Centrelink & the Disability Support Pension

The Disability Support Pension (DSP)

DSP is the main long-term income support for people who can’t work because of a permanent disability or illness. It’s paid at the pension rate, which is much higher than JobSeeker, and it comes with a Pensioner Concession Card.

Who can get it

You need to meet all the non-medical rules and all the medical rules.^1,2

Non-medical:

• Aged at least 15 years and 9 months and under Age Pension age when you claim (you can lodge from 13 weeks before your 16th birthday)
• Australian residence rules (generally 10 years’ residence, 5 of them unbroken, with some exceptions)
• Income and assets tests (below)

Medical (the “general medical rules”):

1. Your condition is likely to persist for more than 2 years
2. It is “diagnosed, reasonably treated and stabilised”
3. You have an impairment rating of 20 points or more under the Impairment Tables
4. You meet Program of Support rules, if they apply to you
5. Your condition will stop you working at least 15 hours a week in the next 2 years

How ME/CFS fits the rules

Good news first: ME/CFS is explicitly named in the legal Impairment Tables.³ That matters, because assessors can’t treat it as an unrecognised condition.

• Table 1 (functions requiring physical exertion and stamina) lists ME/CFS among the conditions commonly assessed under it, and its point descriptors are written around fatigue and post-exertional malaise. The 20-point level, for example, describes someone who usually gets severe fatigue or PEM from light activities, needs a long recovery after light housework, needs to rest before and after a shower, and would struggle to sustain even a seated job for a 3-hour shift.
• Table 7 (brain function) also names ME/CFS, covering memory, concentration and other cognitive symptoms.
• The Department’s own guidance gives ME/CFS as a worked example of a condition that should be assessed across several tables, including Table 10 for gut symptoms.⁴

“Diagnosed, treated and stabilised” is the part that catches many people. In plain terms:³

• Diagnosed: by an appropriately qualified medical practitioner. For Table 1 and Table 7, a GP diagnosis is acceptable, though a specialist report strengthens it.⁵
• Reasonably treated: you’ve had, or been offered, treatment that is accessible, affordable, low-risk and “can reliably be expected to result in a significant functional improvement” with “a high success rate”.
• Stabilised: further reasonable treatment is unlikely to significantly improve your ability to function.

Because ME/CFS has no treatment with a high success rate, a well-written report can explain that your condition is stabilised in this legal sense: you’ve tried what’s reasonable, and nothing available is expected to substantially restore your capacity to work. Emerge Australia warns that some assessors still regard ME/CFS as temporary because it fluctuates, or expect graded exercise therapy and CBT to have been tried, even though these are no longer best practice.⁶ Your evidence should address that head-on. See What to avoid.

Rules that protect you

The Impairment Tables include several rules worth knowing when you gather evidence:³

• Fluctuating conditions: the rating “must reflect the overall functional impact”, taking into account “the severity, duration and frequency of the episodes”, and “the person’s presentation on the day of assessment should not solely be relied upon”.
• Sustaining activity: a descriptor only counts against you if you can do the activity “when they would be expected to do so and not only once or rarely”. Being able to shower once, then crash, is not being able to shower.
• Corroboration: “symptoms reported by a person … can only be taken into account where there is corroborating medical evidence”. This is why your doctor’s report and any test results matter so much.
• Ratings are only 0, 5, 10, 20 or 30 points on each table, and you must meet all the descriptors at a level.

The Program of Support rule

If you reach 20 points on a single table, this rule doesn’t apply. If you only reach 20 by adding tables (say, 10 on Table 1 and 10 on Table 7), you must usually have taken part in a “Program of Support” (an employment service) for 18 months in the 3 years before claiming, unless your condition stops you benefiting from one, in which case a shorter period may count.⁷ Aim for a 20 on Table 1, which the severe PEM descriptor is designed to capture.

How much is DSP?

Maximum fortnightly rates from 20 September 2026 (basic rate plus supplements):^8,9

Under-21 rates include the Youth Disability Supplement.¹⁰ Parents’ income doesn’t affect DSP.

Income test: singles can earn up to $226 a fortnight with no reduction, then lose 50 cents per dollar; couples $396 combined, then 25 cents each. Payment cuts out at about $2,701 a fortnight for a single person.¹¹ Assets test: the family home is exempt. Full pension up to $333,000 (single homeowner) or $600,000 (non-homeowner); it reduces above that.¹² Working: you can work up to 29 hours a week while keeping DSP if you pass the income test. If you work 30+ hours, DSP is suspended for up to 2 years rather than cancelled, and you keep the concession card.¹³

Evidence: what to give them

Since 2015, DSP claims are decided mainly on your medical records, which you supply, rather than a special form.¹⁴ Services Australia asks for evidence that covers:¹⁵

• your diagnosis (who made it and when, and how confirmed)
• past, current and planned treatment
• how your condition affects you day to day, including with any aids you use
• when symptoms started, how often and how long they occur
• your prognosis: whether it will improve, stay the same or get worse

Acceptable evidence includes GP and specialist reports, hospital records, imaging, and reports from allied health professionals (physiotherapist, occupational therapist, exercise physiologist) confirming functional impairment. The rules specifically mention “results of exercise, cardiac stress, treadmill testing or actimetry linked blood pressure and heart rate monitoring” as corroborating evidence for Table 1.³

The assessment

• Job Capacity Assessment (JCA): a free assessment by a Services Australia health professional, often by phone or video, taking up to an hour. They may contact your doctors. You can bring a relative, friend or advocate. Upload any new evidence beforehand. If you don’t attend, the claim may be rejected. You can request a copy of the report.¹⁷
• Disability Medical Assessment (DMA): some claimants are also asked to see a government-contracted doctor (through Sonic HealthPlus). You can bring a support person.¹⁸

If the appointment itself would trigger a crash, say so and ask for phone or video, breaks, or a support person to speak for you.

Timeframes

Services Australia says to expect to hear from them within 21 days of lodging, and the first payment usually arrives about 2 weeks after approval.¹⁹ Full assessment often takes longer. If you claim online you can claim JobSeeker at the same time, and if you’re already on JobSeeker or Youth Allowance you don’t have to meet mutual obligations while the DSP claim is assessed.²⁰

If your claim is refused

Refusals are common, and many are overturned. There’s no limit to how many times you can apply.⁶

1. Ask why. Request a copy of the medical assessment and the reasons. (Free; they aim to call within 14 days.)
2. Formal review by an Authorised Review Officer (ARO). Apply within 13 weeks of being told the decision to protect back pay. Tick the formal review box, not just "explanation". Free.²¹
3. Administrative Review Tribunal (ART), first review. If the ARO doesn't change the decision, apply to the ART within 13 weeks. Free to apply. Hearings are informal, Centrelink usually isn't present, and new evidence is often what wins. Phone 1800 228 333 or email reviews@art.gov.au.^22,23
4. ART second review within 28 days, then court only on a question of law.

You can also reapply with better evidence at any time, which is often faster than a review if your original evidence was thin.

JobSeeker with a medical certificate

If you’re waiting for DSP, or don’t qualify yet, JobSeeker Payment (22 to Age Pension age) or Youth Allowance (16–21) can be paid while you’re “sick or injured and can’t do your usual work or study for a short time”.²⁴

• Your doctor completes a Centrelink Medical Certificate (SU415) or lodges it online. It asks for the diagnosis, functional impact, treatment, and whether you can work or study 8 hours a week.²⁵
• If you can’t manage 8 hours a week, you get a temporary incapacity exemption from job-search requirements. Since 1 January 2025 a single certificate can cover up to 24 months.²⁶ Keep meeting requirements until the exemption is approved.
• If you’re assessed as having a partial capacity to work of under 15 hours a week, you get a higher JobSeeker rate and an automatic Pensioner Concession Card.^27,28

Rates from 20 September 2026 (per fortnight): JobSeeker single $824.90; single with partial capacity under 15 hours $883.30; partnered $755.10 each.²⁹ Youth Allowance ranges from $418.90 (under 18, at home) to $677.20 (away from home), and the Youth Disability Supplement of up to $162.60 can be added for under-22s with a disability.^30,10

Payments for carers

If someone provides constant care for you, they may be eligible for:

• Carer Payment: an income-support payment at the pension rate ($1,237.70 single, $933.00 each partnered) for someone who provides “constant care”, roughly a working day’s worth, to a person needing care for at least 6 months. Both people must meet income and assets tests. The carer can work or study up to 100 hours per four weeks.^31,32
• Carer Allowance: $162.60 a fortnight, not taxable, no assets test, for caring for someone who needs care for at least 12 months. Family income must be under $250,000.^33,34
• An annual Carer Supplement is paid with both.

See also For family & carers.

Other help

Free help

Getting DSP is hard work, especially with brain fog. You don’t have to do it alone, and all of these are free:

• Emerge Australia: free self-paced online module Applying for the DSP, a template letter for your doctor, and live Q&A sessions. They can’t provide individual advocacy. 1800 865 321, information@emerge.org.au.¹⁶
• Welfare rights and community legal centres (Economic Justice Australia members) give free advice on DSP claims and appeals. Examples: Welfare Rights Centre NSW 1800 226 028; Basic Rights Queensland 1800 358 511; Social Security Rights Victoria (03) 9481 0355 and its DSP Help site; Uniting Communities Law Centre SA (08) 8342 1800; Welfare Rights & Advocacy Service WA (08) 9328 1751; Hobart Community Legal Service (03) 6223 2500; Canberra Community Law (02) 6218 7977; Darwin Community Legal Service 1800 812 953. Full list at ejaustralia.org.au/legal-help.^39,40
• Disability advocates: find a government-funded advocate through the Ask Izzy Disability Advocacy Finder.⁴¹
• Services Australia social workers: ask to speak to one on any Centrelink line.⁴²
• National Debt Helpline: 1800 007 007 for free financial counselling.⁴³

Centrelink phone numbers

• Disability and carers line: 132 717, Monday to Friday, 8am–5pm (DSP, Mobility Allowance, Carer Payment and Carer Allowance)
• Employment services line (JobSeeker, Youth Allowance): 132 850
• Multilingual service: 131 202; Indigenous call centre: 1800 136 380
• Administrative Review Tribunal: 1800 228 333

Phone queues are long. Calling early in the morning, or using the Centrelink app or myGov for uploads, saves energy.