What is their main source of income?
Just over 4 in 10 (41%) working-age people with disability are permanently unable to work because of their condition(s), and some who do work do not have adequate income.
What is income support?
Income support is a payment provided by government to help with living costs. People with disability who need help with living costs may access disability-specific payments (such as the Disability Support Pension) as well as other payments (such as Newstart Allowance).
Although most people aged 15 and over with disability have some source of income (95%), this is more likely to be from income support than salary or wages.
|
Main source of income |
With disability(a) |
Without disability(a) |
|---|---|---|
|
Income from salary or wages |
24% |
69% |
|
Aged 15–24 |
45% |
79% |
|
Aged 25–64 |
40% |
77% |
|
Aged 65+ |
3.7% |
11% |
|
Income from income support |
59% |
15% |
|
Aged 15–24 |
49% |
14% |
|
Aged 25–64 |
46% |
8.7% |
|
Aged 65+ |
75% |
56% |
(a) Living in households (2015).
How many receive DSP?
Around 757,000 people aged 16 and over receive DSP (at June 2018). Most (90% or over 684,000) of these are aged 16–64.
What is DSP?
DSP is the main income support payment available specifically to people with disability. It is a means tested income support payment for people who are aged 16 and over but under the Age Pension age (at claim) and who have reduced capacity to work because of their disability.
Who receives DSP?
- 4.3% of the Australian population aged 16–64 receive DSP.
- About 1 in 3 (30%) income support payment recipients aged 16–64 receive DSP.
- Over half (54%) of DSP recipients aged 16–64 are aged 50–64 years.
- Around 1 in 3 (36%) of DSP recipients aged 16–64 have a psychological or psychiatric condition as their primary medical condition.
DSP recipients tend to stay on DSP for a long time, with very few moving onto other payments or exiting the income support system. At June 2018, 80% of recipients aged 16–64 had been on DSP for at least 5 years, 50% for 10 or more years.
Examining movement over time for a cohort of DSP recipients aged 16–64 in 2009, shows that by 2018:
- 58% were still receiving DSP
- 23% had moved onto the Age Pension
- 1% had moved to other payments (other than the Age Pension)
- 4% were not on income support
- 13% had died.
What is their level of income?
People with disability generally have a lower level of personal income than people without disability. Having a person with disability living in the household is also associated with lower levels of household income.
|
Level of personal income |
With disability(a) |
Without disability(a) |
|---|---|---|
|
Low income ($360 or less per week) |
35% |
29% |
|
Mid income ($361 to $1,054 per week) |
51% |
36% |
|
High income ($1,055 or more per week) |
14% |
35% |
(a) Living in households (2015).
Households that contain a person with disability are more likely than those that do not to have a low level of household income.
|
Level of household income |
Household with |
Household without |
|---|---|---|
|
Low income ($502 or below per week) |
37% |
19% |
|
Mid income ($503 to $1,151 per week) |
45% |
44% |
|
High income ($1,152 or more per week) |
18% |
37% |
Families where a parent has disability are more likely than those that do not to have a low level of family income.
|
Level of family income |
Families with |
Families without |
|---|---|---|
|
Low income ($525 or below per week) |
29% |
17% |
|
Mid income ($526 to $1,221 per week) |
52% |
48% |
|
High income ($1,222 or more per week) |
19% |
35% |
(a) Living in households (2015).
Families with a child with disability are more likely to have a low level of family income.
|
Level of family income |
Families with |
Families without |
|---|---|---|
|
Low income ($525 or below per week) |
27% |
18% |
|
Mid income ($526 to $1,221 per week) |
52% |
49% |
|
High income ($1,222 or more per week) |
21% |
34% |
(a) Living in households (2015).