount you are entitled to could be affected by any earnings you have.
How long can I stay on JobSeeker? There's no time limit, as long as you meet eligibility and mutual obligation requirements.
If you have money, savings and investments between £6,000 and £16,000 your Universal Credit payments will be reduced. Your payments will be reduced by £4.35 for every £250 you have between £6,000 and £16,000. Another £4.35 is taken off for any remaining amount that is not a complete £250.
And the calculations for that are: Up to $150 earned in a fortnight isn't accounted for. Over $150 reduces your JSP payment by "50 cents for each dollar between $150 and $256 ($106) then 60 cents for each dollar over $256".
You can work and get Jobseeker's Allowance if: Your days at work are reduced. You are laid off work temporarily. You are self-employed but your level of business and income has reduced.
You have savings or other money
If you or your partner have liquid assets over certain limits, you may have to wait 1 to 13 weeks. Liquid assets are any funds readily available to you or your partner. This includes money owed by your or your partner's employer. Read about liquid assets waiting periods.
New style JSA can be claimed even if you have savings and/or any partner is working full or part time. In certain circumstances you can get your new-style JSA topped up with Universal Credit. If you can't get new style JSA because you don't meet the conditions, check if you can just claim Universal Credit instead.
The biggest red flags in an interview often involve toxic culture indicators like the interviewer badmouthing past employees, aggressive pressure to accept quickly, extreme vagueness about the actual job, or a disorganized process. These signal potential issues with management, a poor environment, or a desperate need to fill the role, rather than finding the right fit, showing a lack of respect for you or the position.
The "7-second resume rule" means recruiters spend only about 7 seconds scanning a resume initially to decide if it's worth a deeper look, making first impressions crucial for grabbing attention with clear formatting, a strong summary, and relevant keywords from the job description. To succeed, focus on clean layouts (ATS-friendly), a concise professional summary, tailored keywords, and bullet points highlighting recent, relevant achievements, ensuring it passes both Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) and the quick human scan.
Our experts have compiled the top mistakes candidates make when writing a cover letter:
How much you can earn before Centrelink payments are affected depends on your specific payment (Age Pension, JobSeeker, Youth Allowance, etc.), your living situation (single/partnered, with/without children, homeowner/renter), and your assets, but generally, there's a threshold (e.g., around $218/fortnight for Age Pension, $528/fortnight for Austudy/Youth Allowance) where payments start reducing, often by 40-60 cents for each dollar earned over that amount, with specific rules for different payments like Work Bonus for seniors or Income Bank for students.
JobSeeker payments will jump by $12.50 for singles over 22 with no children, bringing the fortnightly total up from $781.10 to $793.60. Couples will receive an extra $11.40 each.
You have to report any employment income you or your partner have been paid, even if it's zero, and any other changes to your circumstances every fortnight before we can pay you. You can find your reporting dates in your Centrelink online account.