Who can get it

There are 2 ways to get Remote Area Allowance.

Option 1

You can get it if you live in a remote area and get either:

Option 2

You can get it if you moved to a remote area, and will stay longer than 12 months.

Remote area

Tax zones define remote areas. The Tax Office determines tax zones. The Australian tax offset zone list on the Australian Taxation website will tell you if you live in a remote area. These include:

  • tax zone A
  • special zone A
  • special zone B.

Can’t get it

You can't get it if you either:

  • move outside the tax zones above
  • live in tax zone B
  • live in a certain region within special zone A.

Students

You can get this allowance for 8 weeks from the date you leave your usual home if you:

The 8 week limit doesn’t apply to secondary school students getting ABSTUDY Living Allowance.

Claim

You don’t need to claim this allowance.

We’ll check if you can get it when you either:

  • get your income support payment
  • move to an eligible tax zone.

If you can get it, we’ll tell you when your payment starts and how much you get.

Page last updated: 23 April 2024.
QC 43681