Mismatch of accommodation income and accommodation costs
Clients must tell MSD when:
- they start getting rent, board or contributions from additional occupants or
- there is a change in the rent, board or contribution amount they get, or
- their accommodation costs change
When clients can be matched
When a client declares the rent, board or additional occupant contributions they get, or the accommodation costs they pay, MSD will check the details match between two clients when:
- a head tenant or homeowner client and their renter or boarder client both get Accommodation Supplement, Temporary Additional Support, and/or Special Benefit, or
- a social housing tenant who pays Income Related Rent gets contributions from a client who lives with them and that client gets Accommodation Supplement, Temporary Additional Support, and/or Special Benefit
Moving house
When a client moves house, it is possible for there to be two separate mismatches at the same time. For example, when the client is a boarder and their previous landlord pays Income Related Rent and their new landlord gets Accommodation Supplement. In this case, there could be a mismatch process for the client and their old landlord and a mismatch process for the client and their new landlord.
Mismatch process
When there is a mismatch of the accommodation type or amounts, the mismatch process below must be followed.
Step one - Mismatch identified
A mismatch of information will be identified when a client's accommodation type or amount differs from what a client who is a head tenant or homeowner has declared they are getting, or a renter or boarder has declared they are paying.
MSD must try to contact both clients within one working day of identifying the mismatch to check and confirm the correct details.
If one or both clients are uncontactable within one working day, but a message is left for the client/s to make contact, MSD must consider whether it is reasonable to allow the one working day to lapse before moving to the next step in the process.
When one or both clients have been contacted, and it is clear the mismatch cannot be resolved within one working day, or one or both clients are uncontactable and a message cannot be left, MSD can continue to the next step in the process.
Note the one working day ends on the close of the working day following the day the mismatch is identified.
Example:
Englebert lives with Alphonse, and they both get Accommodation Supplement and Temporary Additional Support. Englebert pays his rent to Alphonse who owns the property. On Wednesday 6 May, Englebert advises MSD his rent will be increasing from $350 per week to $360 per week from next Monday. Alphonse has not yet advised MSD of this change.
On Thursday 7 May (within one working day of identifying the payment amount mismatch), MSD contacts Englebert to confirm he intended to declare a change in his rent amount.
Alphonse contacts MSD later that day to advise that Englebert's rent will be increasing to $360 from next Monday.
MSD updates both clients' payments from next Monday and the mismatch has been resolved.
Step two - Notification of mismatch
When the mismatch is not resolved within one working day after it was identified, MSD must notify both clients of the mismatch and advise they have 10 working days to resolve it. MSD will also advise if the mismatch is not resolved within 10 working days after the date of notification, any Accommodation Supplement, Temporary Additional Support, and/or Special Benefit will be suspended from the 11th working day.
If the client is a social housing tenant, they will be notified that the Income Related Rent will be set to market rent if they have not resolved the mismatch within 10 working days after the date of notification.
Note the 10 working days starts from the day after the letter is sent.
Step three - Response to the notification of mismatch
Contact from client/s and mismatch resolved within 10 working days
When the client/s make contact and confirm the correct details within 10 working days, the details should be updated and any assistance reviewed accordingly. This means the mismatch is now resolved.
No contact from client/s
When one or both clients don't make contact within 10 working days to confirm their rent, board or additional occupant contribution payment information, the mismatch is unable to be resolved, and both clients Accommodation Supplement, Temporary Additional Support, and/or Special Benefit must be suspended.
If the client is a social housing tenant and the mismatch is not resolved, MSD will notify the housing provider that the client's Income Related Rent must be set to market rent for the property. Community Housing Providers have a discretion not to set the client's rent to the market rent rate. The standard 60-day notice period will apply.
Example:
Astrid and Rex live together, and Rex pays board to Astrid. They both get Accommodation Supplement and Temporary Additional Support as non-beneficiaries.
Astrid receives a mandatory review for her Accommodation Supplement and Temporary Additional Support. On Tuesday 9 June, she responds before her review due date confirming that she receives $10 more in board from Rex. The new amount is different from what MSD holds for Rex. MSD checks with Astrid on Wednesday 10 June (within one working day of identifying the mismatch) to see if she advised of the increase in error. She confirms the increase is correct.
On Wednesday 10 June, MSD tries contacting Rex to confirm the new rate, but he doesn't respond. On Thursday 11 June (after the one working day has lapsed), MSD sends both Astrid and Rex notification of the mismatch and provides 10 working days to resolve it and advise MSD. Rex does not respond to the request for information by close of day Tuesday 23 June (within 10 working days).
MSD suspends Rex's Accommodation Supplement and Temporary Additional Support from Wednesday 24 June (11th working day). Astrid's Accommodation Supplement and Temporary Additional Support is also suspended from Wednesday 24 June as MSD cannot verify the information she has declared is correct.
If Rex does not respond within 8 weeks, both Astrid and Rex's Accommodation Supplement and Temporary Additional Support will be cancelled.
Disputes
If both clients can't reach an agreement or provide the requested evidence within 10 working days from being notified of the mismatch, both clients' Accommodation Supplement, Temporary Additional Support, and/or Special Benefit must be suspended.
If the client is a social housing tenant and they can't reach an agreement or provide the requested evidence within 10 working days from being notified of the mismatch, MSD will notify the housing provider that the client's Income Related Rent must be set to market rent for the property. Community Housing Providers have a discretion not to set the client's rent to the market rent rate. The standard 60-day notice period will apply.
If both clients agree and/or provide evidence confirming the correct rent, board or additional occupant contribution payment information while the assistance is suspended or Income Related Rent is at the market rent rate, the details should be updated and any assistance resumed and reviewed accordingly.
For more information see:
If the mismatch has not been resolved within 8 weeks of being suspended, the Accommodation Supplement, Temporary Additional Support, and/or Special Benefit will be cancelled.
In this case, clients can reapply for the Accommodation Supplement, Temporary Additional Support, and/or Special Benefit, however if both clients apply and the same mismatch of information is identified, the disputes process will start again.
Legislation
- Obligations in relation to discrepancies in information received relevant to housing assistance section 108A Social Security Act 2018
- Beneficiary must notify change of circumstances section 113 Social Security Act 2018
- Review of entitlement and rate payable section 304 Social Security Act 2018
- Information for review section 305 Social Security Act 2018
- No entitlement, or entitlement only at a different rate section 306 Social Security Act 2018
