If a pensioner spends more than $258,000 on a retirement village unit — even $1 over that amount — they can lose eligibility for CRA while living in that village.
That threshold sits well below the national average unit price of around $560,000.
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare data also show CRA reliance is rapidly shifting towards older cohorts, with usage among people aged 65 and over up 70 per cent since 2013 — a sign, the Retirement Living Council (RLC) argues, that older Australians are now the fastest-growing group turning to rent assistance to escape homelessness.
And the pressure is building in every state.