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What is rent assistance?
Key highlights
Rent assistance is a government payment that helps cover the cost of rent. It is only available to those already receiving government benefits, and is intended to supplement this income and help provide more secure accommodation.
Are you eligible for rent assistance?
According to Services Australia aka Centrelink, to be eligible for rent assistance you need to already be receiving one of the following payments:
- Age Pension, Carer Payment or Disability Support Pension
- ABSTUDY Living Allowance, Austudy or Youth Allowance
- 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 won’t get rent assistance if:
- 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.
- you’re leasing from a state or territory housing authority.
How much rent assistance can you receive?
The level of rent assistance you may receive is based on how much rent you are currently paying. You may also be eligible for rent assistance if you’re paying board and lodging, fees in a retirement village, or mooring fees for a houseboat.
You need to be paying a minimum amount of rent per fortnight to qualify for rent assistance. For every $1 of rent you pay above this amount, you’ll get 75c, up to a maximum amount. This may vary depending on your living situation and the benefits you’re receiving from Centrelink.
For example, here are some of the rent assistance rates at the time of writing:
Rates when paid with income support payments and ABSTUDY
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 | $149.00 | $430.60 | $211.20 |
single, sharer | $149.00 | $336.74 | $140.80 |
couple, combined | $241.40 | $506.74 | $199.00 |
one of a couple separated due to illness, partner in respite care or prison | $149.00 | $430.60 | $211.20 |
one of a couple temporarily separated | $149.00 | $414.34 | $199.00 |
Rates when paid with Family Tax Benefit
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 | $195.58 | $526.54 | $248.22 |
single, with 3 or more children | $195.58 | $569.48 | $280.42 |
a couple, with 1 or 2 children | $289.24 | $620.20 | $248.22 |
a couple, with 3 or more children | $289.24 | $663.14 | $280.42 |
one of a couple separated due to illness, partner in respite care or prison, or temporarily separated, with 1 or 2 children | $195.58 | $526.54 | $248.22 |
one of a couple separated due to illness, partner in respite care or prison, or temporarily separated, with 3 or more children | $195.58 | $569.48 | $280.42 |
Source: Services Australia
Keep in mind that rent assistance rates are likely to change over time. Services Australia updates rent assistance rates on 20 March and 20 September each year in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI), aka inflation. It may be worth checking the current rate before calculating your accommodation budget in case things have changed.
How to apply for rent assistance
The most important thing to know is that you don’t need to apply for rent assistance. When you apply for Centrelink benefits, Services Australia will determine if you’re eligible for rent assistance as part of your application, and calculate the appropriate amount for you.
If you’re already receiving Centrelink benefits, you can simply update your details if your circumstances change, including adding new accommodation information. From here, Services Australia will assess if you can get rent assistance and how much.
To confirm how much rent you pay, and therefore how much rent assistance you could receive, you may need to provide some extra documents if asked. This could be a copy of your formal tenancy agreement, or you may need to fill in a rent certificate.
Once you’ve applied for your benefits or updated your details, you can track the progress of your application online or via the Centrelink mobile app. You may receive a message about the results in your myGov inbox, or you may be sent a letter via post.
Can rent assistance help you buy a home?
With the help of rent assistance to cover the cost of your accommodation, you may be able to put more of your available income towards the rest of your household budget. This could include saving for a house deposit.
It’s important to keep in mind that not all banks will accept Centrelink benefits as income when you apply for a mortgage. Though on the other hand, some lenders may be willing to let you use your rental history in place of genuine savings when applying for a home loan.
Other government assistance you may be able to use to help you move from renter to homeowner may include the:
- First Home Owner Grant (FHOG) in your state or territory
- Home Guarantee Scheme
- First Home Super Saver Scheme
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Product database updated 15 Nov, 2024
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