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If you already get an eligible payment from us and you tell us your circumstances have changed, we’ll automatically check if you can get or keep getting Rent Assistance.
To get the correct rate of payment, it’s important you tell us within 14 days if any of the following things happen:
- your rent amount or accommodation costs change
- your type of accommodation changes
- you move house
- your income changes
- your marital status changes
- the number of dependent children in your care changes
- people move in or out of the house you live in
- you plan to travel outside Australia.
If you’re temporarily living away from home
Tell us within 14 days if you’re temporarily living away from your home address, so we can check your eligibility for Rent Assistance. The main reasons you might still get Rent Assistance if you’re temporarily away from home are to:
- get medical treatment
- take care of someone
- attend training or education to improve your employment prospects.
If you’re in-between home addresses
To keep getting Rent Assistance, it’s important to tell us if your address or accommodation or rent details will change within the next 14 days. This includes if you’re in-between home addresses. We consider you to be in-between home addresses if you’ve left one address and don’t have a new address yet.
We can only send your mail to your new address from the date you’ve told us you’ll be living there from. Make sure you tell us where to send your mail in the meantime.
While you’re waiting to move, it’s important you give us a secure mailing address. If you don’t, your mail will go to the last mailing address you gave us.
If you’re experiencing family and domestic violence, we can help you with information, resources and referrals. We can also help you get your mail securely.
How to tell us
You can tell us about changes online within 14 days if your Centrelink online account is linked to myGov. This includes if you change address, if your income changes or if your relationship changes.
If you can’t tell us online, you can let us know about the change within 14 days either:
It’s never too late to report a change.
Follow these steps to update your accommodation details online:
- sign in to myGov and select Centrelink.
- select MENU from your homepage.
- select My details.
- select Personal and contact details then select Update accommodation details.
If you need help, you can use our online guide on updating your address, accommodation and contact details.
When you don’t tell us
If you don’t tell us about changes, we may pay you too much. If this happens, you’ll have to repay the money to us.
If you deliberately don’t tell us about changes, we could charge you with fraud.
Find out more about how to avoid committing fraud.