Rent Assistance is a supplementary payment to help meet the extra costs of renting in the private rental market or community housing. It is paid as part of another payment and it may be reduced due to the income and assets test rules applying to that payment.
Who is eligible
You can get Rent Assistance if you pay rent and you are getting one of the following payments from Services Australia:
- Age Pension, Carer Payment or Disability Support Pension
- ABSTUDY Living Allowance, Austudy or Youth Allowance
- Widow Allowance
- Partner Allowance or Special Benefit
- Family Tax Benefit – Part A at more than the base rate
- Parenting Payment partnered and single
- JobSeeker Payment or Farm Household Allowance.
You must also pay one of the following:
- rent
- fees in a retirement village
- lodging
- board and lodging
- site or mooring fees if your main home is a caravan, relocatable home or a boat.
You won’t get Rent Assistance if:
- you’re leasing from a state or territory housing authority
- you own or are buying the home you live in, except relocatable homes
- you’re travelling away from the home you own for less than 12 months
- the Australian Government pays a subsidy to the approved residential aged care facility where you live
- your partner gets Rent Assistance with Family Tax Benefit
- you get an allowance and your partner gets Rent Assistance with their pension.
How much are you eligible for
The amount of Rent Assistance you can get is determined by relationship status, number of children and amount of rent paid. Rent Assistance for families with children is usually paid with Family Tax Benefit.
Rent Assistance is paid at the rate of 75 cents for each dollar of rent above the minimum rent amount, up to the maximum rate.
People without dependent children:
|
If you’re |
Your fortnightly rent is more than |
To get the maximum payment your fortnightly rent is at least |
The maximum fortnightly payment is |
|
single, sharer |
$125.80 |
$250.96 |
$93.87 |
|
single |
$125.80 |
$313.53 |
$140.80 |
|
couple, combined |
$203.60 |
$380.67 |
$132.80 |
|
1 of a couple, temporarily separated |
$125.80 |
$302.87 |
$132.80 |
|
1 of a couple, separated due to illness |
$125.80 |
$313.53 |
$140.80 |
People with dependent children:
|
If you’re |
Your fortnightly rent is more than |
To get the maximum payment your fortnightly rent is at least |
The maximum fortnightly payment is |
|
single, with 1 or 2 children |
$165.06 |
$385.89 |
$165.62 |
|
single, with 3 or more children |
$165.06 |
$414.45 |
$187.04 |
|
a couple, with 1 or 2 children |
$244.16 |
$464.99 |
$165.62 |
|
a couple, with 3 or more children |
$244.16 |
$493.55 |
$187.04 |
|
1 of a couple separated due to illness or temporarily separated, with 1 or 2 children |
$165.06 |
$385.89 |
$165.62 |
|
1 of a couple separated due to illness |
$165.06 |
$414.45 |
$187.04 |
How to get Rent Assistance
You don’t need to submit a claim for Rent Assistance. Services Australia assess your eligibility when you claim a payment from them. If you already get Rent Assistance and move to a new address, they will check if you’re still eligible for it. Services Australia will also check if you can get Rent Assistance when you submit a claim for another payment.