Rent Assistance (RA) for travellers 108-18092606

These steps are to help staff decide if the customer can qualify for RA while travelling.

For details about asset treatment and exemptions from assets testing relating to the vacation of the principle home, see:

• Permanent vacation of principle home
• Temporary vacation of principle home

A customer and/or partner may advise they plan to or have started to travel the country in mobile accommodation. For example, in a caravan, campervan or mobile home.

For customers and/or partners who:

• permanently vacating their principal home, go to Step 2
• temporarily vacating their principal home, see Table 2 > Step 1

Check the Accommodation Details (AC) screen.

Is or was the customer recorded as a homeowner for the principal home they left or will leave on commencement of travelling?

• Yes, and customer has:
• sold the principal home, go to Step 3
• not sold the principal home go to Step 4
• No, go to Step 7

Does the customer intend to buy another home with the sale proceeds?

• Yes, customer remains a homeowner:
• The mobile accommodation is an assessable asset
• The customer may be eligible to receive RA based on the costs of the temporary accommodation (for example, site/mooring fees paid)
• See Table 2 > Step 6
• No, the mobile accommodation is the customer’s new principal home. If the customer:
• owns the mobile accommodation, go to Step 5
• does not own the mobile accommodation, go to Step 6

Where the customer and/or partner have not sold the principle home and have moved into mobile accommodation:

• the mobile accommodation becomes the new principal home, and
• the former principal home is an assessable asset

Does the customer and/or partner own the mobile accommodation?

• Yes, go to Step 5
• No, go to Step 6

Where the customer and/or partner own the mobile accommodation:

• the mobile home is the customer and/or partner’s new principal home
• the customer and/or partner
• is a homeowner, and
• may be eligible to receive RA based on the rent costs associated with the new principle home (for example site/mooring fees paid)

If the mobile home is listed on the Other Asset Summary (OASS) screen, an update is needed.

Record a DOC following Online Document Recording (ODR) with the suggested text:

'Rent Assistance is payable while travelling. Customer/and partner are homeowners and eligible for RA while they travel. The mobile accommodation has been assessed as the principal home because the customer has permanently left the former principal home. The vacation of the principal home commenced on DD/MM/YY Social Security Act Section 11(7)'

See Table 2 > Step 5.

Where the customer and/or partner do not own the mobile accommodation:

• the mobile home is the customer and/or partner’s new principal home
• the customer and/or partner
• is a non-homeowner, and
• may be eligible to receive RA may be payable on accommodation costs. This would include the rental costs of the mobile accommodation plus any site/mooring fees

Record a DOC following Online Document Recording (ODR) with the suggested text:

'Rent Assistance is payable while travelling. Customer/and partner are non-homeowners and eligible for RA while they travel. The hired mobile accommodation has been assessed as the principal home because the customer has permanently left the former principal home. The vacation of the former principal home commenced on DD/MM/YY. Social Security Act Section 11(7)'

See Table 2 > Step 5.

If the customer and/or partner:

• own the mobile accommodation, they:
• are now a homeowner
• may qualify for RA for the rent costs associated with the new principal home, for example site/mooring fees
• rent the mobile accommodation and will travel around the country, they:
• are a non-homeowner
• may qualify for RA for accommodation costs. This would include the rental costs of the mobile accommodation plus any site/mooring fees

See Table 2 > Step 5.

The customer and/or partner advises they have temporarily vacated their principal home because they will be travelling the country.

Check the Accommodation Details (AC) screen.

Is or was the customer and/or partner recorded as a homeowner for the principle home they have left or will leave on the commencement of travelling?

• Yes, go to Step 2
• No, go to Step 3

The customer and/or partner:

• continues to be assessed as an ineligible homeowner, and
• is not eligible to receive RA until the 12 month continuous absence period from the principal home has elapsed

Record a Display on Access (DOA) DOC with the following suggested text:

'Homeowner, temporarily absent for less than 12 months, continuously. Rent Assistance is not payable while travelling. Customer/and partner are ineligible homeowners for RA. Vacation of the principal home while travelling is temporary and RA cannot be paid until the customer has been continuously absent from the principal home for 12 months. The temporary vacation of the principal home commenced on DD/MM/YY Social Security Act Section 11(7)'

At the end of the 12 month absence period, the house will be assessed as an asset.

If the customer and/or partner:

The customer and/or partner is:

• a homeowner, and
• not eligible to receive Rent Assistance (RA)

If this procedure was accessed from:

• Updating address details return there to complete the update. Procedure ends here
• Completing the Accommodation Details (AC) screen and assessing Rent Assistance (RA) return there to complete the update. Procedure ends here

• the mobile home is the customer and/or partner's new principle home
• the customer and/or partner is a homeowner
• if the mobile home is listed on the Other Asset Summary (OASS) screen, an update is needed
• the customer and/or partner may be eligible to receive RA based on the rent costs associated with the new principle home, for example site/mooring fees paid
• go to Step 5

• the mobile accommodation is an assessable asset
• the customer and/or partner may be eligible to receive RA based on the rent costs of the temporary accommodation (for example, site/mooring fees paid)
• go to step 6

• the property the customer and/or partner has moved into will still be assessed as an asset, and
• the customer and/or partner is not eligible to receive Rent Assistance (RA)

Tell the customer:

• They must advise Services Australia of any changes in their circumstances. This includes advising when they move back or return for a short period to their principal home
• If they return to their principal home, the 12 month absence period starts again

At the end of the 12 month absence period, finalise the original DOA DOC.

Procedure ends here.

If a customer and/or partner continue to rent their principal home while they are temporarily travelling:

• RA can continue to be assessed on that property, and
• RA will not be assessed for the accommodation they stay in while travelling

Note: these 2 amounts cannot be combined.

RA is generally only payable when the accommodation being rented is regarded as the customer's principal home.

Rent paid for temporary accommodation does not qualify for RA (except in limited circumstances).

Tell the customer:

• Their absence (regardless of the intended duration) will be considered temporary unless they state a definite intention not to return to the principal home
• The vacated home will continue to be treated as their principal home
• They must advise Services Australia of any changes in their circumstances. This includes advising when they move back into their principal home

Record a Display on Access (DOA) DOC with the following suggested text:

'Rent Assistance is not payable on rent paid while travelling. Customer/and partner are non-homeowners still paying rent for the temporarily vacated principle home. RA is assessed on the principal home which they have vacated temporarily while they travel. First date of absence from principal home is DD/MM/YY Social Security Act Section 11(7).'

When the customer moves back into their principal home, finalise the DOA DOC.

Procedure ends here.

Run the Change in Contact Details workflow to update the address.

• The new address should be recorded as a ‘TEM’ address
• Do not alter the 'HOM' address when the customer has temporarily vacated their principal home and they intend to return
• If the customer and/or partner continue to pay rent for their principal home, RA can continue to be assessed on that property and an update to AC is not needed

Procedure ends here

Run the Change in Contact Details workflow to update address.

Ask the customer how long they will stay at their current address:

• The address should be recorded as a ‘TEM’ address to avoid incorrectly paying RAA to customers (including travellers), whose usual place of residence is not in the qualifying zones
• If the customer and/or partner no longer have a home address (home has been sold/permanently vacated), end-date the 'HOM' address
• A new concession card may be sent unless issue of the card is suppressed. Update the concession card preferences if required
• The customer may be paid RA if they pay rent/site/mooring fees above the threshold at their current address
• Complete the update of the Accommodation Details (AC) screen

Procedure ends here.

• The address should be recorded as a ‘HOM’ address
• A new concession card may be sent unless issue of the card is suppressed. Update the concession card preferences if required
• The customer may be paid RA if they pay rent/site/mooring fees above the threshold at their current address
• Complete the update of the Accommodation Details (AC) screen

Procedure ends here.

• The customer and/or partner qualifies for the payment of RAA if their usual place of residence is within a RAA specified area
• The address should be recorded as a ‘HOM’ address
• A new concession card may be sent unless issue of the card is suppressed. Update the concession card preferences if required
• The customer and/or partner may be paid RA if they pay rent/site/mooring fees above the threshold at their current address
• Complete the update of the Accommodation Details (AC) screen

Procedure ends here.

Run the Change in Contact Details workflow to update the address.

• The mobile home address should be recorded as a ‘TEM’ address, RAA will not pay if the customer moves to a RAA specified area
• If the customer and/or partner no longer have a home address (home has been sold/permanently vacated), end-date the 'HOM' address
• A new concession card may be sent unless issue of the card is suppressed. Update the concession card preferences if required
• The customer and/or partner may be paid RA if they pay rent/site/mooring fees above the threshold at their current address
• Complete the update of the Accommodation Details (AC) screen

Procedure ends here.