How to Stack DHOAS, HPAS and the First Home Buyer Grants in Queensland & Victoria (2026)

Can you stack the Defence schemes with the civilian first home buyer grants?

Yes. The Defence housing benefits (DHOAS, HPAS and HPSEA) and the civilian first home buyer schemes sit in separate eligibility silos, so an eligible ADF member can use both at once. The civilian stack — the 5% Deposit Scheme with no Lenders Mortgage Insurance, the $30,000 Queensland or $10,000 Victorian First Home Owner Grant on a new build under $750,000, the $0 Queensland stamp duty exemption on new builds, and the First Home Super Saver Scheme — reduces what you need to get in. On top of that, DHOAS subsidises your monthly repayments for up to 20 years and HPAS adds a one-off $16,949.

By Chaice Paterson, CEO & Founder, Low Deposit Homes | Updated June 2026

Most ADF members know DHOAS by name. Far fewer realise they can combine it with HPAS, the First Home Owner Grant, the 5% Deposit Scheme and a full stamp duty exemption — all on the same first home. The reason is simple: the Defence benefits run through DVA and Defence, the first home buyer grants run through the states and the federal housing scheme, and nothing officially adds them together. So here it is, added together. For a serving first home buyer purchasing a new build near their base, the stack works on three separate levers: schemes that cut your entry cost (deposit, stamp duty, grant), a payment that adds upfront cash (HPAS), and a subsidy that cuts your ongoing repayment (DHOAS). Used together, an eligible member can enter the market with a fraction of the usual deposit and a materially lower monthly cost. Below are worked Queensland and Victorian examples.

The two buckets, and why they stack

The whole strategy rests on one fact: the civilian schemes and the Defence schemes sit in separate eligibility silos. Qualifying for DHOAS doesn’t reduce your First Home Owner Grant. Claiming HPAS doesn’t affect the 5% Deposit Scheme. They’re administered by different bodies for different reasons, so an eligible member can hold them at once:

Civilian bucket (every eligible first home buyer): – 5% Deposit Scheme — 5% deposit, no LMI – First Home Owner Grant — $30,000 QLD (locked in until mid-2030) / $10,000 VIC, new builds under $750,000 – Stamp duty exemption — $0 QLD (new build, no cap); VIC full exemption under $600,000 dutiable value – First Home Super Saver Scheme — up to $50,000 of voluntary super toward your deposit

Defence bucket (eligible ADF members): – DHOAS — ongoing monthly subsidy on the loan – HPAS — one-off $16,949 before tax (permanent members) – HPSEA — reimbursement of posting-driven buy/sell costs

Worked example 1 — Queensland, near RAAF Amberley

Illustrative. A serving permanent member, Tier 1 DHOAS, buying a new $850,000 house-and-land package in the Ipswich corridor.

Item	Effect
Package price	$850,000
Deposit via 5% Deposit Scheme	~$42,500 (instead of $170,000 at 20%)
Lenders Mortgage Insurance	$0 (5% Scheme removes it)
Stamp duty (QLD FHB, new build)	$0
First Home Owner Grant	Package over $750,000, so not available on this one — see the sub-$750K example below
HPAS (post-settlement)	+$16,949 before tax toward the loan
Approx. cash to get in	~$46,500 (deposit + costs), before HPAS lands
DHOAS (ongoing)	Monthly subsidy on the loan, ~$490/month at Tier 1 (rate-dependent), calculated up to the $413,690 limit

So this member gets in for roughly $46,500 rather than the ~$200,000+ a 20%-deposit buyer would need — then receives HPAS as a post-settlement boost and an ongoing DHOAS subsidy reducing the repayment for years. On the loan size (~$807,500), a Tier 1 subsidy applies to the first $413,690; stepping up to Tier 2 or Tier 3 with service widens that subsidised portion considerably.

Worked example 2 — Queensland sub-$750K (grant included)

Illustrative. Same member, a $740,000 new-build package in the Ipswich or Logan corridor.

Deposit (5% Scheme): ~$37,000, no LMI
Stamp duty: $0 (QLD FHB new build)
First Home Owner Grant: $30,000 (locked in until mid-2030) — applies because the package is under $750,000
HPAS: +$16,949 before tax post-settlement
DHOAS: ongoing monthly subsidy
Net cash to get in: roughly $41,000 deposit + costs, less the $30,000 grant — bringing genuine out-of-pocket down sharply, before HPAS

This is the sweet spot when a package fits under the $750,000 grant cap: the grant and HPAS together can offset most of the deposit, and DHOAS reduces the repayment on top.

Worked example 3 — Victoria, near RAAF Williams (Melbourne west / Melton)

Illustrative. A serving member buying a $700,000 new build in Melbourne’s western corridor.

Deposit (5% Scheme): ~$35,000, no LMI
First Home Owner Grant (VIC): $10,000 (new build under $750,000)
Stamp duty (VIC): land-only dutiable value at construction-stage signing; under the $600,000 threshold a full exemption typically applies — often $0 or close to it
HPAS: +$16,949 before tax post-settlement
DHOAS: ongoing monthly subsidy
Net cash to get in: roughly $35,000 + ~$4,000 costs − $10,000 grant ≈ $29,000, before HPAS

At around $29,000 net cash before HPAS even lands, a Melbourne-west new build is one of the lowest Defence first-home entry points in the country — and the HPAS payment afterward can wipe out a big chunk of that.

A word on serviceability (the honest part)

Every one of these schemes reduces your deposit or your costs — none of them reduces the loan you have to service. DHOAS lowers your effective repayment, but the bank still assesses the full loan against your income, generally capped around 6.5x a single income (lower with dependants). A defence-savvy lender will factor your stable service income and allowances correctly — many lenders treat ADF income and allowances favourably — but the loan still has to fit your capacity. We get your full bank approval before placing you on any package, so you’re shopping with real numbers, not hopeful ones, and we link you up with the banks or brokers who’ll handle your application.

Frequently asked questions

Can I really use DHOAS, HPAS and the First Home Owner Grant all at once? If you’re eligible for each, yes — they’re administered separately and don’t cancel each other out. Eligibility for each is assessed on its own rules.

Which gives me the most money? They do different jobs. The grant and HPAS are upfront dollars; the 5% Scheme and stamp duty exemption cut your entry cost; DHOAS is ongoing. The combined effect is the point — not any single one.

Does HPAS count as part of my deposit? Generally no — it’s usually paid after settlement, so it works as a post-purchase boost (often an early loan reduction) rather than deposit funds. Plan your deposit around the 5% Scheme and your savings/FHSSS.

What if my package is over $750,000? You lose the First Home Owner Grant (which caps at $750,000) but keep the 5% Deposit Scheme, the Queensland stamp duty exemption (no cap), HPAS and DHOAS. In the Ipswich corridor, where packages run $830,000–$1 million, that’s the usual position — still a powerful stack.

Do I have to buy near my base? No — but HPAS and HPSEA are tied to your posting location, so buying in your posting area is often what keeps those benefits in play. We build across Queensland and Victoria and match you to your posting.

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Low Deposit Homes operates under Winning Homes Australia Pty Ltd (ACN 633 321 758). All figures illustrative, current as at June 2026; DHOAS subsidy values move with interest rates, grant/scheme rules and caps change, and individual eligibility varies. General information only, not financial or credit advice — finance is arranged through licensed brokers. Confirm Defence entitlements with DVA and the Department of Defence.