humanservices.gov.au Rent Deduction Scheme Australia : Department of Human Services

Organization : Department of Human Services
Facility : Rent Deduction Scheme
Country : Australia
Website : https://www.humanservices.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/rent-deduction-scheme

Human Services Rent Deduction Scheme

A service you can use to pay your public housing rent straight from your Centrelink payments.

Related : Department of Human Services PBS Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme Australia : www.statusin.org/41948.html

How the Scheme Works?

First you’ll need to authorise your rent deduction with your housing authority. Then :
** we take your rent from your regular Centrelink payment and give it to your housing authority
** you still need to pay your rent until you get a letter from us
** your letter will tell you when your rent deductions start paying to your housing authority

If We Can’t Deduct the Full Amount of Rent

We can’t deduct the full amount of rent if your Centrelink payment :
** gets suspended, or
** lowers because of your income or other deductions, leaving you without enough to cover your rent
If this happens, you’ll need to contact your housing authority to organise paying the rest of your rent.

If your Centrelink Payments Get Cancelled

** We can’t deduct your rent if your Centrelink payments get cancelled.
** If you missed paying your rent you must organise to pay it directly with your housing authority.
** If your payment starts again within 13 weeks, your deduction will restart on your next pay.
** If your payment starts after 13 weeks, contact your housing authority to restart your rent payments.

Moving between Payments

If you move to a new Centrelink payment, your deduction may continue. Ask us about your rent deduction amount when your new payment starts.

Applying

You need to apply for the Rent Deduction Scheme through your housing authority. They’ll get you to complete a deduction authority form. Once approved, we deduct your rent from your Centrelink payment and give this to your housing authority. We’ll send you a letter to confirm when your deductions will start.

Changes to Your Rent

If the amount of your rent changes, the housing authority will advise us of the new amount. We’ll adjust your deduction to the new amount from your next payday and send you a letter advising you of the change.

Stopping your Rent Deduction

Before you stop using the Rent Deduction Scheme talk to your housing authority. You’ll need to organise another way to pay your rent.
You can stop your deduction by :
** contacting or visiting your housing authority
** calling us on your regular payment number, or
** visiting a service centre

We’ll send you a letter to confirm your cancellation. We’ll also tell your housing authority. It’s then up to you to organise paying rent directly to your housing authority.

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