Youth Disability Supplement (YDS) 008-03070030

YDS is an income supplement paid to young people with a disability recognising additional costs associated with having a physical, intellectual or psychiatric disability.

YDS is added to the basic payment rate for customers:

• under 21 years of age who receive Disability Support Pension (DSP) at the no dependent children rate
• under 22 years of age, assessed as having a partial capacity to work, and receiving one of the following payments:
  • ABSTUDY (students and Australian Apprentices receiving Living Allowance) including those who take up the Residential Costs Option (RCO)
  • Youth Allowance (YA) including full-time students, Australian Apprentices or job seekers

The rate of YDS is adjusted annually on 1 January in line with Consumer Price Index (CPI) increases.

The amount of:

• DSP payable to a customer under 21 years of age cannot be more than the amount payable to a customer aged 21 years or older
• Youth Allowance (YA) and ABSTUDY payable to a customer under 22 years of age cannot be more than the amount payable to a JobSeeker Payment (JSP) customer aged 22 years or older

For YA and ABSTUDY, this means YDS may not be payable, or may be payable at a reduced rate.

YDS is paid fortnightly.

YDS will not be paid during periods where the customer is in an employment income nil rate period.

YDS is a non-taxable payment when paid with DSP.

Information about the rate of YDS is available on Services Australia website. See the Resources page for a link.

Youth Allowance (YA) and ABSTUDY customers with a partial capacity to work (PCW) may be paid Youth Disability Supplement (YDS). This is determined by an Employment Services Assessment (ESAt) or Job Capacity Assessment (JCA). Full-time students can be eligible for YDS and may require an ESAt to determine if they have a partial capacity to work.

The customer's partial capacity to work may be reviewed if they are working consistently above their assessed work capacity.