5.2.1 Eligibility for Remote Area Allowance (RAA)

Last amended: 5 January 2006

Eligibility criteria for RAA

To be eligible to receive RAA, a person must:

• be receiving a service pension or income support supplement at a rate greater than nil, and    
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  Section 5.2.2 Payment of RAA

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• have their usual place of residence situated in a remote area, and    
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  Section 5.2.4 Usual Place of Residence

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• be physically present in the remote area, or     
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  Section 5.2.3 Determining if a Residence is in a Remote Area

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• be temporarily absent from the remote area for less than 8 weeks.

Child eligibility

The rate of RAA payable to a person is increased by the child rate per fortnight for each child a person has if:

• the child meets the definition of a FTB child under the Family Assistance Act 1999, and
• the child is in Australia (not necessarily in the remote area), or
• the child is temporarily absent from Australia and the absence has been less than 8 weeks

RAA remains payable to a person in respect of an FTB child for a period of 14 weeks after the death of the child.

Temporary absence from remote area

A person who is receiving RAA and who is temporarily absent from an identified remote area, remains eligible for payment of RAA for the first eight weeks of the absence. If additional RAA is paid in respect of a child, Commission may extend eligibility for RAA beyond the normal 8 week period under special circumstances.

Your obligations if you receive the Remote Area Allowance

You need to tell us within 28 days of the event if:

• your dependent child dies; or
• you are absent from your permanent address for more than 8 weeks;
• you move from your present address; or
• you or your child go overseas.