Guide to Completing the Grant Application
The first home owner grant application form has 8 sections. These sections must be completed as follows:
Section 1 – Eligibility Criteria
Answer Questions 1 to 7 by ticking the relevant Yes or No box. The answers are designed to establish whether you meet the eligibility criteria.
Anyone with a relevant interest (refer to ‘Terms Used’) in the property, and any spouse/de facto partner of these people, must be considered when answering these questions.
All decisions relating to the eligibility of an applicant are made by the Commissioner.
In exceptional circumstances, the Commissioner may use discretion relating to the eligibility criteria. Please contact OSR for further information.
Section 2 – Applicant Details
Detail the number of people with a relevant interest. Anyone who has, or will have, a relevant interest in the property must record their details in this section.
If there are more than two applicants, an additional application must be completed and attached to the application form.
If you have a spouse/de facto partner, there are two options. If your spouse/de facto partner is an applicant, he/she must be recorded within this section. If your spouse/de facto partner is not an applicant, he/she is required to complete the details in section 3 of the application form.
Please nominate a postal address for correspondence to be sent on behalf of all applicants.
Section 3 – Spouse/De facto Partner Details
This section must be completed by the applicant in relation to the spouse/de facto partner of the applicant who has not already been specified as an applicant (and therefore will have no relevant interest in the residential property). If this section is required to be completed the spouse/de facto partner must complete the declaration in section 7.
Section 4 – Property and Transaction Details
Provide the current title (Volume and Folio numbers) details of the property. The title number can be obtained from either the Contract for Sale and Purchase, the Transfer of Land document or a title search. If the title number is unavailable, enter the parent title number.
Provide the expected date of occupancy as owner of the home. Estimate this date if you are unsure. To be eligible for the grant an applicant must move into the home and maintain it as their principal place of residence for a continuous period of at least 6 months, commencing within 12 months of completion of the eligible transaction.
Section 5 – Payment Details
Applicants must complete this section only if applying through OSR.
You must nominate an account to receive funds electronically (EFT). The account can belong to a person who is not an applicant.
Payment of the grant will be made into the nominated bank account. Provide details of the name of financial institution, account name, BSB, and account number. Failure to provide correct details will cause delays in payment of the grant.
If you are applying through a FHOG Approved Agent, the agent will record all your payment details.
Section 6 – Declaration by Applicant
All applicants must sign the declaration and must have read and understood all the details completed on the application form.
Section 7 – Declaration by Spouse/De Facto Partner
If an applicant’s spouse/de facto partner is not an applicant, he/she must sign the declaration and must have read and understood all the details completed on the application form as they relate to them.
Section 8 – Supporting Documentation Checklist
Please supply the required documents with your application and tick off the documents attached. Failure to produce the relevant documentation may result in delays in processing.
Penalties
The OSR, as part of its role in administering the First Home Owner Grant Act 2000, conducts ongoing investigations to ensure that applicants comply with the conditions of the Act. If applicants receive the grant when they are not entitled, or do not comply with the residence requirements, penalties and interest may be imposed and the applicant will be ineligible for a future grant in Western Australia. The amount of any penalty which may apply is dependant on the circumstances of each case and is in addition to having to repay the grant. In some circumstances the penalty applied is equal to the amount of the grant received.
Providing incorrect or misleading information in this application
Providing incorrect or misleading information to OSR is a criminal offence. If it is determined that an applicant has provided incorrect or misleading information to obtain, or attempt to obtain the grant, then prosecution action may be commenced.
All applications undergo a rigorous review where applicantsare checked for formerhomeownership in Western Australia and interstate. Other checks intospouse/de facto partner status, council records, title details and finance particulars are undertaken on a routine basis.