How much Rent Assistance you can get
The amount of Rent Assistance you can get depends on how much rent you pay.
Advance payment
You may get part of your income support payment or Family Tax Benefit (Part A) early. This is an advance payment. You pay it back later out of your payments from us.
Rent Assistance
A regular extra payment we’ll automatically pay you if you pay rent and get certain payments from us.
Centrepay
A voluntary bill paying service which is free for Centrelink customers. You can use Centrepay to arrange regular deductions from your Centrelink payment.
Employment income reporting
We need to know the gross employment income you and your partner get so we can pay you the right amount.
Who can get Rent Assistance
You can get Rent Assistance if you get an eligible payment and your eligible accommodation costs are over a certain amount.
Crisis Payment for other extreme circumstances
You may get Crisis Payment if you’ve had to change where you live due to an unforeseen extreme circumstance.
Deeming
Deeming rules are used to work out income from your financial assets. We add this to your other income and apply the income test to work out your payment rate.
Centrelink online account help - Update address, accommodation and contact details
Instructions on how to update your address, accommodation and contact details using your Centrelink online account.
Authorising a person or organisation to enquire or act on your behalf form (SS313)
Use this form to authorise a person or organisation in Australia to be your nominee so they can enquire or act on your behalf with Centrelink.