Below is a breakdown of what's changed and how it may affect you.
Updates to home sale and purchase assistance
Defence offers financial assistance to help you buy and sell a home with the Home Purchase Assistance Scheme (HPAS) and Home Purchase or Sale Expenses Allowance (HPSEA).
You may now get the HPAS one-off payment if you buy a home in either your current or next housing benefit location, or your current family benefit location.
The eligibility criteria for both HPAS and HPSEA are also clearer now, so it's easier for you and your family to understand your benefits and obligations.
Learn more about how Defence can help you buy or sell a home.
Find the updated policy details in Ch 7 Pt 3 Div1A of PACMAN.
Extra recreation leave for members posted overseas during an evacuation
If you’re on a long-term posting overseas and choose to stay in a location where dependants have been offered or directed to evacuate from, you’ll now get an extra 7 days of recreation leave credits. You’ll only get the extra credits if you remain posted to that location and live there for 6 months after the evacuation.
If dependants are allowed to return to the location within those 6 months, the additional recreation leave credits aren’t payable.
Find the updated policy details in Ch 14 Pt 6 Div 1 of PACMAN.
Removal of ADG annual proficiency bonus (APB)
Due to workforce structure changes that have transferred Airfield Defence Guards and Ground Defence Guards into the Security Forces Officer employment category, the Airfield Defence Guard annual proficiency bonus (APB) has been withdrawn.
The Airfield Defence Guard annual proficiency bonus page has been removed from the allowances section of our site, and reference to it has been removed from PACMAN.
Payment of location allowance during recreation leave
If you get a location allowance and take leave at half pay, your location allowance won’t be reduced to half rate with your pay.
The location allowances you get for being posted to a remote location in Australia are:
- ADF district allowance
- Port Wakefield allowance
- Scherger allowance
- allowances paid for service in Antarctica.
Learn more about allowances based on your location.
Find the updated policy details in Ch 5 Pt 4 Div 7 of PACMAN.
Extension of Early Access to Rent Allowance Trial
The Early Access to Rent Allowance Trial has been extended for another posting cycle. The trial is now open to members who have a posting order for the 2025/26 or 2026/27 cycles.
If you’re being posted to a trial location and meet the criteria, you may be able to get your rent allowance approved faster.
Learn more about how to participate in the trial.
Find the updated policy details in Ch 7 Pt 8 Div 1 of PACMAN.
New benchmark schools for overseas education assistance
Education assistance helps you cover any higher costs for your child’s education if they accompany you to an overseas posting location. Approved benchmark schools set the standard and expected costs for education in an overseas location, which affects your benefit amount.
New benchmark schools have now been added for Toronto, Canada, due to higher education costs in the region.
Learn more about education assistance for your child when you’re overseas.
Find the updated policy details in Annex 15.6.A of PACMAN.
Club memberships during overseas postings
Defence may pay for club memberships for you and your dependants to help you play sport and keep fit in some overseas posting locations.
The following clubs have been added to the approved clubs list:
American Club in Dhaka, Bangladesh
Workshop, Bohdan Khmelnitsky in Kyiv, Ukraine.
Learn more about overseas fitness and recreation club memberships.
Find the updated policy details in Ch 15 Pt 8 of PACMAN.
Temporary COVID-19 removal benefits
During the COVID-19 pandemic, ADF members and their resident families who were posted to new locations faced additional costs and challenges due to movement restrictions. Between 2020 and 2021, Defence introduced temporary benefits to support them with the added costs and pressure of relocating during the pandemic.
As COVID-19 movement restrictions are no longer in place, from 2 July 2026, Defence is removing some of the temporary benefits introduced during that time. If you get your Toll Movement Plan Letter (MPL) before 2 July 2026, you may still get the temporary COVID-19 benefits, even if your move happens after that date. If you get your Toll MPL after 2 July 2026, you won’t get the temporary benefits.
In addition to a funded move with Toll, you’ll continue to have access to other benefits if you relocate for a posting of 6 months or more.
These changes will be reflected in Ch 6 Pt 5 Div 2 and Ch 6 Pt 5A Div 2 of PACMAN from 2 July 2026.
