How 'the couple rule' causes harm

Linking income support payments to relationship status exposes women to financial dependence, risk of domestic violence and entrenches gender inequalities, new research shows.

The ‘couple rule’ has long caused concern because it undermines women’s safety and financial freedom. A new report from the Brotherhood of St. Laurence (BSL), Entangled: The couple rule, domestic violence, and women’s economic security , confirms concerns and calls for action.

BSL researcher Dr Margaret Kabare said the research showed the different ways linking social security payments to relationship status can cause harm.

“Under social security law, it’s assumed that you’re in a relationship if you meet certain criteria - which can be hard to disprove. The consequence is that individuals in relationships receive lower rates of income support than those who are single, or even no income support, depending on their partner’s income and assets."

“This is because there’s an assumption that couples will pool and share resources,” Dr Kabare said.

“This legislation creates risks for women and undermines their financial freedom.

“Our findings contribute to longstanding and growing research showing that the couple rule and inflexibility of compliance requirements can exposes women to economic abuse and can trap women in violent and abusive relationships. The rule also entrenches gender inequities by limiting opportunities for women to build economic independence.”

Based on interviews with 22 women living in Victoria in 2025, the report calls for equal access to income support for single and partnered adults; strengthening protections for victim-survivors; and recognition of broader factors in women’s economic security, including continuing to improve access to affordable childcare.

Dr Kabare said progress was being made towards gender equality, including through the Australian Government’s Working for women: a strategy for gender equality (2024); reforms to the Parenting Payment Single; abolishing the ParentsNext program; improving access to early childhood education; and supporting an increase to the minimum wage for aged care workers.

“The Australian Government has outlined its ‘10-year commitment to get things working for women in Australia’. That’s commendable. BSL also notes some recent amendments to the Social Security Guide to better recognise intersections of domestic violence and the couple rule. But more changing the couple rule needs to be one of the priorities needs to be done.”

Excerpts from interviewees:

“I just lost my independence all the time. I was just not a person; I was part of his household."

“It was hard to prove separation because we still lived in the same house … I was thinking like, ‘I really want to establish myself independently from this marriage’ [but] it was really hard to do that when I didn’t have any financial independence to be able to make that first step.“

“If I had more money, I would have left sooner.”

Media contact
Scott Carbines, BSL Media & Communications Manager
media@bsl.org.au
0447 114 541