Sharer Status field on the Accommodation Details (AC) screen 108-18092640

The Sharer Status field on the AC screen indicates the customer's assessed sharing arrangements.

This field may also be known as:

• Accommodation Status in some Process Direct claims
• Type of Accommodation in Assisted Customer Claim (ACC)

There are situations when the full rate of RA will pay even if the Sharer Status field is updated with a sharing option. This includes customers who:

• do not meet the definition of a sharer, or
• do meet some exempt sharer criteria

Different rates of payment apply to customers getting:

• Youth Allowance (YA)
• Disability Support Pension (DSP) aged under 21
• ABSTUDY (ABY) aged under 22

Does the customer get a dependent, at home of rate of YA, DSP or ABY payment?

• Yes, and:
• they live with a parent, the correct sharers code is Lives with parents - LWP. RA will not pay. Go to Step 15
• they do not live with a parent, select the correct sharers code for their situation. RA will only pay if the customer pays rent and becomes independent or is granted away from home rate. Go to Step 5
• No, and they are getting:
• YA, DSP, JobSeeker (JSP) or ABY, go to Step 4
• another income support payment or Family Tax benefit (FTB), go to Step 5

Some independent customers are not entitled to RA if:

• they live permanently in the parental home, and
• they are a Youth Allowance or ABSTUDY accommodated independent person, or
• they are single, without children and getting:
• ABSTUDY aged 22 to under 25
• JobSeeker Payment (JSP) under 25, or
• Disability Support Pension (DSP) aged 18 to under 21
• Youth Allowance (YA)

Note: when an ABSTUDY or Youth Allowance Student customer does not permanently live in the parental home, and has returned home temporarily in a semester break while still maintaining their term residence. The Sharer status should not be coded as LWP.

Customers who are independent because they are in state care (supported or unsupported) should not be coded as LWP if residing with a foster parent or legal guardian.

Does the customer live permanently in the parental home and meet the above criteria?

• Yes:
• the correct option is Lives with parents - LWP
• RA will not pay
• go to Step 15
• No, go to Step 5

If Type of rent is other than No rent paid - NRP, go to Step 6.

When a customer updates their details as part of an online claim or using the online service and the type of rent recorded is No rent paid - NRP, the sharer status applied by the online process may be:

• Does not live in Shared Accommodation - NAS
• Shares accommodation with homeowner - SHH
• Lives in shared accommodation - SHR

The online process determines the sharer status codes based on the customer's answers. As RA is not payable to customers who do not pay rent, these sharer status codes do not impact payment correctness and do not need to be changed.

If the type of rent recorded is No rent paid - NRP:

• the preferred option is Does not live in Shared Accommodation - NAS
• when rent type is NRP, the sharer code will not impact payment correctness
• RA is not payable to customers who do not pay rent
• go to Step 15

Customers can choose to have their residential charges paid for them if they are:

• getting ABSTUDY or ABSTUDY PES, and
• living in a residential college or hostel during an academic year

Has the customer chosen to have their residential charges paid for them and they meet the above criteria?

• Yes:
• the correct option is Residential costs option - RCO
• go to Step 15
• No, go to Step 7

For more details, review the definition for exempt accommodation or search exempt accommodation in the A-Z of Rent Assistance terms and codes.

Is the customer living in exempt accommodation that is not boarding style?

• Yes:
• the correct option is Exempt - EXE
• the sharers' rate of RA will not apply
• go to Step 15
• No, go to Step 8

For more details, review the definition for exempt accommodation or search exempt accommodation in the A-Z of Rent Assistance terms and codes.

Is the customer living in boarding style exempt accommodation?

• Yes:
• the correct option is Exempt from Sharers Rate - XSH
• the sharers' rate of RA will not apply
• go to Step 15
• No, go to Step 9

A customer is not a sharer for RA purposes if any of the following applies:

• Single and living alone. This includes customers who may share accommodation areas such as the laundry as long as they have the exclusive legal right to a bathroom, kitchen and bedroom
• Shares accommodation only with a partner and/or their dependent child/ren
• Sharing their accommodation with a person/s other than their partner and/or dependent child/ren, and:
• the customer has the exclusive right to use a bathroom, kitchen and a bedroom, or
• they share accommodation with another person but have no legal right to do so. They do not pay rent and can be asked to leave at any time. The customer is a guest. For more details, insert 'legal right' in the filter of the Rent Assistance (RA) A-Z search
• another person/s use the same bathroom, kitchen and/or bedroom but they have no legal right to do so. This other person is known as a 'guest'. For more details, insert 'legal right' in the filter of the Rent Assistance (RA) A-Z search
• Lives alone in a caravan, boat or mobile home in a caravan park or marina, even if they share a major area of the accommodation, for example a bathroom

Does the customer meet any of the above criteria?

• Yes:
• the correct option is Does not live in Shared Accommodation - NAS
• the sharers' rate of RA will not apply
• go to Step 15
• No, go to Step 10

A customer is exempt from the sharers' rate of RA when they are living only with a recipient child/ren. This is when the customer is a single parent living only with child/ren who:

• get a Social Security payment, ABSTUDY, a Service Pension or Veteran Payment, or Youth Allowance (YA) student, and
• do not get RA

Legislation does not specify what age a recipient child can be. For example, a single customer aged 65 living only with their 40 year old child who gets ABSTUDY and no RA, is living with a recipient child, and therefore is not classed as a sharer.

If there is a third party sharing the accommodation, this exemption does not apply.

Does the customer meet the above criteria?

• Yes:
• the correct option is Lives with recipient child only, no RA - REC
• the sharers' rate of RA will not apply
• go to Step 15
• No, go to Step 11

If the customer is sharing accommodation and they get DSP or CP, use the sharers code that applies to the customer's living situation. The system automatically identifies these payment types as exempt from the sharers rate and will apply the correct rate of RA.

Does the customer get RA with their DSP/CP?

• Yes, go to Step 13
• No, go to step 12

Does the customer get RA with their income support payment (excluding DSP/CP) and they are single with dependent child/ren and sharing accommodation?

• Yes:
• the correct option is Exempt - EXE
• the sharers' rate of RA will not apply
• go to Step 15
• No, go to Step 13

Does the customer live in a home which is the principal home of the owner of the property?

• Yes:
• the correct code is Shares accommodation with homeowner - SHH
• go to Step 15
• No, go to Step 14

For all other customers sharing accommodation the correct option is Lives in shared accommodation - SHR.

Net rent rules will determine what RA rate is applicable.

See Completing the Accommodation Details (AC) screen including assessing Rent Assistance (RA) to finalise the update.
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