31 Dec 2017

Moving out of home is the best, but it can really break the bank when you’re living the life of a student, apprentice or trainee. If you’re currently on the Youth Allowance train and you’re living out of home, then you’ll most likely want to get some Rent Assistance too.

Eligibility

Rent Assistance acts as a bonus to regular Centrelink payments. Obviously, you’ve got to be paying rent to be eligible, but you also must be receiving support from another Centrelink program, such as Youth Allowance, Austudy or ABSTUDY. If you’re under 25 however, there might be some special rules surrounding your eligibility to get rent assistance – but you’ll have to give Centrelink a call to find out what they are.

Payment Rates

How much Rent Assistance you receive depends on how much you have to pay in rent fortnightly. It works like this: for every $1 of rent you pay above the minimum rent, you will get 75c in Rent Assistance up to a set maximum. 

Who doesn’t want a little bit of help to pay dat rent? To apply for Rent Assistance, check out the Centrelink website.

This information is intended to be general in nature only and might not apply to your personal circumstances. When in doubt always seek professional guidance.