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You are here: ABSTUDY > 7
Benefits and Allowances > 7.14 Remote Area Allowance
The Remote Area Allowance (RAA) helps to meet additional costs associated with residence in remote areas. RAA makes a contribution towards some of the higher costs associated with living in particularly remote areas.
To qualify for RAA a student must:
For the purposes of RAA, a remote area is:
For RAA purposes, the following Taxation Zone A areas are NOT remote areas:
A student must be more than 250 kilometres by the shortest practicable surface route from the centre point of the nearest urban centre with a census population of 2,500 or more.
A student can only have one usual place of residence. A student’s usual place of residence is the area where they normally live, sleep and eat.
To change their usual place of residence, a student has to completely abandon the former place of residence.
The following table lists indicators and examples of a student changing or having changed their usual place of residence.
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Property arrangements |
The student owns or rents the home in which they are living. |
|
Family arrangements |
The students’ partner and children live in the area. The customer’s children area enrolled at the local school. |
|
Mailing arrangements |
The student rents a post office box at the local post office. |
|
Financial arrangements |
The student has a bank account with the local bank. |
The following table lists indicators and examples of a student changing or changed their usual place of residence.
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Reason for travelling to the area |
The student cites improved employment prospects, a desire to be close to family, medical or educational facilities as reasons for travelling to the area. |
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Expected length of stay |
The student expects to stay in a place for 1 year. |
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Changes in property arrangements |
The student sells their previous home and leases a home in a new area. |
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Change in family arrangements |
The student’s partner and children have moved, or will move, to the new area. The student’s children are enrolled at the local school in the new area. |
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Changes in mail delivery |
The student rents a post office box in the new area. The student arranges for mail to be redirected to the new area. |
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Changes in financial arrangements |
The student opens a bank account or accounts with a bank branch in the new area. |
It may be difficult for a student who travels frequently to establish a usual place of residence. However, the onus is on the student to provide evidence to support their qualification for RAA.
A student who travels from a residence in one RAA remote area to a residence in a different RAA remote area remains eligible for the RAA.
RAA is paid for the first 8 weeks of a student’s temporary absence from their usual place of residence provided they remain in Australia. To be temporarily absent a student must intend to return to their usual place of residence.
RAA is indirectly income tested on the basis of being in receipt of a DVA or social security pension, allowance or benefit.
In addition to the common notifiable events, students receiving RAA must notify Centrelink within the 14 day notification period, if any of the of the following events occur, or are likely to occur:
RAA is reviewed when a change in the student’s circumstances may affect their:
RAA is also reviewed if a student’s qualification for RAA could not be determined at the time of lodging a claim.
The following table lists the circumstances in which payment of RAA may change.
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Payment of RAA is… |
If… |
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terminated |
the student permanently leaves the Remote Area Allowance remote area |
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suspended |
|
|
varied |
|
Students who meet the eligibility criteria for RAA may receive up to $18.20 per fortnight.
The following are the current maximum rates of RAA per fortnight.
Plus $7.30 per fortnight for each dependent
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This page was
last updated on
Saturday, 23 April 2005
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