Change of circumstances

We need to know about changes that could affect or stop your Rent Assistance.

If we need more information from you, we may ask you to give us proof of your rent arrangements to get Rent Assistance.

You need to get a certain payment from us to get Rent Assistance. We assess your eligibility for Rent Assistance when you claim one of these payments. If you already get one, we’ll assess your eligibility for Rent Assistance when you pay rent and you:

  • tell us you’ve moved address
  • tell us the rent you pay has changed.

To get the correct rate of payment, it’s important you tell us of any change of circumstance. This includes if:

  • you change or correct your name
  • your rent costs change
  • you move house
  • your income changes
  • your marital status changes
  • the number of dependent children in your care changes
  • people move in or out of the house you live in.

How to confirm your rent

To confirm your rent we may ask you to provide proof of your rent arrangement.

Community housing rent

Please ask your community housing organisation if they use the Electronic Verification of Rent (EVoR) scheme.

If they do you don’t need to tell us when your rent changes. They can help you fill out a consent form.

Read more about EVoR.

How to tell us

You need to tell us if your circumstances change within 14 days. If your Centrelink online account is linked to myGov you can tell us online. To do this, sign in to myGov and select Centrelink, select MENU from your homepage and select My details.

Sign in to myGov

It’s never too late to report a change.

When you don’t tell us

If you don’t tell us about changes in your life we may pay you too much. If this happens you’ll have to pay the money back.

If you deliberately don’t tell us about changes, we could charge you with fraud.

Read how to avoid committing fraud.

Page last updated: 10 November 2023.
QC 38866