The Disability Support Pension (DSP) is an income support payment that helps support people (16 or over) who have a permanent physical, intellectual or psychiatric condition that stops them from working as much as they need to.

The Australian Government is making some changes to help people on the DSP during coronavirus.

Extra payments

Economic Support Payments

If you’re on the DSP, you’ll get two Economic Support Payments:

• one $750 payment now
• one $750 payment in mid-July.

This money will be paid directly into your bank account. You don’t need to do anything to get them.

If you have recently applied for the DSP, you will get both the Economic Support Payments if you applied by 13 April 2020.

Crisis Payment

If you’re going through financial hardship, you may also be able to get a Crisis Payment. A Crisis Payment is a one-off payment to help if you have an emergency. To get a Crisis Payment you need to be:

• in quarantine or self-isolation because you have recently been overseas or been in close contact with someone with coronavirus
• looking after a family member or someone you live with that must be in quarantine or self-isolation.

You need to contact Centrelink within 14 days of starting quarantine or self-isolation. You then have another 14 days to apply for the payment.

JobKeeper Payment

If you have a job, you may still be able to receive the JobKeeper Payment, even if you already receive the DSP.

If your employer can claim the JobKeeper Payment for you, they will then pay you a minimum of $1,500 a fortnight.

You can read more about this in our JobKeeper Payment and the DSP resource.

JobSeeker Payment

If you’re thinking about switching from the DSP to the JobSeeker Payment (the new name for Newstart Allowance), please read our JobSeeker Payment and the DSP resource.

Even though the JobSeeker Payment is higher than the DSP at the moment, this probably will not continue after the coronavirus pandemic. If you change to the JobSeeker Payment you may not be able to change back to the DSP.

Changes to mutual obligations

The Australian Government has suspended mutual obligations for people on the DSP until at least 22 May 2020.

Mutual obligations can include things like:

• searching for and applying for jobs
• taking part in employment services.

Original resource

Some of this information on the changes to the DSP during the coronavirus comes from an Economic Justice Australia fact sheet.

We have also used information from the Services Australia website – Why Disability Support Pension is the right payment for you.