Example - Property settlement - beneficiaries

Where a client has separated from their partner and there has not yet been a Property agreement made, you need to work out what accommodation costs to use to calculate Accommodation Supplement.

A client lives in a house where the rent is $200.00 per week. They have just separated from their partner. Their partner is paying $150.00 to the client a week to help with rent while they sort out their accommodation situation.

50% of $200.00 is $100.00. The partner of the client is paying $150.00 dollars towards accommodation costs.

$150.00 - $100.00 = $50.00. The partner is paying $50.00, more than half the accommodation costs. This extra $50.00 is treated as income for the client.

Note in the case of a beneficiary the $50.00 is treated as income against the main benefit only.

The client is paying $200.00 - $150.00 = $50.00. The client's accommodation costs are $50.00.

Accommodation Supplement is now calculated using the appropriate single rate entry threshold. The Accommodation Supplement is based on $50.00 accommodation costs.