First Home Buyers · June 2026 · 7 min read
HPAS is one of the most useful financial tools available to eligible ADF members buying their first home, yet most never hear about it. Here's how it works, who qualifies, and how it stacks with other entitlements.
Photo: Pancakedrawer, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
If you are serving in the Australian Defence Force and thinking about buying your first home, there is a good chance you have not heard of HPAS. Most people have not. It does not get the same airtime as the First Home Owner Grant or stamp duty exemptions, but for eligible ADF members it is one of the most useful financial tools available when buying property.
HPAS stands for the Home Purchase Assistance Scheme. It is a one off lump sum grant from the Department of Defence designed to help ADF members cover the upfront costs of buying or building their first home in their current posting location.
The current amount is $16,949 before tax. It is treated as taxable income, so your actual take home amount will depend on your marginal tax rate. Most members receive around $11,800 after tax.
This is not a loan. It does not need to be repaid. It is paid after settlement once your claim is approved through Defence payroll.
One thing worth knowing: HPAS is not paid at settlement. It can take up to 16 weeks to land in your account. Most settlements happen within four to six weeks, so if you are relying on HPAS for your deposit, you need to plan around this carefully before you sign contracts.
To be eligible you must be a permanent member of the ADF. Reservists are not eligible unless on continuous full time service for at least 12 months.
Full eligibility requirements:
You must purchase in your current posting locality. You cannot buy in a city you prefer or an investment market you like the look of and expect HPAS to apply. The property needs to be where you are actually posted. This is a hard requirement, not a guideline.
After the 12 month occupancy requirement is met, you may rent the property out and retain the HPAS benefit. So buying in your posting location does not mean you are locked out of using the property as an investment down the track.
The grant can be used toward any upfront costs associated with the purchase including:
This is where it gets genuinely powerful. HPAS does not cancel out other first home buyer entitlements.
HPAS can be combined with DHOAS, where HPAS assists with buying while DHOAS provides an ongoing mortgage subsidy. You can estimate your DHOAS entitlement using the official DHOAS subsidy calculator. HPAS can also be combined with HPSEA, which reimburses specific buying and selling costs such as agent fees and stamp duty. And it can be combined with the First Home Owner Grant, with HPAS having no impact on state based first home buyer schemes.
Stack HPAS, FHOG, stamp duty relief and DHOAS together and the financial picture for an eligible first home buying ADF member looks very different to what most people assume going in. Our borrowing power calculator is a useful starting point for sense checking how the additional deposit support changes your numbers.
You complete and submit Form AC970 through the Defence Protected Network Forms portal or ServiceConnect on DPN. Extensions of up to 12 months are available for delays beyond your control, subject to approval by the ADF Delegations team.
For current eligibility, occupancy requirements, payment timing and repayment conditions, read Defence’s official Home Purchase Assistance Scheme (HPAS) guidance.
Mostly because nobody joins these dots for them at the right time. These entitlements sit across different departments and different application processes. HPAS comes through Defence. FHOG comes through your state revenue office. DHOAS is administered through selected lenders. Stamp duty exemptions depend on your state and purchase price.
None of them automatically notify you when you are eligible. You have to know to ask.
Start the conversation early. Understanding which entitlements you qualify for before you start looking at properties means you can factor the full picture into your deposit planning and borrowing strategy rather than finding out after the fact that money was on the table you did not know about. Get in touch with a Vairo broker for a confidential first home buyer review, or see how we work with first home buyers.
DHOAS disclaimer: We are unable to confirm your eligibility for DHOAS. For full eligibility criteria, visit dhoas.gov.au or call 1300 434 627.
The information in this article is general in nature and does not take into account your personal circumstances. Speak with a qualified mortgage broker before making lending decisions.
HPAS enquiry
We can discuss your deposit, loan options and purchase timing. HPAS eligibility is determined by Defence.
Please do not include service numbers, identity documents or other sensitive information.
Defence member lending
We can discuss your deposit, loan options and purchase timing. HPAS eligibility is determined by Defence.
