The Australian government offers Rent Assistance (tax-free assistance) to Australians who pay rent and receive a particular Centrelink payment from the government. The assistance is supposed to help people who are already receiving some benefits to cover their housing costs.
Eligible Australians receive the rent assistance fortnightly based on the benefit they qualify for, the rent they pay, their address, and their living situation. Services Australia checks if you are eligible for rent assistance when your accommodation details are modified or your address is changed.
According to reports, over 165,000 Australians get rent assistance from the government and manage their expenses as the rent is boosted in many capital cities. The payout will be different from person to person depending on many factors; however, people can expect a maximum payout of between $140 to $250.
| Who qualifies? | Australians who pay rent and receive the Centrelink payment |
| Centrelink Payments Requirement | Youth Allowance, Special benefit, Austudy, Parenting Benefit, Age pension, Disability, Carer payment, Austudy, FTB, Jobseeker allowance, or Farm household allowance |
| Maxi. Payout | Up to $250 |
| Payment Schedule | Biweekly Payment Distribution |
| Rent Criteria | Up to the fortnightly rent limit, depending on the circumstances |
| How to claim? | No claim needed |
| Official Website | https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/rent-assistance |
Who can receive it?
The Australian government has set the following eligibility criteria for people who wish to receive the Rent Assistance:
- You may qualify for the Rent Assistance, you get any of the following Centrelink payments:
- Special Benefit
- Age Pension, Disability Support Pension, or Carer’s payment
- Parenting Benefit
- ABSTUDY Living Allowance
- Youth Allowance or Austudy
- FTB (Part A)
- Farm Household Allowance or JobSeeker Payment
- You should have paid any of the bills mentioned below:
- Rent
- Lodging bill
- Retirement Village Fees
- Board or lodging
- Living in a relocatable house or boat, or caravan, where you have to pay mooring fees or site charges.
- You may be entitled to rent assistance if you reside in Community Housing with a proper lease agreement and get services like disability accommodation, student accommodation, or Indigenous Australian people community accommodation, etc.
- Defense Housing tenants are eligible for help based on their rent.
- The government has set special rules for young people, people living in retirement villages, and others, so do check them.
Assistance Amount
According to the Australian government, rent assistance depends on the rent you pay and the payment you receive from them. For every dollar you pay above the rent limit set by the government, you receive 75c as the payment.
The government updates the rent assistance rates each year, with indexation typically happening twice in a year. From 20 March 2025, indexation, Australians can get the rent assistance amount based on the rent and benefit below:
- Rent Assistance when you receive income support and ABSTUDY from the government:
| Family Situation | Fortnightly Rent Limit | Biweekly rent for the maxi. Payout | Maxi. Fortnightly Rent assistance |
| Individual | $149.60 | $432.27 | $212 |
| Individual, Sharer | $149.60 | $338.05 | $141.33 |
| Couple (no children) | $242.40 | $508.80 | $199.80 |
| A separated couple due to illness/ respite care couple/ partner is imprisoned | $149.60 | $432.27 | $212 |
| One Partner temporarily separated | $149.60 | $416 | $199.80 |
- When you have dependent children, you get assistance with Part A Family Tax Benefit based on the following situation:
| Family Situation | Fortnightly Rent Limit | Biweekly rent for the maxi. payout | Maxi. Fortnightly Rent assistance |
| Individual with Children | $196.42 | $528.69 | $249.20 |
| An individual with 3 or more children | $196.42 | $571.81 | $281.54 |
| A couple with 01 or 02 children | $290.36 | $622.63 | $249.20 |
| A couple with 3 or more kids | $290.36 | $665.75 | $281.54 |
| A separated couple due to illness/ respite care couple/ with 1 or 2 kids | $196.42 | $528.69 | $249.20 |
| One Partner temporarily separated | $196.42 | $571.81 | $281.54 |
How to claim?
Residents of Australia are free from applying for Rent Assistance since Service Australia determines your eligibility based on the claims you made for any of the mentioned Centrelink benefits. The authority may ask you about the rent certificate and other documents if they find the need to; other than that, you do not have to do anything.
The authority may adjust your Rent assistance when you move to a new place, or your accommodation details are changed in the payments you are already receiving, your income increases or decreases, or when your rent is increased or decreased.
Manage your payment
The Australians who received the Rent assistance must report the following changes to the authority to ensure they receive their entitled payment without any issues:
- The authority will review your rent details from time to time to ensure you receive the payout based on the rent you pay.
- The recipients must report the change in circumstances to the authority, such as address change, income change, etc., that could affect their payment.
- If you travel abroad, you must report it to the authorities, because if your travel is for a short time only, you will get 26 weeks’ payment when you pay the rent too, however, it may stop if you are out of the country for a long time.
Rent assistance helps many people lead a decent life who are already dependent on Centrelink benefits, so if you receive any of the payments from the government and pay rent above the limit, you may receive the payout.