FAQs
What is the review and do I have to complete it?
As an ADF member receiving Rent Allowance (RA) you are required to participate in the annual RA review (please refer to PACMAN 7.8.38).
This review checks your personal circumstances and confirms that you are getting the RA amount that you are eligible for. The review only takes a few minutes to complete and you will need to upload a current rent receipt/tenant ledger. This document must include:
- address of the rental property
- amount and period of rent payment
- name of the agent or owner to whom the rent is paid.
Note: If renting privately, a signed written statement from the owner/landlord must contain all the details outlined above. You can also complete an owner/member statement which is located on our website.
If you have difficulty completing the review or loading your documents please email housing@dha.gov.au
How long does the review take?
The review only takes a few minutes to submit. Your submission is required by Thursday 11 June 2020 to ensure your RA eligibility continues.
We will notify you when the review of your submission has been completed. Please note, this can take up-to 12 weeks.
Are all members receiving RA reviewed?
Members who occupied their RA property after December 2019 and those who are vacating up to two weeks after the review commences, are exempt from this year's review. All other members are reviewed.
I’m deployed, seagoing or out field, can I delay my review?
If you know you will be away at the time of the review, please contact us to complete your review before you depart.
If you do not have access to the internet, your review due date can be extended until you return—please email housing@dha.gov.au to notify us of your return date.
I don't have access to the DRN, can I still complete my review?
The review can be completed wherever you are, if you have internet access.
Can someone complete my review for me?
You can authorise another person to be your delegate to complete all actions on your behalf in Online Services, including the RA review. Login to Online Services to nominate a delegate.
What happens after I submit my review and current rent receipt?
If you’ve had no changes to your circumstances, you don’t need to do anything further. Please allow up-to 12 weeks for your review to be processed, you will receive an email once this is complete.
What if I have noted changes on my review?
It’s common for members to advise of changes to their categorisation, rent and sharing arrangements. Your dashboard in Online Services will indicate if you need to provide any further documentation to support your change. Once those documents have been received, we will assess your RA and if the amount of your allowance changes, we will let you know.
Typically, a change to your categorisation, the purchase of a home, a move to another location or a change to sharing arrangements may result in a change to your allowance amount or eligibility. You can use the RA calculator to estimate your new RA amount.
What do I do if my rent amount has changed?
If you have indicated a change to your rent amount, you must provide:
- a current rent receipt/tenant ledger showing the new amount
- a copy of your new signed lease with the new amount or a signed letter from the landlord or real estate agent advising of the rent increase and the date it commenced.
Does changing the number of people I am sharing with change my RA?
Your RA is calculated based on your rank, how much rent you pay, the RA ceiling applicable to where you live and if you are sharing. If your sharing arrangements change, it is likely your RA amount will too. You can check how your RA will be affected by logging in to Online Services and utilising the RA calculator.
If you are sharing with other Defence members and your sharing arrangements change, they also need to advise DHA of the changes.
What happens if my categorisation has changed?
If your categorisation changes, we will reassess your RA to ensure you are receiving the correct amount. Your new RA amount begins on the effective date of your categorisation change.
You can use the RA Calculator to quickly and easily estimate what your new RA amount will be.
If you are changing categorisation to MWD, we may have available Service Residences (SR) in your area. Simply email housing@dha.gov.au to request access to start viewing available properties.
If you are changing categorisation to MWOD or MWD(U), log into Online Services to view available Member Choice Accommodation (MCA) in your area.
How do I amend my submission if I made a mistake?
To update your submission send an email stating the changes to housing@dha.gov.au
My RA was suspended, how do I restart it?
Your RA may be suspended if your submission is not completed by the due date. We will send you an email to notify you if your RA has been suspended. If this occurs, contact us on 139 342 or email housing@dha.gov.au to complete your submission and restart your RA.
Where RA eligibility continues to exist, the suspension will be cancelled and RA will be backdated to the date it was suspended.
I have purchased a property. How will this affect my RA?
If you have purchased a property a delegate will need to assess the properties suitability in accordance with PACMAN Chapter 7 Part 2 for your RA to continue.
If you indicate that you own a property, we will contact you by email outlining all the information that you need to provide to us for the delegate to conduct an own home assessment.
To determine a home’s suitability, we will need information about the home to determine if it is in your posting locality and if it has enough bedrooms to accommodate your family.
Once we receive the information from you, we will assess the property against the considerations in PACMAN Chapter 7 Part 2 and advise you of the outcome.
Continued RA eligibility exists up to the earliest of the following two dates:
- one week after settlement of an own home
- three months after the date entered into a contract to purchase the own home.
If we determine the home is not suitable there is no change to RA eligibility.
Note: A posting location includes a greater area if approved in accordance with PACMAN 1.3.55.1.b.
What do I do if I have forgotten my Online Services password?
If you have forgotten your Online Services password, please follow the prompts at the login stage. If you have forgotten your username, please email housing@dha.gov.au or call 139 342 and select option 1 and then option 5.
Why is it important to provide correct information?
Deliberately providing incorrect information or failing to provide information may lead to an investigation by the Fraud Control and Investigations Branch (FCIB).
The FCIB is responsible for Defence's fraud control program that covers the prevention, detection and investigation of fraud and the recovery of fraudulently acquired money and assets.
Following an investigation by FCIB a former ADF member was recently sanctioned for not disclosing his change in circumstances which in turn affected his Rent Allowance. Read more on our website.