The Income Confirmation Service allows the department to communicate directly with Centrelink to receive information about your income and assets for eligibility assessments and rent reviews.
Benefits of the Income Confirmation Service
The Income Confirmation Service is free - there are no charges from the department or Centrelink. Using the service means you do not have to provide evidence of your Centrelink income to us each time your rent or eligibility is reviewed.
Note: if you or any household member participating in the service earns other income such as wages or casual earnings, you will still need to provide evidence of this income to us to complete your review.
You can withdraw from the service at any time by contacting your nearest Housing Service Centre.
Who can use the Income Confirmation Service?
Any household member receiving a Centrelink pension or allowance can use the service. If you only receive Family Tax Benefit or Child Care Benefit from Centrelink, however, you cannot use the service.
Joining the Income Confirmation Service
Complete the Income Confirmation Service Consent Authority form online on our website or from your nearest Housing Service Centre. Do not return this form to Centrelink.
How your review will be completed
If you join the Income Confirmation Service, we will send your details to Centrelink electronically and Centrelink will send your income and assets details directly back to us. This is the same information that appears on your Centrelink Income and Asset Statement.
The information provided by Centrelink may include, where relevant, current or historical details of payments received, dependants, Centrelink deductions, income, assets and confirmation of your current address. The details that Centrelink provides about your Centrelink payments will only be used to assess your eligibility for housing assistance and calculate your rent.
We will ask you for information about other income received if required. When all of the information is received, we will complete the review and advise you in writing of your new rent or your eligibility for housing assistance. Refer to the Your rent fact sheet for further information.
If you don't join the Income Confirmation Service
Joining the service is voluntary. If you choose not to participate, your details are not requested from Centrelink. Each time we review your rent or eligibility, you must provide the department with evidence of all of your household's income and assets including a Centrelink Income Statement for each household member receiving a Centrelink payment and/or employer's declarations for each household member receiving any wages or casual earnings.
Centrelink provides an Online Service so you can download your own Income and Asset Statement. Contact Centrelink on 13 62 40 or www.centrelink.gov.au for more information about this service.
Further information
Please contact your nearest Housing Service Centre.
Also refer to the fact sheets:
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