Considering moving to Clifton Old Bar? If you are (or will be) receiving a government pension, you might be entitled to receive government rent assistance as well. This is an extra payment added onto your pension payment, which can help you to pay your weekly site fees.

In the video below, Aged Care Gurus principal Rachel Lane explains how rent assistance works for land lease communities such as Clifton Old Bar. You can also scroll down to read our rent assistance FAQs section under the video.

 

How does living at Clifton Old Bar help my eligibility for rent assistance?

Normally, people who own their own homes aren’t eligible for rent assistance. But because Clifton Old Bar is a land lease community, Centrelink will classify your house as a ‘relocatable home’ and your weekly site fees are counted as paying rent, which means that you may be eligible for rent assistance.

 

What if I get my pension from Veterans’ Affairs?

If you are receiving a service pension, social security age pension, income support supplement or veteran payment, you may be eligible for rent assistance from the Department of Veteran’s Affairs.

How much can I get?

Single pensioners and couples with a combined pension get different rates for both Centrelink and Veterans’ Affairs rent assistance. There are also different rates for single people sharing rent, and a person within a couple that is separated temporarily or due to illness.

Rent assistance rates are updated twice yearly, so you’ll need to visit Centrelink’s website or Veterans’ Affairs online fact sheet (scroll down to the heading: How is rent assistance calculated?)  to get the most accurate, up-to-date payment information.

To give you a general idea of what rent assistance rates may look like, we’ve put information for singles and couples using the Centrelink rates from October 2018. Again, please refer to the resources above for the most recent rates relevant to you.

* Note: this is the combined rate for the couple. Both partners would receive half each.

How do they calculate how much I will get?

Rent assistance is calculated using your fortnightly rent as well as the rates mentioned above. You must pay a minimum amount of rent before you can receive rent assistance. This is called the rent threshold.

Centrelink and Veterans’ Affairs will look at how much rent you pay per fortnight and deduct the minimum threshold from this amount. For every $1 of rent you pay in excess of the threshold amount, you will receive $0.75 of rent assistance until you reach the maximum amount of rent assistance you can receive. See the ‘How much can I get’ section above to learn where you can find out what this amount will be for you.

 

How do I apply for Centrelink rent assistance?

You don’t need to put in a claim to get rent assistance from Centrelink. Instead, Centrelink will check your eligibility to receive it when you change your address or claim government pension. So if you don’t currently receive a government pension but are planning to apply for it, Centrelink will decide if you’re eligible for rent assistance at the same time that they process your government pension claim.

If you are already receiving a government pension when you move, you’ll need to update your address with Centrelink. They may ask you to complete a Rent Certificate or formal tenancy agreement, which they will send to you.

 

How do I apply for Veterans’ Affairs rent assistance?

To apply for rent assistance from Veterans’ Affairs, you will need to contact them and tell them about your rental situation and the amount of rent you pay per fortnight. You will also need to provide a copy of your latest rent receipt or a copy of your lease to confirm your rental amount.

You can contact the Department of Veterans’ Affairs by calling them on 1800 555 254, writing to them at GPO Box 9998, Brisbane QLD 4001, or visiting any of their offices in person.

 

Will my pension change if I move to Clifton Old Bar?

Moving to a lifestyle resort can affect your pension entitlement and eligibility for rent assistance. For many people their pension will remain the same and they may become eligible for rent assistance, which they didn’t receive before, to contribute towards weekly site fees. Residents are advised to discuss their particular circumstances with the Department of Human Services or Centrelink.

 

Do the different rules for retirement villages apply to Clifton Old Bar residents?

No. Clifton Old Bar is not a retirement village. It is a land lease community, which falls under the same category as relocatable homes when it comes to government rent assistance.

 

What is a land lease community?

Clifton Old Bar is a land lease community, which means that you’ll have the benefit of owning your own home, without the cost of buying the land. You won’t pay any stamp duty, and unlike many retirement villages, there are no entry or exit fees, no deferred management fees, and you keep 100% of any capital gains when you sell.

 

What are Weekly Site Fees?

The Weekly Site Fees cover the rent for your land, use of all resort facilities, and various costs associated with running and maintaining the community. Site fees are payable fortnightly, via direct debit. You can find more information on site fee costs and what they cover by contacting our sales office.

 

Where can I find out more about Clifton Old Bar?

To find out more about Clifton Old Bar, you can visit our website here. If you want to receive Clifton Old Bar updates straight to your email inbox, you can register towards the bottom of our home page, or on our Contact page.

You can also contact our Sales Consultant, Tracey Davis, on 1300 081 110 or by emailing her at [email protected]. Our Facebook page can be found here.

 

Where can I find out more about government rent assistance?

You can find out more about government rent assistance at the following websites:

Centrelink rent assistance: search ‘Centrelink rent assistance’ on the Internet, or visit this website.

Veterans’ Affairs rent assistance: search ‘Veterans’ Affairs rent assistance’ on the Internet,
or visit this website.

 

Where can I find out more about government pensions?

You can find out more about government pensions at the following websites:

Centrelink Age pension: search ‘Centrelink age pension’ on the Internet, or visit this website.
You can also talk to a Financial Information Service officer from the Department of Human Services on 132 300.

Veterans’ Affairs pension: search ‘Veterans’ Affairs age pension’ on the Internet, or visit this website.

 

Hearing or speech impairment assistance

If you are deaf, or have a hearing or speech impairment, you can contact Centrelink or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs through the National Relay Service (NRS).

Centrelink: 132 300

Department of Veterans’ Affairs: 1800 555 254

TTY users: Phone 1800 555 677 then ask for the relevant phone number above.
Speak and Listen users: Phone 1800 555 727 then ask for the relevant phone number above.
Internet relay users: Connect to the NRS at https://internet-relay.nrscall.gov.au/ then ask for the relevant phone number above.

Disclaimer: The Centrelink Rent Assistance rates provided are directly quoted from the ‘single, no children’ and ‘couple, no children’ rates provided by the Australian Government Department of Human Services, as present during October 2018.

All information provided is correct at time of publishing. This information is subject to change without notice at any time.