Change in circumstances

Generally, clients must tell MSD within 14 calendar days of any change in their circumstances or their family's situation that may affect their calculated rate of Income Related Rent. This includes changes to assessable income, additional occupant contributions and the people living in the property.

It is the client's responsibility to advise the change in circumstances of all applicable people. This includes changes in the client's circumstances or their partner's circumstances.

Generally, clients waiting to be allocated social housing must advise us straight away of any change in their circumstances that may affect their eligibility for social housing or the particular property they need.

All tenants in social housing also generally have a duty to advise us straight away of any change in their circumstances that may affect their continued eligibility for social housing or need for the particular property they are renting.

Note clients do not need to advise MSD when they get, or have a change to information share Child Support payments.

When an applicable person has a change in circumstance MSD will need to decide whether the change affects the rate of Income Related Rent.

The change in circumstance may result in a change to the household type, additional occupant contributions or the assessable income - which may in turn affect the rate of Income Related Rent calculated.

The client may be contacted to confirm their circumstances.

If the client's circumstances:

• can be confirmed, a decision may be made to not change the rate of Income Related Rent as a change to the rate would not make a material difference
• can be confirmed, a decision may be made to increase or decrease the rate of Income Related Rent
• cannot be confirmed, a decision may be made whether to increase the rate of Income Related Rent to the market rent rate

Note not all changes in circumstances affect the calculation of the rate of Income Related Rent, for example:

• if the tenant has 3 dependent children and 1 leaves care, this would not result in a change to the tenant's household type
• if the tenant's last dependent child turns 18 and is no longer continuing in education or financially dependent, this would result in a change to the tenant's household type

From 1 July 2023, most types of Child Support are included as assessable income when calculating the rate of Income Related Rent.

For tenants in social housing, only Child Support that covers a payment or liability period on or after 1 July 2023 is included as assessable income when calculating the rate of Income Related Rent.

Child Support is only included as assessable income at their next Income Related Rent annual review or unrelated change in circumstances on or after 1 July 2023.