JobSeeker, Age Pension and Youth Allowance are among Centrelink payments increasing today. Here's how much and why - Centrelink payments such as JobSeeker, Age Pension and Youth Allowance will all rise from Wednesday. But not all for the same reason. Some payments are going up to bring them in line with inflation. It's a type of indexation and it happens twice a year — once in March and once in September. Other payments will have their base rates increased by $40 a fortnight. This is due to a $14.6 billion cost-of-living package handed down by the government during this year's federal budget. A few payments will benefit from both indexation and base rate increases. Here's what you need to know. Which Centrelink payments are increasing? The following payments will see indexation increases: Age pension Carer Payment Parenting Payment (Single) The following payments will see indexation increases and a base rate increase: JobSeeker Payment Parenting Payment (Partnered) Special Benefit The following payments will see a base rate increase: Austudy Youth Allowance ABSTUDY Living Allowance Disability Support Pension (Youth) Why are these payments increasing now? The indexation increases are a bi-annual change, employed in an effort to combat increased costs of living. The base rate increases come from a $14.6 billion cost-of-living package deployed by the labour government in the 23/24 budget. Other aspects of the package include a 15 per cent increase to rent assistance maximum rates, and an age extension for single parenting payments. The age at which the higher rate of JobSeeker payment for single recipients is paid will also be reduced from 60 to 55 for those who have been on payment for nine continuous months Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth said these changes would benefit close to 2 million Australians including 580,000 women, 318,000 young people (under 25), 150,000 First Nations Australians and 245,000 mature-aged Australians. However, some advocates say that the income support raises don't go far enough "Australia's income support payments are among the lowest in wealthy nations and do not cover the essentials of life such as rent, energy and food, causing serious harm to those who rely on them," Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) deputy CEO Edwina MacDonald said. "People are regularly skipping meals, going without heating and cooling, forgoing essential medication and medical care, and experiencing social isolation." ACOSS would like to see income support payments to be raised to the pension rate — $78 a day, post the September increases. JobSeeker and Youth Allowance payments are between $43 and $54 a day, post the September increases. All three of these payments fall under the Henderson poverty line — one of the most commonly-used measurements of disadvantage — which suggests income below $87.32 per day places a person in poverty. Credit - https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-09-20/centrelink-payments-increase-jobseeker-youth-allowance/102872572