Non-beneficiaries
Standard costs are the proportion of living costs that the client (and their partner, if any) are expected to meet from their benefit or income.
A client does not have to be getting a main benefit to qualify for Temporary Additional Support, but they must meet the qualifications for Temporary Additional Support.
This includes the client taking all necessary steps to obtain all other sources of assistance that may be available as well as taking reasonable steps to reduce their costs or increase their chargeable income, where possible.
Standard costs
The following table is used to calculate standard costs for non-beneficiaries for Temporary Additional Support:
Standard costs for a client not getting a main benefit | |
70% | net rate of Jobseeker Support (before any income reduction or other deduction) according to the client's family circumstances and |
70% | family tax credit (before any income reduction or other deduction) payable for 'any children' to the client or their partner according to the client's family circumstances |
Note 'any children' includes dependent children and shared care children who qualify for family tax credit. Best Start tax credit is not included in the calculation of the standard costs.
For example
The standard costs for a non-beneficiary married, civil union or de facto couple with 2 children aged 4 and 9 years is calculated as follows:
70% of the net rate of Jobseeker Support for a married, civil union or de facto couple with 2 children before any income reduction or other deduction ($669.40 as at 1 April 2026) | $468.58 |
70% of the family tax credit before any income reduction or other deduction payable for any children to the client or their partner ($151.91 + $123.78 = $275.69 as at 1 April 2026) | $192.98 |
Total amount of standard costs | $661.56 |
For more information see:
Legislation
- Temporary additional support: standard costs schedule 3 Social Security Regulations 2018
