The principal home has the meaning given by subsection 5LA(1) of the VEA and subsection 5LA(2) of the VEA. The principal home of a person is generally the place in which they reside. In certain circumstances, however, the principal home of a person can be the place in which they formerly resided. The following property is regarded as part of the principal home.

• the residence itself (e.g. house, flat, caravan),
• permanent fixtures (e.g. stoves, built-in heaters, dish-washers, light fittings and affixed carpets),
• [glossary:curtilage:DEF/Curtilage] (i.e. two hectares or less of private land around the home where the private land use test has been satisfied, or all land held on the same title as the person's principal home where the extended land use test has been satisfied), or

•       any garage, shed, tennis court or swimming pool used primarily for private purposes provided it is on the same title as the principal home.

One element of the means test for income support pensions whereby the rate of pension payable to a pensioner reduces progressively as their assets increase above a certain threshold known as the assets value limit (AVL).

The private land use test is applied to all income support recipients with private land of two hectares or less adjacent to the principal home as described in section 5LA(3) of the VEA, or with land of more than two hectares adjacent to the principal home when they fail the extended land use test.

The extended land use test is applied to income support recipients of veteran [glossary:pension age:DEF/Pension Age] whose [glossary:principal home:DEF/Principal home] is on a property of more than [glossary:two hectares:DEF/Two Hectares] as described in [glossary:section 5LA(4):] of the VEA.