Receiving Rent Allowance

Your work and personal circumstances are the grounds by which RA benefits and calculations are determined. Any changes need to be notified to DHA to determine your continued eligibility for a housing benefit.

Whilst in receipt of a subsidised housing benefit you are required to advise DHA of any changes as soon as practicably possible after the change has occurred. Delays may result in a debt owed to Defence. Supporting documentation may also be required and must be submitted promptly after notifying DHA of a change. This will ensure that any assessment of your housing benefit can be completed in a timely manner.

It is important that you inform DHA of your intention to purchase a property as soon as you have signed a contract of sale as your RA may be affected. We will assess the property for suitability in accordance with PACMAN Chapter 7 Parts 2 and 3.

You can advise us of your purchase via Online Services by selecting 'My Account' then ‘My Profile’.

If the property is assessed as not suitable, your RA won’t change.

If the property is assessed as suitable, you will be eligible for RA until either of these dates (whichever happens first):

• 1 week after settlement
• 3 months after the date the contract was signed

You can apply to have utility costs reimbursed if you are categorised as:

• A member who has unaccompanied resident family (URF) and no resident family or recognised other persons.
• A submariner who has no resident family (MBR) and no-recognised other persons
  

The maximum benefit you can claim is advised in PACMAN Chapter 7 Part 10

You can request a utility reimbursement via your dashboard or 'My Account' in Online Services for the following invoice types:

• Electricity
• Gas
• Water
• Garbage/Sewage
• Gas Bottle
• Water Tank Refill

Document Requirements

• Each request must include one invoice and its corresponding receipt of payment.
• For multiple reimbursements, a new request must be submitted for each.
• Upload all pages of the invoice.
• The usage date may also be referred to as the Billing Period. Where there are separate periods shown on invoice, enter the earliest date and latest end date.
  

Please note, you cannot claim the following fees. They must be deducted from the overall invoice amount:

• Green energy
• Late fees

Click here to view a video explaining how utility reimbursements are calculated.

Defence requires a Rent Allowance (RA) review be undertaken every year. This is to make sure everyone who receives RA is getting the amount they are eligible for. We manage the review through Online Services.

The review is undertaken in the first half of the year with an email sent to all participants outlining the start date and due date of the review.

The review should only take minutes to complete with 8 questions to answer. Online Services will prompt you if any supporting documentation is required.

The receipt or payment history must show the:

• address of the rental property
• amount and period of rent payment
• name of the agent or owner you pay rent to

If you rent privately, you can upload a signed statement from the owner or landlord. It must show all the details above. Or, complete a Member/Owner statement form (PDF 487KB).

If further documents are required to support your RA review, these will be displayed on your Online Services dashboard.

Policy relating to the RA Review is outlined on the ADF Pay and Conditions site.

Who needs to participate?

You must take part in the review, unless:

• you moved into your RA property not long before the RA Review
• you will move out of your RA property within 2 weeks after the review starts

Can I ask someone else to complete it for me?

You can authorise another person to complete the review for you. Log in to Online Services and click 'Nominate a delegate'

What if my rent amount has changed?

If your rent amount has changed, upload a receipt or tenant ledger that shows the new amount. DHA will assess your review to determine if your rent allowance needs to be recalculated.

You also need to upload 1 of these:

• A copy of your signed lease with the new amount
• A signed letter from your landlord or agent with the rent change details and when it started (to cover increase and decreases in rent).

What if I make a mistake in my review questions?

If you make a mistake, raise an enquiry via Online Services'.

What happens if I do not complete the review?

If you do not provide the information by the due date, we may suspend your RA. 

What happens after I complete the review and upload my documents?

After we receive your completed review and supporting documents, we will assess your RA within 12 weeks. We will email you the outcome of your review including any changes to the RA amount you receive, if applicable.

Will changes in my personal circumstances affect the amount of RA I receive?

Generally, the following changes can affect your RA amount or eligibility:

• Change in categorisation
• Property purchase
• Move to a new location
• Change in how many people share with you

You can use the Rent Allowance Calculator to estimate your new RA amount.

I will be away for the period of the RA Review. Who do I inform?

If you know you’ll be away during the review, let us know by submitting enquiry via Online Services. We’ll arrange for you to do it before you leave.

You can arrange delegate access to your Online Services account for another person. This could be your partner or another chosen representative. A delegate can perform all functions in Online Services which relate to you as a Defence member.

What can they do?

Your delegate will be authorised to perform the following tasks in Online Services on your behalf:

• Current Housing Solution related actions (e.g., view and select available Service Residences)
• Modify postal address and contact details
• Rental Allowance related actions (e.g., Apply for Rental Allowance, complete Rental Allowance Reviews, apply for Rental Allowance Advances)
• Apply for LIA. 

How to appoint a delegate

You can appoint a delegate through Online Services:

• Go to 'My Account', 'My Profile' and then 'Manage Delegates'
• Follow the prompts to enter the relevant contact details*
• Select ‘Create Delegation’
• Once created, it will sit in pending status until the delegate responds to the automatic email notification to accept or reject the request.

*Please note, if you are asked to enter a confirmation key, this will be your chosen mix of numbers and/or letters (e.g., 1234). You will need to provide the confirmation key to your nominated delegate for them to use when accepting your request, noting it is case sensitive.

Can I remove my appointed delegate?

Yes, you can remove your appointed delegate at any time in your Online Services account. In the ‘Manage Delegates’ section select the bin icon and follow the prompts.