Change of Circumstances

You need to advise DVA about significant changes to your ADF service, subsidised property or DHOAS home loan. You fill out the Change of Circumstances form available on this website and forward it to DVA.

If the following events occur, please fill out the Change of Circumstances form and forward it to DVA:

  • a change that affects the way in which your DHOAS Service Credit is calculated. For example, this may include moving to or from the Reserves, no longer providing effective ADF service or separating;
  • a reasonably significant change to the property that is subject to your DHOAS loan, including the destruction of the house or a renovation;
  • if the subsidised property starts to be used - to a reasonably significant extent - for the purpose of carrying on a business, trade or profession;
  • construction is completed on a property over which there is a DHOAS home loan, or a construction loan is discharged;
  • a change in the nature or extent of the interest held in the property by you or your partner;
  • you and your partner or dependents stop occupying the property within 12 months of first receiving the DHOAS subsidy;
  • you change your name (for example, following a marriage);
  • a separation of partners, which results in a change of ownership in the property and/or a change in the mortgagees on the DHOAS home loan;
  • changes to the status of your home loan. Please see "Home Loan Changes" below for full details. 

In most cases but not all, these circumstances may result in your DHOAS assistance having to be re-assessed by DVA.

This could lead to your subsidy payments being changed, including either reduced or ceased (see Subsidy Ceasing Events). 

Caution: Due to changes to the DHOAS Act around breaks in service and the assessment of rejoining members, your entitlement may be affected if you had a break in service of two or more years and returned as a Reserve member prior to 1 July 2008, or you had a break of five or more years and returned as a Permanent member.

You are advised to contact DVA to discuss your DHOAS entitlement prior to making any major changes which could result in a re-assessment of your current subsidy.

Home Loan Changes

You need to advise DVA about any changes to the status of your home loan.

Some of these changes will have no impact on your DHOAS subsidy payments, but we will need to be notified.

When you need to submit a Change of Circumstances form about home loan changes, although there is no impact on your existing DHOAS subsidy payments:

  • you change your DHOAS home loan in some way, but the loan itself is not amended. For example, you transfer your DHOAS home loan between bank branches (that is, same loan, different details);
  • you change your name, and your new name appears on the mortgage
  • where only one loan out of a split loan arrangement is closed, and both loans were open at the time subsidy commenced.
  • where an existing loan remains open and a new loan is opened to create a new split loan arrangement. Note that if the original loan is closed at a later date, your subsidy will cease.  

Events that result in your subsidy ceasing and you need to submit a new application for a Subsidy Certificate to reinstate your payments: 

The following changes to your home loan will result in your current DHOAS subsidy payments being ceased. This is because a new DHOAS home loan is established following these events.

  • you close your current DHOAS home loan and open a new DHOAS home loan (even if you borrow the same amount from the same provider, you retain the same loan account number or you remain living in the same property);
  • you change your existing home loan from a variable interest rate loan to a fixed rate loan, or vice versa;
  • you want to transfer your DHOAS subsidy to another property, even if you retain your current DHOAS home loan;   
  • you increase the amount of your home loan. See "Increasing your DHOAS Home Loan and Subsidy" below for further details.
  • partners separate, which results in a change in the mortgagees on the DHOAS home loan.

To re-start your DHOAS subsidy payments after one of these subsidy-ceasing events, you need to submit a new Application for a Subsidy Certificate form to DVA.

You can forward to DVA your Application for a Subsidy Certificate in advance of the change occurring and we will aim to ensure, where possible, that there is no disruption to your monthly subsidy payments.

Please note that special conditions apply to DHOAS construction loans.

IMPORTANT: Advise DVA of Shift Prior to Posting 

If you are posted and you have to move out of your DHOAS-subsidised home before you meet the 12 month occupancy requirement, it is very important that you use the Change of Circumstances form to advise DVA before you move out.

If advised in advance, DVA will arrange an exemption to the occupancy requirement before you shift to ensure there is no disruption to your subsidy payments.

 

If you wait until after you have moved your subsidy may be ceased or suspended, and you may have to repay any overpayments, until an exemption can be organised. 

 

Impact of Ceasing then Re-starting DHOAS Assistance

If your DHOAS assistance is stopped then re-started on your changed home loan (using a new Subsidy Certificate), this may have an impact on the amount of your monthly subsidy payments.

Your DHOAS home loan balance and the subsidised loan limits that are valid at the time your subsidy payments are restarted will apply. These will be used to determine the amount of your subsidy payment, not your original draw down loan balance or previous years' loan limits.

This may result in receiving a lesser subsidy payment than you did prior to the halt in DHOAS. You will also be required to meet the 12 month occupancy requirement again. 

You are advised to contact DVA to discuss any proposed changes to your home loan to find out the potential impact on your DHOAS assistance.

Increasing your DHOAS Home Loan and Subsidy

If you increase the amount of your DHOAS home loan, you may be eligible to increase your subsidy in line with your higher home loan balance.

You will need to submit to DVA a new Application for a Subsidy Certificate and meet all eligibility requirements and Scheme conditions to receive the higher subsidy payments.

This includes occupying the home for a further 12 months from the time you start receiving the higher DHOAS subsidy payments.

Please note the subsidised loan limits that are valid at the time you receive your first subsidy payment for the increased home loan will apply. You should check for changes to the loan limit amounts for 2009-10. See Review of Subsidised Loan Limits for 2009-10.
 
You will also be required to meet the 12 month occupancy requirement again.

Construction loans

Specific conditions and processes apply to DHOAS construction loans.

Members should note that if you do not complete the construction of the subsidised property within two years of receiving your first DHOAS subsidy, your payments will cease.

When construction is complete and you can meet the occupancy requirements of the Scheme, you will be required to re-submit to DVA a new Application for a Subsidy Certificate to re-start your payments.

On construction loans, where you need to make further draw-downs to continue construction (within the two year period) and wish your subsidy to increase in line with your loan balance, you can submit your request for a new Subsidy Certificate on a Change of Circumstances form rather than completing a new application.