Rental Rebates Manual
Chapter 5
Rebate Applications
June 2012
Rebate Applications
June 2012
Published by the Victorian Government, Department of Human Services, Melbourne, Victoria,
Australia.
Copyright State of Victoria, Department of Human Services, 2012.
This publication is copyright. You may make limited copies of this document in accordance with the
Copyright Act 1968 (Cth), including copies for research, study, criticism, review or news reporting.
Apart from this, you may not publish, reproduce, adapt, modify, communicate or otherwise use any
part of this document (in particular for commercial purposes).
Authorised by the State Government of Victoria, 50 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne.
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Table of Contents
5.1
DEFINITIONS ........................................................................................................................ 5
5.2
APPLYING FOR A RENTAL REBATE ................................................................................ 6
5.2.1
5.2.2
5.2.3
5.2.4
5.2.5
5.2.6
5.2.7
5.2.8
5.3
STANDARDS FOR PROCESSING OF RENTAL REBATES .............................................. 9
5.3.1
5.3.2
5.3.3
5.3.4
5.4
5.4.3
5.4.4
5.4.5
5.4.6
5.4.7
5.4.8
Sign up ............................................................................................................. 11
Automatic Fixed Rent Review (Income confirmation and non-income confirmation
households) ...................................................................................................... 11
Manual assessments ....................................................................................... 11
Rebate assessments requiring manager approval .......................................... 13
Rebate assessments for vacated accounts ..................................................... 14
Manual rebate cancellation .............................................................................. 14
Age reviews ...................................................................................................... 14
Quality assurance of rebate assessments ....................................................... 14
SPECIFIC CIRCUMSTANCES ........................................................................................... 15
5.5.1
5.5.2
5.5.3
5.5.4
5.5.5
5.5.6
5.5.7
5.6
Check the rental rebate application for completeness ....................................... 9
Check the signature ........................................................................................... 9
Request for further documentation .................................................................. 10
Capturing the application in HiiP ...................................................................... 10
ASSESSING A RENTAL REBATE APPLICATION IN HIIP .............................................. 11
5.4.1
5.4.2
5.5
New Tenancy ..................................................................................................... 6
Automatic Fixed Rent Review (AFRR) ............................................................... 6
Six monthly (automated) contact reviews .......................................................... 6
Income Confirmation Errors and Discrepancies ................................................ 7
Changes in Circumstances ................................................................................ 7
Request for further documentation .................................................................... 7
No response to contact review, change in circumstances and request for further
documentation letters ......................................................................................... 7
Automatic rebate cancellation ............................................................................ 7
When a Tenant, Resident or a dependant of a tenant dies ............................. 15
Household Member Moves Out – Separation of a couple in a joint tenancy ... 16
Household Member Moves out and then returns ............................................. 16
Carers............................................................................................................... 16
Overseas Students ........................................................................................... 17
Visitors.............................................................................................................. 17
Fraud is suspected ........................................................................................... 17
RENTAL SUBSIDIES .......................................................................................................... 18
5.6.1
5.6.2
5.6.3
5.6.4
5.6.5
5.6.6
5.6.7
5.6.8
Introduction ...................................................................................................... 18
Circumstances in which Rental Subsidies may be applied.............................. 18
Property related rental subsidies ..................................................................... 18
Capping of Market Rents ................................................................................. 19
Client related rental subsidies .......................................................................... 19
VCAT or the Department’s Legal Services Branch determinations ................. 19
Fire/Flood ......................................................................................................... 19
Estate Improvement/Minor Property Repair..................................................... 20
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5.6.9
5.6.10
5.6.11
5.6.12
5.6.13
5.6.14
5.6.15
5.6.16
5.6.17
5.6.18
5.6.19
5.6.20
5.6.21
5.6.22
5.6.23
5.6.24
5.6.25
5.6.26
5.6.27
5.6.28
5.6.29
1.2
Market rent capping ......................................................................................... 21
Resident Liaison Officer ................................................................................... 21
Resident caretaker ........................................................................................... 21
Deferred rent payable (Commencement of tenancy) ....................................... 21
Specific circumstances..................................................................................... 22
100 year old Tenant ......................................................................................... 22
Tenants under 18 years of age ........................................................................ 22
Residents on a temporary or bridging visa ...................................................... 23
Tenant or resident temporarily absent ............................................................. 23
Temporarily absent parent ............................................................................... 24
Documentation Required ................................................................................. 25
Tenant temporarily absent – Not returning ...................................................... 25
Neighbourhood Renewal.................................................................................. 25
Neighbourhood renewal subsidy ...................................................................... 26
Transfers between properties .......................................................................... 26
General management of subsidies .................................................................. 26
HSM/HM approved subsidies .......................................................................... 27
System applied subsidies................................................................................. 27
Expiry of Subsidy ............................................................................................. 27
Subsidy statuses .............................................................................................. 27
Subsidy Status’ and Recommendations in HiiP ............................................... 28
APPENDIX .......................................................................................................................... 30
1.2.1
Validation checks ............................................................................................. 30
Note: Appendices have been highlighted and linked throughout the Chapter in blue italic text.
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5.1
HiiP
Definitions
Housing integrated information program
FRED Fixed Rent Effective Date
AFRR Automatic Fixed Rent Review- process that calculates rent and sends letter to tenant(s)
confirming rent amount payable for the next fixed rent period
IC
Income Confirmation
HSO
Housing Services Officer
HSM
Housing Services Manager
HM
Housing Manager
FSO
Field Services Officer
RLO
Resident Liaison Officer
VCAT Victorian Civil Administrative Tribunal
RTA
Residential Tenancies Act
DOH
Director of Housing
DHS
Department of Human Services
NRA
Neighbourhood renewal area
CJP
Community jobs program
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5.2
Applying for a Rental Rebate
Eligibility for a rental rebate based on household income is determined via an application and
assessment process. The process for applying for a rental rebate depends on the circumstances of
the tenancy as outlined below.
Fundamental to being considered for a rental rebate is the obligation on the tenant/s to advise
changes in household income and/or composition at the time these occur.
5.2.1
New Tenancy
When an offer of housing is accepted, the Department of Human Services (the Department) will
require current income and asset information for the household.
Subsequently, eligibility for a rebate will be assessed in the Housing Integrated Information Program
(HiiP) as part of the sign up process.
5.2.2
Automatic Fixed Rent Review (AFRR)
 Income Confirmation Service Chapter
 Consent by a client to use the Income Confirmation Service from Centrelink is taken to include an
ongoing application for assessment of eligibility for a rental rebate as outlined in the Income
Confirmation Chapter for details.
Centrelink and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs change pensions, benefits, allowances and family
payment rates at various times of the year.
The rebated rents of households receiving these payments are automatically reviewed and adjusted
by the department to reflect the new income rates.
The department requests from Centrelink on a set date a download of income, asset and some
household details for all clients in tenancies who have given consent.
Tenants are notified by mail before increases in rent are applied and rent deductions are automatically
adjusted for households who pay their rent by direct debit prior to the Fixed Rent Effective Date
(FRED).
5.2.3
Six monthly (automated) contact reviews
 Households who’s rent cannot be determined solely using the income confirmation service, for
example, where a household member is working or who chooses not to use the income confirmation
service, are required to lodge an ‘Application for Rebated Rent’ and provide supporting documentation
identified in the ‘Guide to completing the Application for Rebated Rent’ at least twice per year.
 To assist tenants, an ‘Automated contact review’ letter is issued by the department to the tenant
along with an ‘Application for rebated rent’ and a guide every six months. The letter advises the tenant
has 28 days to respond and submit the required documentation. 1
1
The Rebate/tenure task list and report TN023 display accounts that have been sent an automated contact review letter.
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5.2.4
Income Confirmation Errors and Discrepancies
 Income Confirmation Service Chapter
When client income information between the department and Centrelink is inconsistent, an ‘Income
confirmation error discrepancy’ letter is automatically sent to the tenant requesting them to confirm
their household details.
The tenant has 28 days to respond and submit the required documentation.
 Refer to the Income Confirmation Service Chapter for more information regarding errors and
discrepancies.
5.2.5
Changes in Circumstances
When a tenant notifies the department or the department becomes aware of a change in household or
income:


 an ‘Income verification’ letter can be sent requesting the tenant to confirm household details
 a ‘Request for further documentation’ letter can be sent when further documents are
required where an incomplete ‘Application for rebated rent’ has been received. 2
5.2.6
Request for further documentation
Where the department has previously sent correspondence requesting income information which
provided a document due date and rebate cancellation date, a request for further documentation letter
sent, does not give the tenant an additional 28 days to submit documentation.
5.2.7
No response to contact review, change in
circumstances and request for further documentation
letters
Failure by the tenant to respond to the department’s letters and submit the required documentation
within 28 days results in a reminder letter being sent advising the tenant that they will be charged full
market rent from the next FRED.
5.2.8
Automatic rebate cancellation
Where the tenant fails to respond to the department’s letters prior to the commencement of the new
fixed rent period, HiiP cancels the rebated rent and sets the rent payable to the market rent where it
remains until a manual assessment is undertaken. A letter is sent to the tenant to advise them that the
rebate has been cancelled.
2
Where an ‘Income verification’ letter is generated and sent via bulk mail, an ‘Application for rebated rent’ and a guide will
automatically be included in the envelope.
When client income details are updated due to an ‘Application for public housing’, ‘Eligibility confirmation questionnaire’ or
‘Bond loan application’ HiiP will display a prompt asking the user if they want to send an Income Verification letter.
The tenant has 28 days to respond and submit the required documentation.
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Note: if an ‘Income verification’ or ‘Request for further documentation’, for a tenancy that doesn’t already have a document
due date, letter is issued and the 28 day document due date falls within the next fixed rent period, the rebate cancellation date
will be the future FRED, not the immediate FRED. When the documentation is provided, the rent charged will be reassessed
retrospectively to the effective date of the change as per the fixed rent policy.
Rent deductions are not cancelled or updated following an automatic rebate cancellation. Rent
deduction agreements are separate to an entitlement to rebated rent and are not affected when the
rebate is cancelled. Subsequently, the account will fall into arrears. 3
3
The Rebate/tenure task list and report TN024 display accounts that have had their rebate cancelled.
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5.3
Standards for Processing of Rental
Rebates
5.3.1
Check the rental rebate application for completeness
 After an ‘Application for rebated rent’ has been received, date stamp the application, including
every page of each supporting document, with the date it was received at the Housing Office.
Date stamp and complete the customer receipt on the front page of the application and provide it to
the client. If the client requests a copy of the completed application, photocopy the full application.
After receiving an application and before entering the data in HiiP, make sure that:

the name, date of birth, type of income and amount of income received, Centrelink reference
number (if applicable) has been recorded and relationship to the tenant sections for all household
members have been completed

the reason for lodging the application has been completed

if someone other than a tenant has filled in the form they have filled in the relevant section on the
application (Section B Q2)

the Statutory declaration has been witnessed by an authorised person

the Statutory declaration has been signed by each tenant or the tenant's representative

current documentation has been included with the application to confirm the income of all
household members, showing the commencement date of the income received and any changes
to that income received

the Centrelink Consent form has been completed by all eligible household members who wish to
participate in Centrelink’s Income Confirmation Service
5.3.2
Check the signature
 All signatories to the Residential Tenancy Agreement are required to sign the ‘Application for
rebated rent’.
The tenant(s) may require a representative to sign the application where:

the tenant is unable to read and write in English

the tenant has a disability that makes it difficult for them to fill in the form

the tenant’s financial and legal affairs are administered by State Trustees or an appointed
guardian.
Under the Evidence Act 1958, and the Evidence (Affidavits and Statutory Declarations)
Regulations 1990, Statutory Declarations may be witnessed by prescribed officers, for example,
Justice of the Peace, Pharmacist, Police Officer or Medical Practitioner, some public servants VPS
grade 2 and above, including Housing Services Officers (HSOs) are also able to act as witnesses to
the Statutory Declaration.
Check the signature on the application with the tenants’ signatures on the previous rebate application
(if there is one), and the tenancy agreement.
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Where signatures do not match and there is no record of a representative of the tenant signing the
application, contact the tenant and ask them to provide further identification.
Check whether the details on the application match the details provided on a previous rebate
application. For example, check whether the tenant's new application includes a resident in the
household who was not previously listed on a rebate application or if the resident listed is not the
same person.
In addition, check whether the tenant's new application includes income that was not listed on the
previous application. If there is no documentation indicating when the change occurred, contact the
tenant and request further documentation to establish the effective date(s).
5.3.3
Request for further documentation
 If the ‘Application for rebated rent’ is incomplete in terms of the above criteria, any additional
documentation or information required must be requested within 14 days of receipt.
Once all documentation has been provided, the rental rebate should be assessed within 28 days. That
is, if all documentation was provided originally, the assessment should be completed within 28 days of
the application being lodged.
Where additional information was required, the rental rebate should be assessed within 28 days of
receipt of the last piece of requested documentation.
5.3.4
Capturing the application in HiiP
 Following the receipt of an ‘Application for rebated rent’, the department must enter the
information from the application into HiiP then scan and upload the application form and all
accompanying documents.
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5.4
5.4.1
Assessing a Rental Rebate Application in
HiiP
Sign up
Before commencing the sign up, reconfirm if there are any changes in income or household details.
All changes must be made in the Housing application so eligibility for housing can be reassessed.
Once eligibility has been confirmed, commence the sign up process in HiiP and create the rebate
application.
Confirm all necessary documentation and complete the HiiP checklist. Where additional information is
required, contact the applicant prior to sign up to ensure all necessary income and asset documents
have been provided.
Capture the income and asset details for each household member in HiiP client register and scan and
upload the documentation against each client in HiiP.
Confirm income and household changes have been correctly loaded in HiiP.
Using the assess button HiiP calculates the rebate and rental charge.
Check default rent effective date and set it to Next Sunday (as rent is charged from the Sunday
following the tenancy start date). Save and finalise.
Check rent details, select Approve application and Save.
5.4.2
Automatic Fixed Rent Review (Income confirmation
and non-income confirmation households)
For the Automatic Fixed Rent Review, the department requests from Centrelink, on a set date, a
download of income, asset and some household make up details for all clients who have given
consent.
Where the household details provided by Centrelink are consistent with the information held by the
department, HiiP automatically applies the rental rebate assessment rules to calculate the household
rent payable for the next Fixed Rent period. HiiP then generates a letter to these tenancies with
details of the new rent payable, the date from which it is payable and stores these details to take
effect from the FRED.
Households with clients who are not participating in or not eligible to participate in IC have their rent
recalculated based on the current household and income details, including any stored assessments
resulting from a contact review.
Tenants are notified by mail before increases in rent are applied and rent deductions are automatically
adjusted for households who pay their rent by direct debit prior to the FRED.
5.4.3
Manual assessments
 Fixed Rent Chapter
For manual assessments there are 4 steps in the process and a HiiP screen to manage each of those
steps.
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Checklist: Confirm all necessary documentation has been provided. Where additional information is
required generate a request via HiiP for further documentation.
Household: View and update household composition over time, capture income and asset details for
each household member (which are entered in the HiiP client register) and scan and upload the
documentation against each client in HiiP.
Income and household changes are entered on the date the change occurred.
Centrelink CPI changes that occur in January, March, July and September should also be entered.
For example, Age Pension- pension reform income increased from 329.20 to 335.45 effective 20
March 2011.
The deemed interest calculator determines weekly amounts per client, not for a couple. Split the asset
equally between the couple prior to using the deemed interest calculator.
Confirm income and household changes have been correctly loaded in HiiP.
HiiP determines rent assessment periods based on the changes entered and fixed rent effective
dates. Changes prior to 1 October 2000 are assigned to Client Services and Programs branch via the
HiiP rebate application workflow.
Using the assess button HiiP calculates the rebate and rental charge for each period.
 A number of income and household Validation Checks occur.
Rent is calculated per client, for all tenant’s and resident’s aged 18 years and over, by adding all of
assessable their incomes, applying rebate rates (25 percent & 15 percent) and rounding down to the
nearest five cents. Each client’s rent share is added to determine the rebated rent payable.
Check the default rent effective date is correct. The date differs depending on whether the change in
circumstances resulted in an increase or decrease to the household rent.

a decrease in rent is applied rent from the Sunday prior to the change in circumstances.

 an increase in rent is stored until the FRED following the change, except in the following
circumstances as outlined in the Fixed Rent Chapter:

temporary absence

administrative error

work is resumed after a temporary break from an ongoing contract
Save and finalise.
Check rent details, including revised rent periods and adjustments, enter comments if necessary and
select Approve and Save.
Following the manual assessment, HiiP generates a letter to these tenancies advising of the new rent
payable, any backdated rent charges and details of the household and income details used to
calculate the rent.
Rent deductions are automatically updated following all manual and automatic rebate assessments,
except in circumstances where the direct debit amount is greater than 35% of the total household
income, in these situations the direct debit amount remains unchanged.
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5.4.4
Rebate assessments requiring manager approval
 Account Reconciliation Chapter – Tenancy Management Manual
 Transfer of Tenancy Chapter – Tenancy Management Manual
HiiP complies with Government probity, rules and delegations. Rebate approval requests rely on the
Instrument of Delegation to allow the correct senior delegate access to make a decision based on the
amount.
Credit Adjustment Less Than $1000
Backdated rebated rent assessments that result in a credit adjustment to the tenant’s account of less
than $1000 can be approved by a Housing Services Officer (HSO).
Credit Adjustment Between Than $1000 and $2,000
Backdated rebated rent assessments that result in a credit adjustment to the tenant of between
$1,000 and $2,000 must be approved by a Team Manager.
Credit Adjustment between $2000 and $10,000
Backdated rebated rent assessments that result in a credit adjustment to the tenant’s account of
between $2,000 and $10,000 must be approved by the Housing Services Manager or Housing
Manager.
Credit Adjustment between $10,000 and $20,000
Backdated rebated rent assessments that result in a credit adjustment to the tenant’s account of
between $10,000 and $20,000 must be approved by the Assistant Director, Service Delivery.
Credit Adjustment between $20,000 and $30,000
Backdated rebated rent assessments that result in a credit adjustment to the tenant’s account of
between $20,000 and $30,000 must be approved by the Director, Client Services & Programs.
Credit adjustments above $10,000 should be assigned to Client Services and Programs for review
and escalation to the senior delegate.
 Accounts resulting in a credit of more than rent in advance, for example, two weeks, the tenant(s)
should be contacted to discuss reimbursement, using it for future payments or offset against any
maintenance arrears, as outlined in the Account Reconciliation Chapter in the Tenancy
Management Manual.
In HiiP, the rebate application is escalated for approval when:
The rebate assessment results in a credit adjustment that is above the user’s delegation approval
limit.
Following approval by the delegate, an alert will be sent to the home page of the staff member who
assessed the rebate application.
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5.4.5
Rebate assessments for vacated accounts
Staff can perform rebate assessments on vacated accounts that were previously managed by their
office. Rebate assessments resulting in a credit adjustment require the same delegation approval as
current accounts.
5.4.6
Manual rebate cancellation
Consistent with the fixed rent policy, requests for manual rebate cancellation are applied from the next
FRED. The client must submit this request in writing.
5.4.7
Age reviews
Once a week, HiiP identifies all accounts that require age promotion. They are:

dependants and residents turning 18 years of age

dependants turning 25 years of age
HiiP looks at all required promotions from Monday to Sunday of the following week.
Dependants turning 16, 18 or 25 years of age are promoted to a resident from the day of their
birthday. The rent remains unchanged until a rent assessment is completed.
 In situations where a client is turning 16 years of age, a letter is automatically sent advising the
tenant to submit an ‘Application for rebated rent’ if their household or income has changed.
 In situations where a client is turning 18 or 25 years of age, a letter is automatically sent to the
tenant advising that the amount of rent charged will increase from the start of the next Fixed Rent
period. The letter also includes an ‘Authority for Centrelink to release information to the Director of
Housing’ form for 18 and 25 year olds who have an unknown IC indicator recorded in HiiP.
If the relevant income documentation is not provided, or IC authorisation is not obtained by the
department prior to the next FRED, the appropriate Centrelink entitlement is imputed to recalculate
the rental rebate entitlement for these accounts, from the next FRED.
5.4.8
Quality assurance of rebate assessments
To ensure a consistent approach to the assessment of rebates, the department has put in place a
number of quality assurance checks and procedures:

all rebate documents are scanned into HiiP

each rebate is given a unique ID number

regular audits are undertaken by Head Office

each month regional offices audit a number of existing rebates and all new rebates.
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5.5
5.5.1
Specific Circumstances
When a Tenant, Resident or a dependant of a tenant
dies
Introduction
 Transfer of Tenancy Chapter – Tenancy Management Manual
When the department receives notification of a change in household circumstances, resulting in a
decrease in the total household income, the reduction to the rent is applied from the Sunday prior to
the change.
 However, when a tenant dies, it first needs to be established whether the remaining tenant(s) or
resident(s) are eligible for a transfer of tenancy before the department re-assesses the rebated rent.
This decision is made under the department’s Transfer of Tenancy policy as outlined in the Transfer
of Tenancy Chapter of the Tenancy Management Manual.
Consistent with the aim of maintaining housing affordability this decision must be made as quickly as
possible and must be approved by the Housing Services Manager (HSM) before the transfer takes
place.
Where there is a remaining Tenant
The rebated rent is reassessed based on the remaining household’s total assessable income. The
recipient of either an Aged or Veterans’ Affairs pension or Newstart Allowance whose spouse dies
receives a pension at the married couple rate for 14 weeks from the date of death.
The department does not assess their income at the married couple rate during this period. The
rebated rent entitlement is assessed at the single pension or allowance rate from the Sunday prior to
the date of death of the spouse.
Where the Tenant dies and there is a remaining care-giver
If a tenant receiving care dies, the department assesses whether the caregiver is eligible for a
Transfer of Tenancy.
If the caregiver is approved, the department transfers the tenancy to their name and reassesses the
household’s rebated rent entitlement based on the remaining household members.
Note: The Carer’s Pension continues to be paid to the carer for 14 weeks following the death of the person receiving care.
The client should notify the Department when their income changes so the rental rebate can be reassessed.
Where a Dependent of the Tenant dies
If a tenant’s dependant dies, a lump sum payment of 14 weeks Family Payment for the dependant
who has died is paid to the parent or guardian. The department does not include the lump sum
payment as assessable income.
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5.5.2
Household Member Moves Out – Separation of a
couple in a joint tenancy
 Transfer of Tenancy Chapter – Tenancy Management Manual
 Refer to the Transfer of Tenancy policy as outlined in the Transfer of Tenancy Chapter of the
Tenancy Management Manual.
Where a tenant has not relinquished tenancy rights or a VCAT determination has not been provided,
the tenant remains liable for the tenancy and associated rent but may be eligible to be considered
under temporary absence policy while the ongoing tenancy is resolved. The client remains in the rent
assessment and a subsidy can be applied to reduce the rent.
5.5.3
Household Member Moves out and then returns
Consistent with Fixed rent policy, when a household member is no longer a member of the household,
the household income from the date the household member departs is reassessed, and if there is a
reduction, this is applied from the Sunday prior to the event.
Where the tenant provides documentation that the resident intended to move out permanently but has
subsequently returned, they would be considered a new household member and included in the
rebate assessment at the next FRED.
Where a resident is living in the property for less than three nights in any one week (Sunday to
Saturday), they are considered to be absent for the whole week and their income is not included when
determining rebated rent entitlement.
Where a resident is living in the property for three or more nights in any one week (Sunday to
Saturday), they are considered to be a resident for the whole week and their income is included when
determining rebated rent entitlement.
Where a resident is temporarily absent from the property, refer to the Resident temporarily absent
section below.
5.5.4
Carers
For live in carers rent is calculated in the same way as for all other household members.
Where a sleepover arrangement with a rostered attendant carer is in place, the department does not
include the income of these carers as assessable income.
Subletting
Household members are not permitted to sublet their property while they are temporarily absent from
their property.
Under the RTA (s.83), the Director of Housing (DoH) may withhold consent for a sublet.
If a household member advises that a friend or relative will reside in their property while they are
away, they must add this person to their rental rebate as a resident. The rent is calculated on their
income and the existing household income.
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5.5.5
Overseas Students
The relevant Centrelink income is imputed for Overseas Students on temporary (student) visas
residing in Departmental properties. Any board and lodgings paid to the household member is not
included as household income.
Where an overseas student is working, the wages received are included on the rebate. Where this
income is less than the relevant Centrelink income, the difference is imputed.
5.5.6
Visitors
The department does not include visitors aged 18 years or over when assessing a household's
rebated rent, where:

the visitor is only staying in the household for less than a four-week period and can prove they
have accommodation elsewhere

the visitor is in the country on a restricted visa (except students) for example, as a tourist

the visitor is living in the household for less than three nights per week.
The department accepts that there may be special circumstances where a visitor is required to stay
for longer than four weeks. These circumstances are:

the visitor is providing support during illness or pregnancy of the tenant

the visitor's accommodation has been damaged by a natural disaster, such as fire or flood.
Where special circumstances do not apply, the department includes visitors as residents from the
expiration of the four-week period.
Check that the following has been provided:

confirmation that the visitor has permanent accommodation elsewhere , for example, driver's
licence, recent gas, electricity or telephone account in their name

temporary entry permits in their passport, for example, tourist visa

statutory declaration by the tenant that the visitor is living at the property for less than three
nights a week, together with documentation confirming the resident’s place of residence for the
remaining nights of the week.
5.5.7
Fraud is suspected
The Department considers whether a tenant has acted fraudulently in order to gain a higher rental
rebate, when contradictory information has been provided or when it is apparent that it has been
intentionally withheld.
For an alleged offence to be considered fraudulent, a deliberate intent to deceive must be proven by
the person making the allegation.
If a household member does not advise of a change in income and they receive a higher rebated rent
than they are entitled to receive, the Department does not consider this to be a fraudulent action.
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5.6
5.6.1
Rental Subsidies
Introduction
In exceptional circumstances, the department may wish to further discount the rent charged to a
tenancy. Typically, this discounting is applied in a declared emergency or where an increase in the
market rent could cause hardship to a group of tenants.
The discounting of the rent payable is achieved by applying a subsidy to reduce the rent charged after
any entitlement to a rebated rent has been applied.
A subsidy is generally time limited. The value of subsidies is a measurable cost to the department.
The approval of subsidies is based on circumstance and is a matter of discretion, on a case by case
basis. With the exception of a number of system applied subsidies, the Housing Services Manager
(HSM) or Housing Manager (HM) has the delegation to approve a subsidy.
5.6.2
Circumstances in which Rental Subsidies may be
applied
Rental subsidies are applied in three broad situations:

to reduce the net rent payable due to a property related event

to reduce the net rent payable to address a client’s circumstances

a determination by VCAT or DHS legal services resulting in the application of a rental subsidy.
Rental subsidies are approved under delegation.
5.6.3
Property related rental subsidies
The department recognises the inconvenience to tenants while repairs to their accommodation are
being undertaken that impact on the amenity of the property. These include:

Fire Damage

Flash flooding

Estate Improvement

Minor Property Repair
Tenants are entitled to a negotiated subsidy amount of up to 100 per cent of net rent payable,
generally for up to six weeks. The subsidy may include service charges where the service that is
being charged for has been affected.
Subsidies are negotiated with the tenant and approved by the HSM or HM.
In instances where there are concerns for the householder’s health and safety, or repairs will take
longer than six weeks, the tenant is generally relocated to another public housing property
immediately (either temporarily or permanently) rather than applying a rental subsidy.
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5.6.4
Capping of Market Rents
Where a tenant is relocated due to redevelopment or disposal strategies, or where a market rent
increase is greater than $35 per week, the following rental subsidy may be applied to ‘cap’ the market
rent at the $35 increase. The capping of market rent increases is applied automatically by HiiP.
5.6.5
Client related rental subsidies
The intent of Client related rental subsidies is to respond to affordability issues for clients with specific
circumstances, by further reducing the rent payable. These include:

Resident Liaison Officer

Resident Caretaker

Rent Payable Deferred (at commencement of tenancy)

Compassionate Tenancy

100 Year Old Tenant

Tenant Under 18 years of age

Sponsored Migrants

Temporary Absence

Neighbourhood Renewal
5.6.6
VCAT or the Department’s Legal Services Branch
determinations
From time to time VCAT or the department’s Legal Services Branch may determine that the rent for a
tenancy be reduced or a lump sum be paid as compensation. Considering the circumstance, an
appropriate adjustment to rent is made via a subsidy.
A rental account may be debited or credited if a VCAT determination orders the department to adjust
a rental charge. For example, a compensation payment to a tenant for failure to undertake
maintenance repairs or compensation by way of reducing outstanding rental arrears on an account.
5.6.7
Fire/Flood
The purpose of this subsidy is to minimise the need to relocate tenants and to reduce inconvenience
to them while repairs to their accommodation are being undertaken. To be eligible, the following
criteria must be met:

the damage to the property must reduce the use of a major service or area (such as cooking
facilities, hot water, bath/shower, or the use of a bedroom or lounge)

the tenant chooses to either remain in the premises, or relocate to a friends/relatives dwelling
without incurring any expense to the department
The repairs to the damaged property will be completed within six weeks.
Example 1: A small kitchen fire that causes smoke damage only, which can be cleaned, would not
constitute a subsidy. However, a kitchen fire that resulted in the short term loss of kitchen facilities
would constitute a subsidy.
Example 2: Water damage from flooding to the lounge room, which can be cleaned by steam
cleaning the carpets, would not constitute a subsidy. However, water damage from flooding that
resulted in the need to replace all the carpets and reduce the use of various rooms would
constitute a subsidy.
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In consultation with the FSO, determine the nature of works required and whether a temporary (or
permanent) transfer is needed rather than the tenant remaining in the property and a subsidy being
paid.
If the tenant is to remain in the property the HM/HSM will negotiate the appropriate rental subsidy
amount of up to 100 per cent of net rent payable, generally for up to six weeks. The subsidy may
include service charges where the service that is being charged for has been affected.
In cases where a permanent transfer is the preferred option, negotiate the arrangements with the
tenant.
5.6.8
Estate Improvement/Minor Property Repair
A subsidy is available in circumstances where the department is upgrading an occupied dwelling for a
limited period of time that may cause inconvenience to the tenant, under the Estate Improvement
Program.
In addition to providing a subsidy the department may also be required to hire necessary equipment to
reduce inconvenience to tenants.
Example: Where a kitchen is being upgraded, and the tenant cannot use the stove during the day,
a portable stove/hot plate could be hired at the department's expense.
To be eligible for an Estate Improvement subsidy, the following criteria must be met:

the nature of the work being undertaken must reduce the use of services (such as cooking
facilities, hot water, bath/shower, or the use of a bedroom/s or lounge)

the works to the property will be completed within six weeks

a community flat or temporary alternative accommodation has not been provided.
In consultation with the Field Services Officer, determine the nature of works required and whether a
temporary (or permanent) transfer is needed rather than the tenant remaining in the property and a
subsidy being paid.
Example: Where a property's kitchen/bathroom is being upgraded and results in the tenant being
unable to use the kitchen/bathroom during the day a subsidy can be negotiated. The
appropriateness of the householders remaining at the premises whilst the work is being carried
out should be discussed in consultation between the Housing Services Officer, Estate
Improvement Project Officer and the tenant.
If the tenant is to remain in the property the HM/HSM will negotiate the appropriate rental subsidy
amount of up to 100 per cent of net rent payable, generally for up to six weeks. The subsidy may
include service charges where the service that is being charged for has been affected.
Where it is necessary to temporarily relocate the tenant (to a motel for example), the department
would meet the cost of the accommodation while the tenant pays rent as normal. This is to ensure
that they are not adversely affected by a move that is beyond their control.
In cases where a permanent transfer is the preferred option, negotiate the arrangements with the
tenant.
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5.6.9
Market rent capping
The DoH caps market rent in two circumstances:

when a tenant is paying a market rent and is relocated due to a redevelopment, stock
management or transfer of tenancy to a property with a more expensive market rent and the
tenant would therefore incur a greater rent payable. The previous tenancy market rent value is
charged. This subsidy type is referred to as Tenant transfer/relocation.

when a market rent review is undertaken and the increase in market rent payable exceeds $35
per week. The $35 cap is applied automatically.
5.6.10
Resident Liaison Officer
A Resident Liaison Officer (RLO) was a tenant living at an Elderly Persons Estate who performed a
community care and service role to the tenants of that estate.
As of 2006, no further Resident Liaison Officers were to be approved as they are viewed by the
Australian Taxation Office as paid employees and the benefits they receive via subsidy and direct
payment are viewed as income.
Under past policy, the RLO was paid approximately $20.00 per week, had their telephone rental paid
by the department, and was eligible for a subsidy whilst engaged as a RLO. The weekly rent payable
for a RLO is one dollar. The subsidy allowed is the difference between rebated rent/market rent and
one dollar per week. The subsidy includes service charges and parking bay charges where
applicable.
Any existing RLO’s have their eligibility for rebated rent and subsidy reviewed every six months. They
should first be assessed for their eligibility under the rebated rent policy. It should then be determined
if they are continuing to fulfil their role as an RLO.
5.6.11
Resident caretaker
A Resident Caretaker is a person who is employed by the department as a cleaner, who lives on a
housing estate, and as part of their employment contract is entitled to a 100 per cent subsidy including
service charges and parking bay charges where applicable.
As from 2006, no further Resident caretakers are to be approved. Existing caretakers must have their
eligibility for rebated rent and subsidy reviewed every six months. They should first be assessed for
their eligibility under the rebated rent policy. It should then be determined if they are continuing to fulfil
their role as a Resident Caretaker.
5.6.12
Deferred rent payable (Commencement of tenancy)
In unusual circumstances a 100 per cent subsidy may be provided for a tenant whose
commencement of tenancy has been unavoidably delayed due to hospitalisation for example. The
period should generally not exceed 14 days.
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5.6.13
Specific circumstances
During times of a state or local emergency, such as bushfires, where there is significant loss of
housing, or any other special circumstances, the Director of Housing may determine to make a
significant reduction in the rent charged to those tenancies. The net rent to be paid is managed via a
subsidy.
Also, when an administration error in a previous rebate assessment has been discovered and resulted
in charging a lower amount of rent, the rebate is reassessed as normal, with the increase in rent
payable being effective from the FRED following the actual change in income. A Specific
circumstances subsidy is then applied to reduce the rent for the period of time from the FRED
following the actual change in income and the Sunday following the discovery of the error.
5.6.14
100 year old Tenant
Where a household contains a tenant aged 100 years or older, the rent charged on the income of the
tenant is included in the rebate assessment but excluded from the rent chargeable via the application
of a subsidy, from the Sunday following the tenant’s birthday.
When a tenant turns 100 years of age, the household rent payable continues to be assessed on the
entire household’s income. A rebate assessment must be completed prior to applying a subsidy. The
subsidy is applied as follows:

for a sole occupant, to reduce the net rent payable including services charges to $0 per week

for a joint occupancy, to remove the value of the rent that the tenant who turned 100 years of age
is incurring in the rebated rent calculation. This subsidy is 100 per cent of the net rent payable for
that tenant.
The subsidy is not granted to a household where the person who is 100 years old or over is a
resident.
Note: Confirm all birth dates prior to processing these subsidies.
5.6.15
Tenants under 18 years of age
Tenants under 18 years of age are charged a flat rate of $15 per week per person if they receive an
independent rate of Centrelink benefit, or seven dollars per week if they receive a dependent rate. A
rebate assessment is completed based on the actual household income and a subsidy applied to
reduce the net rent payable. The subsidy is applied automatically by HiiP. The subsidy start date is
the Sunday prior to the date the client became eligible for this subsidy.
If a household member receives a part benefit due to wages or other income, or if they have
dependants, all assessable income is assessed in the same way as for other tenants and a subsidy is
not applied.
The subsidy ends on the FRED following the clients eighteenth birthday or when their income or
marital status changes and they are no longer eligible for a subsidy.
Sponsored migrants and those subject to the Centrelink two year waiting period)
For client’s who are under an assurance of support or sponsorship agreement and are subject to a
Centrelink waiting period prior to being granted an income, rent reduction is managed by imputing an
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income equivalent to the Centrelink income they would otherwise be entitle to receive and then
applying a subsidy to the household rent. A rebate assessment must be completed prior to applying a
subsidy.4
Where a special benefit is paid to the household member, or the household member is in receipt of
any other income, rebated rent is assessed the same as for all other household members.
When a sponsorship agreement has ended, the department assesses sponsored migrant residents in
the same way as for other household members. The following documentation must be provided to
support the ending of a sponsorship agreement:
Copy of migrant sponsorship agreement, including the date on which sponsorship ends.
Centrelink statement confirming that a Special Benefit is now being paid to the client and evidence of
all other incomes, for example, wages.
5.6.16
Residents on a temporary or bridging visa
Where households include residents who are on a temporary or bridging visa and are not receiving a
Centrelink income as they are ineligible due to their temporary residency status, rent reduction is
managed via the application of a subsidy to the household rent. A rebate assessment must be
completed prior to applying a subsidy, where an Imputed subsidy income type is applied to the client
at the rate of the minimum statutory income entitlement.
The tenant must provide documentation from Centrelink confirming that the resident is not entitled to
any Centrelink payments due to their temporary residency status.
If the resident acquires permanent residency, the department imputes the Centrelink income that they
would be entitled to receive, according to the policy for sponsored migrants.
For any client who is subject to a Centrelink waiting period prior to being granted an income, rent
reduction is managed via the application of a subsidy to the household rent. A rebate assessment
must be completed prior to applying a subsidy. The subsidy is applied as follows:

for a sole tenant who has been incorrectly signed up as a tenant to reduce the net rent payable
including services charges to $15 per week.

for all other households to remove the value of the rent that the client who is subject to the
Centrelink waiting period is incurring in the rebated rent calculation. This subsidy is 100% of the
net rent payable for that client.
5.6.17
Tenant or resident temporarily absent
If a tenant or resident is temporarily away from their home, for example, being admitted into hospital
or travelling overseas, the department continues to assess the rebate entitlement as if they are
residing in the property. The rebated rent does not change during their absence.
However, if a tenant or resident is temporarily away from home and is required to pay accommodation
costs, a subsidy can be applied to reduce the rent charge after the entitlement to a rebated rent has
be assessed.5 The department will only apply a subsidy for the following circumstances:
4
Apply an Imputed subsidy income type to the sponsored migrant at the rate of the minimum statutory income
entitlement.
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
tenants or residents in geriatric nursing homes

tenants or residents in rehabilitation or respite care

tenants or residents in jail
The tenant or resident is required to provide documentation to confirm where they are and when they
will be returning to the property:

a letter confirming the time they will be absent. This could be from the rehabilitation centre,
solicitor, nursing home or social worker from the jail

a letter confirming the amount they will be paying during the period they are staying at the other
property

 a completed ‘Application for rebated rent form’
 a completed ‘Temporary absence’ form

A subsidy to further reduce the rent in these circumstances only applies where the tenant is required
to pay accommodation costs for their temporary accommodation.
If a sole tenant resides in a property that has a weekly service charge for amenities such as heating
and hot water, this is waived for the period of their absence, when applying the subsidy.
Temporarily absent tenants retain all tenancy rights and responsibilities. The maximum permissible
period for a sole tenant or entire household to be temporarily absent from their home for one of the
above reasons is six months.
When a tenant or a resident is temporarily absent, the household rent payable continues to be
assessed on the entire household income. A rebate assessment must be completed prior to applying
a subsidy. The subsidy is applied as follows:

for a sole tenant, to reduce the net rent payable including services charges to $15 per week

for all other households, to remove the value of the rent that the client who is temporarily absent
is incurring in the rebated rent calculation. This subsidy is 100 per cent of the net rent payable for
that client.
When a tenant or resident returns to the property, rent is increased from the following Sunday.
5.6.18
Temporarily absent parent
In the situation where a person moves in to care for children while the parent (Tenant) is temporarily
absent, for reasons mentioned in the Tenant or resident temporarily absent section of this chapter,
and the person can demonstrate that their usual place of residence is elsewhere, the person caring
for the children is added to the household, but they will not have an income included when assessing
the rebate entitlement.
The sole tenant is charged a net rent payable including service charges of $15 per week, or assessed
on Family Tax benefit where it is received and this would be higher than $15 per week.
Where the absent parent has no income, an imputed income is applied at the rate of the minimum
statutory income entitlement for the absent parent, which allows the rebate assessment to be
calculated and a rent share applied to the absent parent.
5
Apply an Imputed subsidy income type at the rate of the minimum statutory income entitlement (if the client doesn’t
have an income).
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Where Family Tax benefit is received, this is applied to the absent parent
The subsidy is then applied to further reduce the rent as follows:

To reduce the net rent payable including services charges to $15 per week, or

To reduce the net rent payable to the equivalent amount based on Family Tax benefit where it is
received and this would be higher than $15 per week.
When the absent parent returns to the property, rent is increased from the following Sunday.
5.6.19
Documentation Required

documentation confirming that the visitor has permanent accommodation elsewhere, for
example, driver's licence, recent gas, electricity or telephone account in their name

temporary entry permit in their passport, for example, tourist visa

statutory declaration made by the tenant that the visitor is living at the property temporarily and
for the purpose of looking after the tenant’s children, together with documentation indicating their
permanent place of residence.
5.6.20
Tenant temporarily absent – Not returning
 Transfer of Tenancy Chapter – Tenancy Management Manual
 A tenant who is not residing in the property, advises the department that they do not wish to
return to the property and there are other tenant/s or household members remaining, as detailed in
the Transfer of Tenancy chapter in the Tenancy Management Manual.
5.6.21
Neighbourhood Renewal
The department’s Neighbourhood Renewal Areas (NRA) program provides a 16-week ‘grace period’
from rent increases for tenants and residents in Neighbourhood Renewal Areas who obtain
employment or participate in the Community Jobs Program (CJP).
It applies to current tenants and residents, including self-employed tenants, tenants in Aboriginal
Housing and Community Housing living in Neighbourhood Renewal Areas who participate in the
Community Jobs Program or who obtain other employment (and they have been unemployed for at
least 6 months in the last 12 months).
The provision of a period of grace from rent increases has been introduced to better assist newly
employed tenants and residents. It provides an opportunity for them to ‘get ahead’ before their new
income is included in rent assessment, and also recognises the additional costs that may arise when
commencing employment.
A 16-week grace period has been chosen as it reflects the maximum length of the Community Jobs
Program projects, which are likely to be the main employment option for tenants and residents in
Neighbourhood Renewal Areas.

Each household member is entitled to a maximum of 16 weeks ‘grace’ per year. The 12 months
in the ‘per year’ is from the date the first grace period started. For example, if the 16-week ‘grace’
period commenced on 1 July 2007, the next 16-week grace period cannot commence prior to 1
July 2008.

The 16 weeks may be taken non-consecutively.
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
For the purposes of determining the 16-week entitlement, part-time employment would be
considered to be full-time, that is, one week of part-time employment would equal one ‘grace’
week.

A newly-arrived migrant who is subject to the Centrelink two-year waiting period may be entitled
to the 16-week grace period if they are in a NRA and they are participating in a CJP, or they can
demonstrate that since arriving in Australia they were unemployed for at least six months during
the previous 12 months. For the 16-week grace period, the Centrelink income they would
otherwise be entitled to would be imputed. If the resident does not move on to further
employment, the rebate is reassessed on the actual income received.

Other changes to household circumstances, such as changes in Centrelink income, age changes
or increases in household members, should still be applied to the rebate during the grace period.
The changes above are effective from 1 December 2002, however as the Community Jobs Program
has operated since August 2000, this grace period should be applied retrospectively to accounts
where household members have participated.
Four NRAs were announced on 10 October 2005. The 16-week ‘grace’ from rent increase applies to
tenants and residents in the four NRA’s of West Heidelberg, East Reservoir, Delacombe (Ballarat)
and Hastings from that date.
5.6.22
Neighbourhood renewal subsidy
Where a tenant and or resident residing in a Neighbourhood Renewal area gains employment, a
rebate assessment must be completed in accordance with normal rebate rules prior to applying a
subsidy.
Usually when the grace period falls entirely within the Fixed Rent period, the increase in rent payable
is applied from the following FRED.
However, if the grace period crosses over a FRED the increase in rent is not applied until the expiry of
the 16 week grace period. The subsidy is applied to the total rent payable from the FRED to the expiry
of the grace period and excludes the increase in rent based on the wages.
The subsidy is applied to the total rent payable from the FRED to the expiry of the grace period and
excludes the increase in rent based on the wages.
5.6.23
Transfers between properties
Where a tenant or resident is eligible for the Neighbourhood Renewal 16-week ‘grace period’ and they
are transferred to another property that is either in a Neighbourhood renewal area or not, the 16-week
grace period continues after the transfer. The grace period can be managed via a subsidy.
5.6.24
General management of subsidies
A rebate assessment should be completed prior to applying a subsidy.
In order to apply a client related subsidy, the client must have a rent share for the period of time that
the subsidy will apply. Rent share is calculated as part of the rebate assessment.
A resident who moves in during the current fixed rent period has their income stored until the next
FRED. A subsidy can only be applied from that FRED.
The delegation to approve or not approve a rental subsidy is determined by the HSM/HM (if not
automatically applied by HiiP).
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5.6.25
HSM/HM approved subsidies
The HSO or TM ensures that the correct rental rebate assessment has been determined and
recommends to the HSM, via HiiP, that a rental subsidy be applied on the basis of the current
circumstances.
If a HSM is assessing and recommending the rental subsidy, it will be approved by the HM.
Applying a subsidy requires determination of the rent to be paid, whether additional charges (such as
water, energy, car-parking) are to be waived or reduced via subsidy and the duration of the subsidy.
When the decision to approve or not approve is entered into HiiP by the HSM/HM, the subsidy is
applied and the appropriate letter to the tenant is generated.
5.6.26
System applied subsidies
HiiP will automatically apply certain subsidy types. These currently include:

Tenants under 18 years of age subsidy - automatically applied following rebate assessment.

Capped market rent review allowance subsidy - automatically applied when the rent value
increases more than $35.
5.6.27
Expiry of Subsidy
All subsidies expire automatically where a subsidy end date has been entered.
The following subsidies are automatically cancelled when rebated rent is cancelled:

Tenants under 18 receiving Centrelink at home rate (from the FRED following their eighteenth
birthday)

Tenants under 18 receiving away from home rate (from the FRED date following their eighteenth
birthday)

100 year old tenant – sole occupant

100 year old tenant – joint occupancy

Sponsored migrant/Temp visa – sole occupancy

Sponsored migrant/Temp visa – joint occupancy

Neighbourhood renewal
5.6.28
Subsidy statuses
There are different subsidy statuses in HiiP which indicate the exact process that has occurred:

Pending: Indicates that a subsidy is waiting for approval

Current: Indicates that a subsidy is currently applied to the tenancy

Expired: Indicates that a subsidy has ended (reached the subsidy expiry date)

Not applied: Indicates that a subsidy has never been applied to the tenancy because the subsidy
was not approved

Future: Indicates that a subsidy has been approved and will be applied on a future date
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
Reversed: Indicates that a subsidy was applied to the tenancy and reached the expiry date, but
has been entirely reversed

Cancelled: Indicates that a partially created subsidy record has been cancelled or that the
recommendation to cancel a future subsidy record has been approved.
5.6.29
Subsidy Status’ and Recommendations in HiiP
List of recommendations available depending on the subsidy
status
Subsidy status
Recommendation
Pending
Action pending
Cancel application
Raise subsidy for approval
Raise subsidy for rejection
Current
Reverse subsidy
Amend subsidy details
Future
Cancel subsidy
Amend subsidy details
Expired
Reverse subsidy
List of subsidy status and recommendation status relationships
Subsidy
Recommendation status
status
Pending
New
Escalated
Current
Approved
Automated
Future
Approved
Automated
Expired
Approved
Automated
Not applied
Not approved
Cancelled
Approved
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Subsidy
Recommendation status
status
Reversed
Reversed
Cancelled
Cancelled
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1.2
Appendix
1.2.1
Validation checks
Family-related validation (family validations)
No.
Validation Rule
Error Message
1
Tenancy start date not set.
Tenancy start date not set. Please contact system administrator.
2
Family has no family head.
Family must have at least one client where ‘Related to’ is ‘Self’.
2a
Family has no family head.
Family must have at least one client where ‘Related to’ is ‘Self’.
3
A household must have at least 1 Client with Role =
Tenant and Related to = Self
The household must have at least one ‘Tenant’ related to ‘Self’
4
Family must have either 0 or 2 partnered clients
Family must have either 0 or 2 Partnered Clients
5
Family is not set on family member
Family is not set on family member <Client name>. Please contact system administrator
6
Client appears more than once in tenancy
Family structure is invalid. Please contact system administrator
7
Tenant or Resident is not allowed to be related to a
Dependant
Tenant or Resident is not allowed to be related to a Dependant.
Client-related validation (family validations)
No.
Validation Rule
Error Message
1
If client is related to another client in a family (not
themselves), and they are not a role of dependant,
then they have to be partnered.
Client <client name> has an inconsistent Role and Marital status. Please update.
2
Client has multiple overlapping family member
records
Client <client name> has overlapping records within the household for effective date
<date>
3
Client date of birth not set.
Client <client name> date of birth not set. Please contact system administrator
4
Client moved in before date of birth.
Client <client name> date of birth cannot be before date ‘Arrived’ in the tenancy
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30
No.
Validation Rule
Error Message
5
Each dependant is linked to a current tenant or
resident (i.e. the tenant or resident has no left date).
Client <client name> must be linked to a current Tenant or Resident
6
Family member is listed as a dependant but is not in
dependant account role.
Client <client name> is a dependant but not in dependant account role. Please contact
system administrator.
7
Client with role dependant cannot be over 24 years
old.
Client <client name> is over 24 years of age and cannot be recorded as a dependant.
Please update Role.
8
Warning: User is required to be prompted where
Dependant is greater than 16 years of age; however
assessment is able to continue.
Warning: Dependant <client name> is over 16 years of age. Is this correct?
Family-related validation (income validations)
No.
Validation Rule
Error Message
1
Tenure type information missing for
effective date.
Tenure type has no rates for effective date <date>.
2
At least one client in the household must
have an income.
At least one client in the household must have an income
3
Only one partner of a married couple can
have PPP or PGA Income.
Only one partner of a couple is eligible to receive PGA or PPP income.
Client-related validation (income validations)
No.
Validation Rule
Error Message
1
A Client with single person’s income
cannot be married.
Client <client name> has inconsistent marital status for recorded income.
Exception:
1. where the Marital status exception
flag (recorded against Client) has
been selected.
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Rebate Applications
June 2012
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No.
Validation Rule
Error Message
2. Income types WARPR and
WARWD
2
A Client with married couple income
cannot be single.
Client <client name> has inconsistent marital status for recorded income.
Exception: where the Marital status
exception flag (recorded against Client)
has been selected.
3
The system will check if the client has an
income type of “PARTA” and if the client
has a date of birth on or after 01/07/1955.
Warning: Client <client name> is not eligible for PARTA. Please consider updating the income to
PPP.
4
The system will check if the client’s income
is current
1. “Income type <income type> for client <client name> became obsolete on <date> replaced with
<income type>. Please select another income type”
2. “Income type <income type> for client <client name> becomes obsolete on <date> replaced with
<income type>.
3. “Income type <income type> for client <client name> became obsolete on <date>, please select
another income type”
4. “Income type <income type> for client <client name> becomes obsolete on <date>. Please enter a
new income type from <date>”
5. “Income type <income type> for client <client name> cannot be entered until <date>”
5
A Client must be the correct age for the
income type, where entitlement to the
income is age related.
Rental Rebates Manual
Rebate Applications
June 2012
Client <client name> is outside the age range for income type <AGEPR>. That income type is only
permitted for clients between <65> years <0> months and 120> years <0> months.
32
No.
Validation Rule
Error Message
6
A Client cannot have more than one
primary income.
Client <client name> cannot have more than one primary income
The exceptions to this rule are:

WARPR income combined with
AGEPR

WARWD income combined with
AGE
7
A client cannot have concurrent income
types except for ‘other’ incomes, such as
Wages
Client <client name> cannot have more than one income of type <AGEPR/DSPPR>.
8
Notify user when attempting to record
Transitional and Pension Reform incomes
concurrently against a client.
Client <client name> cannot have both transitional and pension reform income.
9
A client cannot have both the imputed and
non-imputed form of any one of the
following incomes at one time:
Client <client name> has more than one <DFIS/TOPP/FTBA> income
- DFIS income (DFIS and IDFIS)
- Family lump sum supplement A income
(FLSA and IFLSA)
- Family lump sum supplement B income
(FLSB and IFLSB)
- Family Tax Benefit A income (FTBA and
IFTBA)
- Family Tax Benefit B income (FTBB and
IFTBB)
- Top Up income (TOPP and ITOPP)
Example of above logic:
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Rebate Applications
June 2012
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No.
Validation Rule
Error Message
- Can’t have IDFIS and DFIS
- Can’t have FLSA and IFLSA
- Can’t have FTBB and IFTBB
- Can’t have TOPP and ITOPP
10
There is not more than one war disability
income recorded for a client, such as
DVAWD and TPI
Client <client name> cannot have more than one War Disability income.
11
If a Client has DFIS or IDFIS income, then
they must also have both :
Client <client name> cannot have DFIS income without a Primary Centrelink income and War
Disability income.
A primary Centrelink income
and
A non-assessable war disability income,
such as DVAWD
12
A client with Top-Up income (TOPP or
ITOPP) must also have SELF income.
Client <client name> cannot have <Top-Up> income without <SELF>.
13
Income Types which require a dependant
must have at lease one dependant for that
client.
You cannot give <income type> income to a client with no dependants. Please remove <income
type> from <client name>
Example of income types which require a
dependant are PPP, PPS, FTBA, FTBB
etc.
14
If household entitled to FLSA or FLSB and
no income has been recorded, can't
proceed with assessment until the
income/s are recorded.
Family Lump Sum Supplement income must be entered for client <client name> who has eligible
dependants
15
A client can only have family lump sum
supplement income where there is at least
one eligible dependant related to the client.
You cannot give Family Lump Sum Supplement income to a client with no eligible dependants.
Please remove Family Lump Sum Supplements from <client name>
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Rebate Applications
June 2012
34
No.
Validation Rule
Error Message
16
Income must be greater than zero.
Client <Client name> cannot have an income amount less than 0.00
17
Warning where Tenant or Resident has no
income assigned. Assessment is able to
continue.
Warning: Client <Client name> has no income recorded. Do you want to continue?
18
Client not eligible for any rate of their
primary income.
<Client name> is not eligible for any rate of <income type> income. Please update income.
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Rebate Applications
June 2012
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