VIC Misleading and Deceptive Conduct? - Mental health SIL rent

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withrat

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27 May 2020
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Hey,

I live in a facility called a SIL (Supported Independent Living) for mental health reasons, run by a mental health service. When I moved in, I was told that rent was %30 of my gross income, stated as fact. I never got a copy of what I had signed until recently when I asked, because I had noticed that they were taking more than %30 out. They then told me that it’s %30 plus %100 of rental assistance, which ends up being more like %37 of gross income. I was never told that they would take more than %30 of gross income. And the document that I had signed states nothing about percentages of gross income just the fortnightly lump sum.

I also overheard staff say the same to other residents moving in.
I had to move into this facility due to poor mental health and needed ongoing 24hr support, I was in a position where I trusted that when they said %30 of gross income, they meant it.

Is this misleading and deceptive conduct?

Thanks for taking the time to read this,
Dan
 

Rob Legat - SBPL

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It’s hard to tell without more information, and an overall consideration of all the supports you’re receiving.

Next, rent assistance is a non-taxable income supplement - so it may not be considered ‘income‘.

There are rules around the setting of fees, communication quotes, and consulting with recipients. I suggest reading this as a starting point: https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&...entation.pdf&usg=AOvVaw2BA_-sxzHjsEprEmxj1KXE
 
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Tim W

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28 April 2014
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Your "gross income" is everything you get,
from every source, added up into one number.
Then the fee would be 30% of that.