Pensioner Rent Assistance
Pensioner Rent Assistance is available to Centrelink Age and Disability Support Pensioners.
DVA pays Rent Assistance to eligible Service Pensioners. DVA also pays Rent Assistance to those veteran Disability Pensioners and War Widow Pensioners who are also recipients of the Income Support Supplement.
To be eligible for Pensioner Rent Assistance you must be paying a significant amount for the provision of your housing.
Housing that could attract Pensioner Rent Assistance
Your housing could be a privately rented apartment or house, where you live alone or with your partner.
Some single Disability Support Pensioners continue to live with their parents or other family members. Their eligibility for Pensioner Rent Assistance depends on their paying ‘rent’ in the form of ‘board and lodging’ or a contribution to the overall costs of running the home.
Pensioner Rent Assistance could be paid to a resident of a private aged care facility, such as an SRS in Victoria.
Pensioner Rent Assistance could be paid if you pay fees to occupy a permanent caravan site as your principal home.
Pensioner Rent Assistance could be paid if you pay fees to moor a vessel that you occupy as your principal home.
How much Pensioner Rent Assistance is payable to a single person?
No Pensioner Rent Assistance is payable to a single person living alone whose housing cost is less than $107.40 per fortnight in November 2012.
The maximum rate of Pensioner Rent Assistance is payable to that single person if her rent is more than $268.73 per fortnight in November 2012 .
In November 2012, the maximum rate of Pensioner Rent Assistance for a Single person living alone is $121 per fortnight.
Mary pays $300 per fortnight in rent for a small home unit. Mary’s income is the full Age Pension plus a deemed financial income of $120 per fortnight. Thus Mary is eligible for the maximum rate of Pensioner Rent Assistance. Her $121.00 of Pensioner Rent Assistance is paid with her Age Pension each fortnight.
For a single person who shares accommodation, the maximum Pensioner Rent Assistance is $87.67 for a sharer whose rent exceeds $214.96 per fortnight in November 2012.
Kim is receiving a Disability Support Pension and is living in a share house supported by a mental health group. Kim is required to pay rent equal to a quarter of her income plus any Pensioner Rent Assistance received. Kim’s total rent exceeds $215 per fortnight so Kim is eligible for the maximum Pensioner Rent Assistance for shared accommodation. Kim receives $87.67 of Pensioner Rent Assistance each fortnight and pays rent of $265.67 per fortnight.
How much Pensioner Rent Assistance is payable to a couple at Centrelink?
No Pensioner Rent Assistance is payable to a couple without children whose housing cost is less than $174.80 per fortnight in November 2012.
The maximum rate of Pensioner Rent Assistance is payable to a couple without children if their rent is more than $326.53 per fortnight in November 2012 .
In November 2012, the maximum rate of Pensioner Rent Assistance for a a couple without children is $113.80 per fortnight.
What is income for the Pensioner Rent Assistance assessment?
Income for Centrelink and DVA pensioners includes any earnings from work, rents from investment property, any rent from a ‘sub tenant’ of the property where you live, superannuation pensions, many types of pension paid from other countries and the deemed income in respect of your financial assets.
Centrelink and DVA have special rules regarding the part of your payment from an allocated pension or annuity that is counted in the income assessment for the Pensioner Rent Assistance.
How to apply for Pensioner Rent Assistance?
If you paying rent and you do not own a home (in full or subject to a mortgage) then you may apply to Centrelink, or DVA, for Pensioner Rent Assistance.
You need to show evidence of your rental agreement and rent payments.
If your rental agreement is for full board living with a relative or residing in a private aged care facility then Centrelink, or DVA , will determining what proportion of your accommodation package counts as ‘rent’ for the Pensioner Rent Assistance.
Pensioners eligible for the Pensioner Rent Assistance must provide details of their income and financial affairs to Centrelink, or DVA, for Pension assessment purposes. You do not need to provide the same information again for the Pensioner Rent Assistance.
But Pensioner Rent Assistance is not payable to people who own or are buying a home.
You cannot claim Pensioner Rent Assistance if you or your partner own a home but you are not living in it.
You cannot claim Pensioner Rent Assistance if you are renting a home from a State or Territory housing authority.
You cannot claim Pensioner Rent Assistance if you are a resident of a Commonwealth regulated aged care facility.
You cannot claim Pensioner Rent Assistance if you have dependent children. Rent Assistance for ‘families’ is assessed differently and paid as part of Family Tax Benefit A.
If you would like further confidential, independent and professional advice about Centrelink, lifestyle or financial issues please contact Christine Hopper (03) 9808 0338.
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Financial Care Services is licensed to provide financial advice to individual clients based on their personal situations. Christine at Financial Care Services could prepare an Illustration based on your personal situation. To make an appointment to discuss your personal situation please call Financial Care Services on 9808 0338