Rent Assistance Letter – Normal Procedure

A mail out to people receiving rent assistance was normal procedure under a formula which has been in operation since 1993, the Minister for Community Services Larry Anthony said today.

Mr Anthony said the letter had been slightly delayed to ensure full and accurate information is provided to people about rent assistance.

He said it does not signify a change in Government policy for rent assistance.

“Several draft letters had been prepared and worked on in recent weeks to determine what would be the most appropriate to send out and that has now been completed.

“I asked that entitlements be double checked before the letter was sent and this is now also in the final stages of completion,” Mr Anthony said.

Mr Anthony said the formula used for rent assistance was introduced by the Keating Labor Government eight years ago and said it was not related in any way to this Government’s tax package.

“Under the Howard Government, all people receiving benefits and allowances will still get more than they received before the 1st of July last year, when CPI increases are calculated.”

Mr Anthony said pensioners over the same period would have received an increase of almost eight- percent in the benefits they