Is it true that fulltime nomads can claim rent allowance, based on the amount paid to caravan parks. Does this only apply if not owning your own home?

If you contact Centrelink they can tell you if you can

it does only apply if not owning your own home

You are eligible for rent assistance if your caravan is your principal residence. If you own another home this will be assessed for its income value and that will affect your pension, it may drive your assessed income to the point of you loosing benefits.

Thanks for the info, have 4 years to wait and can't wait to get on the road.

Graham & Pat - If you only have 4 years to go it's time to start setting your self up for retirement. Centrelink have some pretty switched on advisors that can assist you to get the best retirement income. They can't give you very specific advice like who to invest your money with, but they can give you good general advice. Many of us have found they are not penny pinching tight asses but are public servants in the true sense of the word. See about making an appointment with one of their advisors sooner rather than later.

I'd agree 100% with PeterD -- we've always approached Centrelink staff with a pleasant (I hope!) smile and have always had excellent service from them. And we also claim rent assistance; we're on the road full time and have no real estate. Andrea

Another plug for centrelink . Always found their people helpful , and the few problems I have had have always been fixed in a flash .

I started doing the rent assistance thing with centrelink when we started travelling but after a few months I gave it away. Every time I went to submit the form with receipts at the different towns (and i mean EVERY TIME) the person at the counter would not be sure if it was the right form or that it was done properly so I would have to sit down again for another length of time till I could have an interview with one of the staff (on occasions had been over to 2 hours all up. There was one time when when I had an argument with the interviewer about the correct form when the supervisor walked by & overheard & ended up correcting the employee & saying I had the correct form though there isn't really a proper form for nomads like us.
I ended up fretting and worring about these occasions so much it was doing me no good so I just put up with missing out on the money for my own piece of mind.

Cheers
Jon

hi one and all we have had no trouble with the forms and we claim rental assis, the staff have always been helpful. if you have a prob dont argue just ask for a supervisor straight up, you have to remember that most of the people that the staff have to deal with are pretty awful and rude not nice and relaxed like us nomads so a freindly smile and being happy and freindly goes a long way. one lass told me she was threatened with a tyre iron once. i will say i think that sending a new health care card each time is a bit over the top but if thats there rule thats ok. lyn

lyn-n-ken wrote: 'i will say i think that sending a new health care card each time is a bit over the top but if thats there rule thats ok.' ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We felt the same, Lyn, but on one visit came across someone who knew it could be stopped and spent five to ten minutes finding the right option in the software. Now we don't get a new card every time, only when our card is due to expire. Another time a staffer offered to alter the system so that I no longer have to present an invoice every time I do an editing job; now they just get a copy of my tax return -- I don't actually do enough work to pay tax now anyway, so we don't lose any of our pension. I'll still praise the staff at Centrelink offices, bar the very occasional exception -- but then again, I have a bad day occasionally, too. I guess that Jon and Hylda have just been very unlucky! Andrea

hi andrea
thanks for that info i will get that happening asap, now i know that function is available i will be able to say i know it can be done because someone i know has had it done, that often helps. i think john and hilda should have another go as it does help.
with thanks
regards
lyn