Beginning a relationship or marriage affects many benefits. These benefits help you and your partner manage life in the ADF.
If you've begun a relationship and both you and your partner have children, find out about merged families.
Update your details
To get benefits for your partner:
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Make sure you're categorised as having Your partner and children who live with you. . If not, change your family's categorisation
You only get benefits for your Your partner and child of you or your partner. Your family doesn’t have to live with you to be recognised family. .
If you and your partner are a When you and your partner are both ADF members. and live together, each of you will be considered each other's accompanied resident family.
Housing
You can get housing assistance when you begin a relationship or marriage.
If you own a suitable home in your posting location, you and your partner need to live in it. You won't be eligible for other housing assistance.
You should inform Defence Housing Australia (DHA) within 14 days when you begin a relationship. They can assess your housing options.
Live in a Service residence
Once your relationship's recognised, you and your partner can move into a Service residence if one's available.
If you're a Service couple, only the senior member pays the Service residence contribution.
Live in a home and get rent allowance
You and your partner can get a home in the private rental market and get rent allowance. The exceptions are if you own a suitable home, or there are suitable Service residences available.
If you already get rent allowance, sharing a home with your partner will affect how much you get.
If you live together as a Service couple, only one of you gets rent allowance. The senior member's rank is used to work out how much you get.
Moving homes
You may get a Defence paid move to a suitable home when you begin a relationship or marriage.
If you're staying in living-in accommodation or Member Choice Accommodation, Defence will pay to move you to a suitable home. They may also pay to move some of your partner's personal belongings.
You may be eligible for moving assistance such as temporary accommodation allowance and leave when moving.
Contact Toll Transitions if you need to move when you begin a relationship. They help manage your move.
Moving homes before your relationship is recognised
Defence may pay for your partner's move to your home before your relationship is recognised. You'll need to prove that you share a common household or are planning to marry.
Travel
Your partner may be eligible for a one-way ticket from their location in Australia to your posting location if you:
- get married or have Defence recognise your relationship
- were planning on getting married or having Defence recognise your relationship, but you were posted away before this could happen.
If your partner drives to your location, Defence may pay you a vehicle allowance, up to the amount it would cost for your partner to travel in the Based on where you're travelling to, the types of transport available, the actual cost and the estimated value of your pay and allowances for travel time. .
You can get vehicle allowance for any children that may be travelling with them. You won't get vehicle allowance for yourself if you choose to travel in the same vehicle.
If you marry or begin an ADF-recognised relationship with someone while you are overseas, Defence may pay for their travel in Australia to your Australian posting location.
This would include their travel from the closest international Australian airport which has available direct or indirect flights from the country where they normally live.