Alisha is a full-time university student who works two jobs. But she's still struggling to keep up with her mates on Centrelink
- Video has sparked major discussion about Centrelink payments
- Student advocates say Centrelink payment rates are 'far too low'
- READ MORE: Australians expose the brutal reality of life in 2025
A young university student working two jobs has claimed she can barely stay afloat while some of her peers get enough from Centrelink they don't even need to work.
Alisha Hall, 18, called out the government agency which she is not eligible for, begging them to 'change the system' in a now-viral TikTok.
'Everyone's equal. Yet some uni students are getting so much Centrelink they don't need to work,' she captioned the video.
'While I'm here working two jobs and still not making rent because I'm not eligible. All while falling behind because I don't have time.'
The video struck a chord online, quickly racking up hundreds of comments and sparking a heated discussion around Centrelink eligibility, youth welfare payments, and the challenges faced by those who aren't eligible.
While payments vary on circumstances, the maximum a single person living out of home without children and is aged between 18 and 24 can get is $663.30 a fortnight.
Ms Hall, who juggles her time between studying a Bachelor of Health and Science and working shifts in retail and at a pizza restaurant, doesn't qualify for Centrelink.
She explained this was because she was under the age of 22 and her parents' earnings were over the threshold.
A young university student working two jobs has claimed she can barely stay afloat while some of her peers get enough from Centrelink they don't even need to work
'My parents make too much BUT I'm completely financially independent from them. They don't give me a cent and we have legally proven this but you're considered a 'dependent child' until 22 years old,' she said.
Many Aussies pointed out that the support provided through Youth Allowance and Austudy is simply not enough.
'Girl, Centrelink is like $500–$700 a fortnight unless you're on a pension - that is nothing,' one commenter wrote.
'Youth Allowance is below the poverty line. So no… they aren't getting so much Centrelink they don't need to work,' another claimed.
'Who on God's green earth gets enough from Centrelink to even pay rent? Youth Allowance isn't even $650 a fortnight,' a third agreed.
Others took aim at the system itself, criticising rules that classify students as dependents until the age of 22, even when they are living independently and receiving no financial support from their families.
'I'm with you. Centrelink screwed us with parents who can't help but earn over,' one sympathetic commenter wrote.
Another slammed the requirement, saying 'I wasn't eligible for youth allowance because my dad made too much money. I hadn't spoken to my dad in two years'.
University of Sydney SRC President Angus Fisher says life for students on Centrelink is 'dire' (pictured, the Queensland University of Technology)
'Parents have no obligation to provide financial support after you turn 18, so Centrelink shouldn't consider your parents income after 18,' said another.
Ms Hall said it was frustrating to see her friends who still live at home receive welfare payments while she struggled to make ends meet.
'99 per cent of the money I make goes straight towards rent and the rest I use for fuel and very rarely I get any form of excess for food,' she told news.com.au.
The student said she often relied on free food being handed out at her university or from other organisations.
A typical day for her could include working 10am to 3pm in retail followed by another seven-hour shift at the pizza restaurant later that night.
'People complain Centrelink doesn't pay well but even just $200 a week would allow me to only work one job and give me time for university work,' she told the publication.
The video has sparked broader discussions about the cost of living crisis, housing insecurity, and the mental toll placed on students juggling study, work and rent.
While payments vary on circumstances, the maximum a single person living out of home without children and is aged between 18 and 24 can get is $663.30 a fortnight (stock)
University of Sydney Student Representative Council President Angus Fisher described the situation for students on Centrelink as 'dire'.
'Centrelink rates are far too low to meet basic needs, especially for students in a cost of living crisis,' he told Daily Mail Australia.
'A single person on JobSeeker gets just $390 a week, which is over $220 below the poverty line. For students, it's even more dire, the youth allowance rate is $330 for a student living out of home.
In a country as wealthy as Australia, no one should be forced to choose between food, rent, and survival.'
Mr Fisher also called on the federal government to lift the payment amount.
'It's time for a real increase that lifts people out of poverty, not just barely keeps them there,' he said.
