Commonwealth Rent Assistance Calculator AU 2026

What this calculator works out

This calculator estimates your fortnightly Commonwealth Rent Assistance (CRA) under the rates effective from 20 March 2026, including:

• The family-type minimum rent threshold (single, single with children, couple, couple with children, single sharer).
• The 75 cents per $1 taper above the threshold.
• The maximum CRA cap for your family type.
• Annual and fortnightly figures.

Numbers come from Services Australia — How much Rent Assistance you can get and the DSS Guide to Social Security Law. This is a general estimate, not a Centrelink determination.

The formula and where the rates come from

CRA is calculated as:

rent above threshold  = max(0, fortnightly rent − minimum threshold)
raw CRA               = rent above threshold × 75%
fortnightly CRA       = min(raw CRA, maximum CRA for family type)
annual CRA            = fortnightly CRA × 26

Approximate rates from 20 March 2026:

Family type	Min rent threshold	Maximum CRA
Single, no children	$146.00	$219.40
Single with 1-2 children	$192.36	$257.74
Single with 3+ children	$192.36	$291.48
Couple, no children (combined)	$237.00	$206.80
Couple with 1-2 children	$284.62	$257.74
Couple with 3+ children	$284.62	$291.48
Single sharer	$146.00	$146.27

Eligibility: You must be receiving a qualifying income-support payment (Age Pension, JobSeeker, Parenting Payment, DSP, Youth Allowance, Austudy, ABSTUDY, Carer Payment or DVA Service Pension), or you must receive more than the base rate of Family Tax Benefit Part A. CRA is not paid to people in public housing run by a state or territory housing authority.

How to read the inputs

• Family type — choose the closest match to your circumstances. "Couple" rates are combined for the household; only one CRA payment is made per couple.
• Fortnightly rent — total rent paid per fortnight, including board if you board (75% of board is treated as rent for boarders). Convert weekly rent by multiplying by approximately 2.17 (26/12). Convert monthly rent by multiplying by 12/26 ≈ 0.46.

Sharer rule: You are a single sharer (and receive two-thirds of the single rate) if you are over 21, single, without dependent children, and you share accommodation with someone who is not your partner or a close relative. You are not a sharer if you live alone, share only with your dependent children, or share with a person who has substantial care of one of your dependent children.

Worked examples

1. Single JobSeeker recipient renting a studio at $300/fn. Threshold $146 → over by $154 → CRA = $154 × 75% = $115.50/fn ($3,003/yr).

2. Same person, rent $400/fn. Threshold $146 → over by $254 → CRA = $254 × 75% = $190.50/fn ($4,953/yr).

3. Same person, rent $600/fn. Threshold $146 → over by $454 → CRA = $454 × 75% = $340.50, capped at $219.40/fn ($5,704.40/yr). Once rent exceeds about $438/fn, the cap binds.

4. Single Age Pensioner with two school-age children, rent $500/fn. Threshold $192.36 → over by $307.64 → CRA = $307.64 × 75% = $230.73/fn ($5,998.98/yr).

5. Couple on Age Pension, no children, rent $400/fn. Threshold $237 → over by $163 → CRA = $163 × 75% = $122.25/fn ($3,178.50/yr) for the couple combined.

6. Single sharer in a 3-bedroom house, paying $300/fn for own room. Threshold $146 → over by $154 → raw CRA = $115.50, under sharer cap of $146.27 → $115.50/fn. The sharer rate caps at $146.27 (≈ two-thirds of $219.40).

7. Family of 5 (two adults, three children) on FTB Part A, rent $800/fn. Couple with 3+ children → threshold $284.62 → over by $515.38 → raw CRA = $386.54, capped at $291.48/fn ($7,578.48/yr).

Common pitfalls

• Public housing. CRA is not paid for tenancies in state or territory public housing. Community housing tenants may be eligible — check with your provider.
• Below threshold. If your rent is below the minimum threshold, you receive no CRA. The threshold for a single with no children ($146/fn) is roughly $73/week — most renters comfortably exceed it, but boarders may not.
• Two CRA payments per couple. A couple receives a single CRA payment, paid as one amount or split between partners. The maximum is the couple maximum, not double the single maximum.
• Sharer test. Many young single people miss the sharer designation. If you share a kitchen and bathroom with a non-relative non-partner, you are likely a sharer and receive two-thirds of the single max.
• Boarders and lodgers. If you pay board (rent + meals + services), 75% of the board amount is treated as rent for CRA purposes. The remaining 25% is treated as the cost of the meals/services and is excluded.
• Indexation. Rates change on 20 March and 20 September each year. Always check current Services Australia figures before lodging an estimate.
• Family Tax Benefit overlap. Single principal carers receiving FTB Part A above the base rate get CRA via FTB rather than the income-support payment. The calculation is identical but the payment route differs.
• Not automatically claimed. CRA is not always automatically paid when you start receiving an income-support payment — you usually need to update your circumstances in myGov / Centrelink with your rent and tenancy details.

Related calculators

• JobSeeker Payment Calculator — most CRA recipients also receive JobSeeker.
• Age Pension Calculator — non-homeowner Age Pensioners are typically eligible.
• Parental Leave Pay Calculator — PPL recipients on FTB Part A may also be eligible.
• HECS-HELP Repayment Calculator — for students on Youth Allowance / Austudy with rent.
• Take Home Pay Calculator (AU) — net employment income to compare with rent affordability.

Sources:

• Services Australia — Rent Assistance
• Services Australia — How much Rent Assistance you can get
• Services Australia — When you can get Rent Assistance
• DSS — Guide to Social Security Law: Rent Assistance
• AIHW — Housing assistance in Australia