To get Rent Assistance, all the following must apply. You:
- get an eligible payment
- live in an eligible accommodation type
- pay more than the minimum amount of rent or accommodation costs
- meet special rules if you’re 25 or younger.
If you’re eligible, we’ll pay it automatically with your regular payment. You don’t need to apply.
Eligible payments
To be eligible for Rent Assistance, you must be getting one of these payments. If you’re 25 or younger, some payments have special rules for Rent Assistance.
We’ll check if you can get Rent Assistance when you submit a new claim or update your address and accommodation details for any of these payments:
- ABSTUDY Living Allowance, if you’re 24 or younger special rules apply
- Age Pension
- Austudy
- Carer Payment
- Disability Support Pension, if you’re 20 or younger special rules apply
- Family Tax Benefit - Part A at more than the base rate
- Farm Household Allowance
- JobSeeker Payment, if you’re 25 or younger special rules may apply
- Parenting Payment partnered and single
- Special Benefit
- Youth Allowance, if you’re 24 or younger special rules may apply.
Eligible accommodation cost types
To be eligible for Rent Assistance, you must also be paying one of these accommodation costs:
- rent
- fees in a retirement village
- fees in an over 55’s village or lifestyle park
- lodging
- board and lodging
- site or mooring fees.
Find out more about eligible rent and accommodation types.
Eligibility outcome
We’ll send a message to your myGov Inbox to tell you if you can get Rent Assistance when we either:
- tell you the result of your new payment claim
- tell you if your Rent Assistance will change because of your change of rent or accommodation details.
If you don’t get electronic letters, we’ll send you a letter in the mail.
If we need more details, we’ll ask you for them.
If you think we’ve made a mistake, you can ask us to review our decision.