Centrelink covers a wide range of conditions for its Disability Support Pension (DSP) if they are permanent, severe, and stop you from working for more than two years, including physical (e.g., severe arthritis, neurological issues), intellectual (e.g., Down Syndrome, autism), psychosocial (mental health), and sensory impairments (blindness, deafness), with some conditions like permanent blindness or IQ under 70 often qualifying automatically. Eligibility depends on meeting specific medical rules, assessed using Impairment Tables, focusing on the impact on your ability to work, not just the diagnosis.
In Australia, automatic qualification for disability support (like the Disability Support Pension or NDIS) isn't about specific conditions but rather about meeting "manifest" criteria for severe, permanent, or terminal impairments, such as being permanently blind, having an IQ under 70, needing nursing home care, Category 4 HIV/AIDS, or a terminal illness with less than a two-year life expectancy. Otherwise, eligibility for income support (DSP) or NDIS funding depends on demonstrating the condition's permanence and its substantial, long-term impact on daily life and work capacity, requiring medical evidence.
Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
The "20 points for disability pension" refers to Australia's Disability Support Pension (DSP) eligibility, where you need a 20-point impairment rating or more on one or more of the DSS Impairment Tables, indicating a severe or extreme impact (20 or 30 points) on your daily functioning or work ability due to a diagnosed, treated, and stable condition. These points assess how your condition affects activities like lifting, concentrating, or physical exertion, using severity levels: mild (5), moderate (10), severe (20), or extreme (30).
Examples include Alzheimer's disease, motor neurone disease, muscular dystrophy and Parkinson's. Someone with a progressive condition is considered by law to have a disability as soon as it starts to have an effect on their normal day-to-day activities, as long as this is likely to be long-term.
Other Examples of Non-covered Conditions
Broken limbs, sprains, concussions, appendicitis, common colds, or influenza generally would not be disabilities.
Common Disabilities
To get Adult Disability Payment, you must have a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability, or be terminally ill.
The full Centrelink Disability Support Pension (DSP) for a single person over 21 is around $1,178.70 per fortnight, including the basic rate, pension supplement, and energy supplement as of late 2025, but this varies by your situation (age, partner, income, assets). You can get up to approximately $1,777.00 combined as a couple, or less if you have significant income or assets, with rates updated twice yearly.
Can I get Disability Living Allowance (DLA)?
Arthritis and other musculoskeletal disabilities are the most commonly approved conditions for disability benefits. If you are unable to walk due to arthritis, or unable to perform dexterous movements like typing or writing, you will qualify.
To get Disability Support Pension (DSP) there are four things you have to show:
The majority of IDEA appropriations are allocated to states by formula to carry out activities under Part B, which covers 14 disability categories: (1) autism, (2) deaf-blindness, (3) deafness, (4) emotional disturbance, (5) hearing impairment, (6) intellectual disability, (7) multiple disabilities, (8) orthopedic ...
Although the challenges individuals with disabilities face are unique and idiosyncratic, there are generally four main categories of disabilities – physical, behavioral, developmental, and sensory.
The definition is set out in section 6 of the Equality Act 2010. It says you're disabled if: you have a physical or mental impairment. your impairment has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on your ability to do normal day-to-day activities.
The "20 points for disability pension" refers to Australia's Disability Support Pension (DSP) eligibility, where you need a 20-point impairment rating or more on one or more of the DSS Impairment Tables, indicating a severe or extreme impact (20 or 30 points) on your daily functioning or work ability due to a diagnosed, treated, and stable condition. These points assess how your condition affects activities like lifting, concentrating, or physical exertion, using severity levels: mild (5), moderate (10), severe (20), or extreme (30).
Conditions that Qualify for Disability Benefits
This can be medical reports, speech and language assessments, psychological reports, and a statement of special educational needs – anything that supports what you've said in the form. But don't delay making a claim if you haven't got these reports yet, as DLA can't be backdated and you could lose out.
DLA is extra money you might be able to claim for your child if they have a health condition or physical or mental disability and are under 16. They must need care, attention or supervision but they do not need to have an actual diagnosis from a doctor.
People getting Disability Allowance can qualify for the Rural Social Scheme (if they are actively farming or fishing). People getting Illness Benefit, Invalidity Pension, Disability Allowance, and Blind Pension can qualify for Community Employment. People getting Disability Allowance can qualify for the TÚS scheme.
To be entitled to the enhanced rate, you need to score at least 12 points. Likewise, to be entitled to the standard rate of the mobility component, you need to score at least 8 points under the two mobility activity headings. To be entitled to the enhanced rate, you need to score at least 12 points.
Here are the Top Disabilities That Are Difficult To Prove
Q: What Is the Most Hidden Disability? A: Professionals regard mental health disorders like depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and PTSD as the most hidden kinds of disabilities. People typically miss these conditions because they show no physical signs, and individuals hide them during social or work interactions.
Some examples of disabilities include: