RAN Relief Trust Fund

This page gives a brief outline of the RANRTF. Brochures can be obtained from RAN units.

The Royal Australian Navy Relief Trust Fund was known as the Royal Australian Naval Families First Relief Fund from its inception in 1913 until 1917, when it was re-titled the Royal Australian Naval Relief Fund. The present name stems from the enactment of the Services Trust Funds Act 1947-50.

The fund came into being as a consequence of the suffering caused to naval families due to the effects of war. The fund was established to provide benevolent assistance to sailors and/or their families who as a consequence of the sailor’s incapacitation or death were left wanting financially.

Until 1953, the fund operated as a charity with funding coming almost entirely from donations by the public. In 1953 the nature of the fund changed dramatically when the RAN Central Canteens Board commenced transferring Ł10,000 annually. These transfers put the RTF on a secure financial footing and enabled the fund to commence interest free furniture and housing loans in 1954.

Each Ship and Establishment has a Relief Trust Fund Officer. The Board of Trustees can delegate certain powers and functions to Agents. Agents in turn appoint a Relief Trust Fund Officer through whom all Loan applications are to be made. The Commanding Officer of each HMA Ship in commission that carries a Supply Officer is a delegated Agent. For HMA Ships without a Supply Officer, the RTF Officer appointed by the Agent of the ship’s parent establishment is responsible for the processing of all loans for the ship. Information on Loans can be obtained from your Relief Trust Fund Officer.

Loans are made for a wide variety of reasons and are to be made through the Relief Trust Fund Officer. Loan applications received direct from members will be returned for processing by the member's Relief Trust Fund Officer. The Relief Trust Fund Officer will explain all conditions which apply to these loans.

Build or purchase own home (excluding investment property)
Make substantial deposits and thereby reduce charges on approved goods purchased on terms
Make additions, alteration or necessary repairs to a home owned by member
Pay legal expenses incurred in connection with purchase of own home, or loans where no entitlement to HPSEA exists
Purchase land on which to build own home
Purchase new or second hand furniture
Make sewerage connection

The following categories of loans may also be considered under certain circumstances. Please see the Relief Trust Fund Officer to see if you qualify:

Medical, Dental and Hospital expenses
Legal expenses Marriage expenses
Miscellaneous expenses
Reunion travel expenses

Loans for the purchase of motor vehicles
Loans for sporting and excercise equipment
Housing or furniture loans related to an investment property

All members are to repay loans before discharge
Loans are normally approved and paid within two working days
Borrowers may elect to repay their loan at a higher rate
Only one loan at a time may be taken out
All information held on members is treated with the utmost discretion, and is not passsed on to third parties without the borrowers written consent.

The Relief Trust Fund only has limited funding at its disposal for all of the services provided. In order to ensure that as many members as possible can obtain a loan an upper limit has to be enforced.

The Trustees have a legal responsibility to ensure that loans are used for the purpose they have been approved for. As it is administratively impossible to request receipts for each loan approved, they randomly select loans that have to be justified with a receipt as a condition of that loan.

If you have been selected to provide a receipt as one of the loan conditions and you failed to do that, you will be declared a person ineligible to receive a loan. Additionally, you may also be declared ineligible if it is deemed that you have abused the service provided or have used the loan for a purose other than that applied for.

Why do I have to give my address when I apply for a housing or furniture loan?

This is to check that the items applied for are not intended for an investment property. Loans for investment properties fall outside the scope of the Relief Trust Fund.

The loan repayment rates when determined were a percentage of salary, and officers inherantly had higher salaries. The Trustees have not increased any repayments in recent years.

As wardrooms do not contribute to the Canteen Levy of the Central Canteens Fund and thus do not directly supplement the amount of funds available for loans to members, a waiting time penalty was introduced. A levy from wardrooms is being examined. In the meantime, all loan applications are processed upon receipt.