Employees whose working hours have reduced under the latest COVID-19-related lockdowns in South Australia and Victoria can apply for up to $600 in income support payments from the end of this week.
Victorian employees who have lost between 8 and 40 hours work due to the lockdown impacting their employment in areas like Hamilton, Warrnambool, Colac or Camperdown, as announced on 16 July, will be able to apply for the COVID-19 Disaster Payment from this Friday, 23 July.
South Australian workers impacted by the lockdown announced yesterday, including those in Mount Gambier, Naracoorte and Millicent, will be able to apply by early to mid next week.
All applications for the COVID-19 Disaster Payment must be made via an individual’s myGov account, which will need to be linked to Centrelink. If you are still to do this, and aren’t sure how, you are advised to contact Centrelink to investigate how this can be done.
What other details surround this latest round of income support? And how does it impact other support payments the Government has made available? The questions we are hearing the most from our impacted clients are answered below:
WHEN CAN I APPLY FOR THIS PAYMENT?
Victorians can apply from this Friday, 23 July 2021.
South Australians can apply from next week – the Prime Minister has indicated the system will be ready for South Australian applications on 28 July 2021.
HOW DO I KNOW IF I AM ELIGIBLE FOR THIS ROUND OF SUPPORT?
To be eligible to receive the COVID-19 Disaster Payment, you must be:
- An Australian resident or hold a visa that gives you the right to work in Australia
- Aged 17 years or older
- Living, working or have visited a Commonwealth-declared COVID-19 hotspot, or area in lockdown during applicable dates. (which can be found on the Services Australia website here.)
- Unable to have earned your usual income of eight hours or more, or a full day’s work because you were located or work in this hotspot or locked-down area.
You also
- Can’t be receiving an income support payment, such as Youth Allowance, JobSeeker, the Age Pension, Austudy, Carer payment, Disability Support Pension, or other Centrelink-issued income support.
- Cannot be already receiving the Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment, which is the payment available to anyone having to isolate under current health orders (more on that below).
WHAT AM I ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE?
How much you receive will depend on the amount of work per week you have lost.
If you’re eligible, you’ll get $375 for each relevant period if you lost either:
- Between 8 and less than 20 hours of work per week
- A full day of your usual work hours per week.
If you lost 20 hours or more of work per week, you’ll get $600 for each relevant period – provided of course that you are eligible.
LET’S SAY I AM ELIGIBLE. WHEN WILL I GET THE MONEY?
The payment is retrospective – you will receive it after every 7 days of lockdown, based on the prior 7 days.
It’s being set up so that employees in each State can make their claim at the end of the week of lockdown. Payments will then be made in arrears. Payments in New South Wales have been quick to hit applicants’ accounts – it’s been a matter of a few days between submitting an application and receiving the funds. The Federal Government today indicated that the Victorian and South Australian payments shouldn’t be any different.
IF THE LOCKDOWN GOES ON FOR LONGER, DO I NEED TO KEEP APPLYING?
No. If lockdowns are extended, any following payments will be made automatically.
WHAT IS A ‘FULL DAY’S WORK’?
A full day of your usual work is what you were scheduled to work but could not because of the Government-imposed lockdown in either Victoria or South Australia.
This includes not being able to attend a full time, part time or casual shift of less than 8 hours.
You can get the payment even if you’re eligible on only one day of a recognised period of restricted movement, lockdown or hotspot.
BOTH MY PARTNER AND I HAVE HAD OUR WORK REDUCED UNDER THIS LATEST LOCKDOWN. CAN WE APPLY?
Yes, although you will need to make separate claims.
DO I NEED TO USE MY ANNUAL LEAVE UP BEFORE I CAN MAKE A CLAIM?
No. The following leave entitlements DO NOT have to be used up before you can make a claim:
- Annual leave
- Unpaid leave
- Paid sick leave
- Carer’s leave
- Long service leave
- Compassionate leave when your employer has stood you down without pay
The Government’s reference to ‘appropriate leave’ refers to any other state pandemic payments you might be receiving, and the Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment.
WHAT IS THE PANDEMIC LEAVE DISASTER PAYMENT?
The Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment is a $1500 income support payment available when you can’t got to work because you must be in isolation or quarantine, or care for a person with COVID-19.
It’s only available if you have been directed by your relevant State health department (or one of their agents) to self-isolate or quarantine because:
- You have been diagnosed with COVID-19
- You’ve been in close contact with a person who has COVID-19
- You have attended a Tier 1 exposure site
- You are the carer for someone aged 16 years or younger who has been diagnosed with COVID-19, or has been in close contact with some one who has, or attended a Tier 1 exposure site.
- You are caring for someone who has COVID-19.
You must also meet all of the following:
- Be at least 17 years of age
- Be an Australian resident, or have the right to work in Australia
- You cannot go to work and earn an income
- You have no appropriate leave entitlements, such as pandemic sick leave, personal leave or leave to care for another person (this differs from the COVID-19 Disaster Payment – so make sure you don’t mix the two requirements up!).
HOW DO I APPLY FOR THS PAYMENT?
You will need a myGov account that’s been linked to a Centrelink online account.
If you haven’t got a myGov account, you will need to create one – but this isn’t something we can do for you.
The Services Australia website has a step-by-step process here.
If you need more information or assistance in relation to these payments, the Services Australia website is the best place to start. Find the information you need here.
