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Reapplying and reassesments

If you sell your DHOAS-subsidised home and/or you close or make changes to your existing DHOAS home loan, you will need to apply to DVA for a new subsidy certificate using the Application for Subsidy Certificate if you want to restart your subsidy payments on the new or amended loan.

You take your new subsidy certificate to your home loan provider, who will advise DVA of your new loan arrangements.

You will also need to send to DVA a completed Subsidy Authorisation Request Form, indicating you are meeting the Scheme conditions. Once this information is received, DVA will recommence your monthly subsidy payments.

The following considerations apply if you are reapplying for DHOAS:

  • Your eligibility and entitlement for DHOAS will be assessed on the DHOAS legislation and policy that apply at the time of your new application.
  • The DHOAS Act was amended, effective from 22 July 2009, and there may be provisions that now apply to your application which did not apply at the time of your first application for a subsidy certificate. See: Breaks in service and rejoining ADF.
  • Your subsidy payments will be calculated on the home loan balance and subsidised loan limit that are valid at the time your payments are restarted. This may result in a change to the amount of your monthly payments. 
  • The 12 month occupancy requirement  is reinstated from the time you receive your first monthly subsidy payment.

 

Potential changes to your DHOAS eligibility

Your eligibility and entitlement to DHOAS can change significantly if your circumstances change.

If you sought information on DHOAS sometime ago or you first applied for benefits early in the Scheme and were advised you were eligible for DHOAS or had a certain level of entitlement, please do not assume this advice remains valid if your circumstances have changed.

Also, there may have been changes to the legislation and/or policy that could impact on your eligibility and entitlement.

You are urged to speak again with a DHOAS assistant or to re-check this website to ensure your understanding of your eligibility and entitlement remains correct.

 

DHOAS Act amendments and rejoining provisions

The DHOAS Act was amended, effective from 22 July 2009, and there may be provisions that now apply to your application which did not apply at the time of your first application for a subsidy certificate.

Before the Act was changed, members who had a break in service then rejoined the ADF as Reservists prior to 1 July 2008 were not subject to the rejoining provisions when their applications for DHOAS subsidy certificates were being assessed (whereas Reservists who rejoined after this date were). The amendment to the Act closed this discrepancy.

If you are one of these members and you are currently receiving a DHOAS subsidy, if you change the status of your DHOAS assistance and you need to reapply to DVA for a subsidy certificate, be aware that your entitlement will become subject to reassessment under the amended Act. If you previously benefited from the rejoining provisions loophole, this reassessment could reduce or even cancel your entitlement. 

You may need to determine if it is better in your circumstance to continue receiving your current DHOAS subsidy (on your existing eligible DHOAS home loan) than it is to reapply, and possibly impact on your future entitlement. 

You are advised to contact DHOAS before making any significant changes to your DHOAS subsidy arrangements.

 

Reapplying and subsidised loan limits

The subsidised loan limits and the balance of your home loan, which are current in the month that your first subsidy payment covers, will remain applicable throughout the life of that home loan for the purpose of determining your DHOAS subsidy payments.

However, this will change if you stop your DHOAS subsidy then restart it on a new or amended DHOAS home loan.

If this occurs, your payments will be calculated on the subsidised loan limits and home loan balance (up to your subsidised loan limit), that are current at the time you restart your DHOAS subsidy payments.

Your subsidy payments will not be calculated on your original home loan balance or previous years' loan limits. This may result in you receiving a different subsidy payment than you did prior to the change in your DHOAS subsidy arrangements.

 

Changes to DHOAS home loans and 12 month occupancy

You will again be required to meet the 12 month occupancy requirement if you close your existing DHOAS home loan and take out another loan, either on a new home or over your existing home. This requirement would take effect from when you start receiving the new round of subsidy payments.

This also applies if you change the nature of your existing DHOAS home loan, for example, if you increased the balance of your loan and you wanted to access a higher subsidy payment.

If you previously received a waiver on the 12 month occupancy, if you close your DHOAS home loan and restart another, or make significant changes to your existing loan, the occupancy waiver will not carry over to the new or changed loan.

Important: Before you close or make changes to your DHOAS home loan you are advised to contact DHOAS for further information, to ensure you understand the impact of these changes.


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