Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians have access to a set of supports that go beyond what every Australian receives. ABSTUDY generally pays more than Youth Allowance for the same student. The PBS Closing the Gap co-payment drops prescription costs from $31.60 to $7.70 (or $0). The Indigenous Health Incentive often translates to bulk-billed GP visits. State governments add housing, concession and energy uplifts. This guide walks through each one — what it is, who qualifies, and how to claim.
NestWise asks (optionally) whether your household identifies as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander in onboarding. If you tick yes, these surfaces appear alongside the rest of your entitlements. If you don't, nothing changes. Defaults to "prefer not to say" — privacy and cultural safety first.
ABSTUDY — for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students
What it is. ABSTUDY is Services Australia's income support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students aged 14 and over (or younger in approved circumstances). It generally pays more than Youth Allowance for the same age and study load and includes a number of extras Youth Allowance doesn't.
Who qualifies.
- Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander identification recognised on the Services Australia record
- Enrolled in an approved course (secondary, tertiary, or some vocational)
- Aged 14+ (younger in approved circumstances, e.g. away from home)
- Meets the income and assets test for the relevant ABSTUDY category
What you may get (varies by category — Living Allowance / Away-from-Base / Pensioner Education Supplement / School Fees Allowance):
- Living Allowance — fortnightly payment, generally higher than equivalent Youth Allowance
- Travel allowance — for students who need to travel for school/study
- Away-from-Base allowance — for students living away from home for study
- Pharmaceutical allowance — small fortnightly supplement
- Rent assistance — for eligible recipients with rental costs
- School fees allowance — for secondary boarding students
How to claim. Apply through Services Australia online (or via the ABSTUDY paper claim if needed). Mob can also call the dedicated ABSTUDY line — 1800 132 317. Centrelink Indigenous Service Officers (see further below) can walk you through eligibility.
Worth surfacing when. Anyone in the family is 14+ and studying.
Source. Services Australia — ABSTUDY
PBS Closing the Gap (CtG) co-payment
What it is. The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme Closing the Gap program lets eligible Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients pay the concessional co-payment ($7.70 in 2026) or, in some cases, nothing ($0) instead of the general co-payment ($31.60 in 2026). For families on regular scripts, the saving easily runs $400–$800+ per year.
Who qualifies.
- Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander patient
- Registered through their GP via the MyMedicare system
- Conditions: typically chronic disease management or living in an area covered by the program (rules vary slightly state to state)
What it changes. When you fill a script at the pharmacy, the system reads your CtG registration and charges you the lower rate automatically. Nothing to claim back; nothing to track.
How to claim. Talk to your GP. They register you in MyMedicare with a CtG tick. From the next script onwards, the lower rate applies at any participating pharmacy.
Worth surfacing when. Family has any regular prescription costs visible in the cashflow.
Source. PBS — Closing the Gap · Department of Health — Closing the Gap PBS
Indigenous Health Incentive (IHI)
What it is. The IHI pays GP practices a per-patient incentive to enrol Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients in chronic disease management. In practice, many participating practices choose to bulk-bill their IHI-enrolled patients — so visits cost $0 out of pocket.
Who qualifies.
- Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander patient
- GP practice is registered for the IHI program
- Patient consents to be enrolled
What it changes. Visits to that practice are often bulk-billed (no gap fee). Some practices pass on additional services free — e.g. annual health check, immunisations.
How to claim. Ask your GP whether they're an IHI-participating practice. If yes, ask to be enrolled. If no, consider whether an Aboriginal Community-Controlled Health Organisation (see below) is accessible in your area.
Worth surfacing when. No GP cost is showing in the family's cashflow — or family is regularly paying gap fees.
Source. Department of Health — Indigenous Health Incentive
Tertiary Access Payment (TAP)
What it is. A one-off payment of approximately $5,000 for tertiary students from regional or remote areas who relocate for study. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students are one of the recognised equity cohorts.
Who qualifies.
- School-leaver moving from a regional or remote area to undertake tertiary study
- Meets the relocation requirements (distance + study load)
- Identified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander OR meets other equity criteria
How to claim. Apply through StudyAssist. Centrelink doesn't administer this one — it's a Department of Education payment.
Worth surfacing when. Family has a school-leaver heading to uni and lives in a regional or remote area.
Source. StudyAssist — Tertiary Access Payment
State-level housing schemes
Each state and territory funds its own Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander housing programs. The major ones:
| State | Scheme | What |
|---|---|---|
| NSW | Aboriginal Housing Office (AHO) | Subsidised social housing managed by the AHO, plus support for Aboriginal community housing providers |
| VIC | Aboriginal Housing Victoria (AHV) | Community-controlled provider with a large social-housing portfolio |
| QLD | Department of Communities — Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander housing | Social housing + community-housing provider support |
| WA | Department of Communities — Aboriginal Housing | Remote and town-based housing programs |
| SA | Renewal SA — Aboriginal Housing | Social housing + community-housing support |
| TAS | Aboriginal Housing Office (state-managed) | Community-controlled housing in conjunction with state |
| ACT | ACT Housing — Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander housing | Priority access pathways within general social housing |
| NT | Aboriginal Housing NT | Major scheme covering remote and urban housing |
These are housing-needs-tested in the same way mainstream social housing is — application and assessment is required. Worth applying if housing affordability is a real concern; waitlists vary by region.
Centrelink Indigenous Service Officers (ISO)
What it is. Dedicated Services Australia case workers for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander customers. They handle FTB, CCS, DSP, Carer Payment, ABSTUDY and most other Centrelink interactions with cultural understanding and (usually) shorter wait times.
How to access. Ask for the Indigenous Service Officer line when you call Centrelink. Many Services Australia service centres have on-site ISO staff. Mob can also use 1800 136 380 (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander general enquiries).
Aboriginal Community-Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs)
What they are. ACCHOs are primary health-care services owned and run by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community. They provide GP, allied health, mental health and chronic-disease management — often with cultural safety and almost always with bulk-billing as standard.
Where to find one. The peak body NACCHO maintains a directory at naccho.org.au. Most capital cities and many regional centres have at least one. Some are large multi-service centres; some are small primary care clinics.
How NestWise treats this
- Opt-in only. The onboarding wizard asks once, with a "prefer not to say" default. Nothing changes for users who don't answer.
- No assumptions. Identifying triggers extra tile surfacing, never different defaults on calculators or different copy on the rest of the product.
- Per-child CCS unlock is separate and lives on the child record, not the household record. Tick the box on a child to apply the 100hr/fn CCS unlock without disclosing household identification anywhere else.
- Sources are linked inline. Every figure here links to an official Australian Government source. Confirm rates on the official page before claiming.
Last verified 2026-06-08. Rates and rules change. Always confirm on the official Services Australia or relevant department page before relying on a specific figure.