If you are affected by a disaster, you may be eligible for a payment from Centrelink.
There are often disaster relief payments available through Centrelink following a disaster. These payments are usually specific to a declared disaster or event. The payments include lump sum payments and short-term ongoing payments.
These are examples of recent disaster payments:
· Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment – to support people who have lost income due to COVID-19 quarantine.
· Victorian Storms and Floods, June 2021
– Disaster Recovery Payment – to support people who were seriously affected by the storms and floods in Victoria in June 2021
– Disaster Recovery Allowance – to support people who lost income as a result of the storms and floods in Victoria in June 2021.
· MH17 Family Support Package – to support family members of Australian victims of the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 who attend legal proceedings in the Netherlands.
Crisis payments are also available through Centrelink. These payments are available for people experiencing extreme circumstances which are not covered by a specific disaster relief payment.
The eligibility requirements for disaster and crisis payments can be found on the Centrelink website.
These payments, from the Australian Federal Government, recognise the impacts that disasters can have on people’s finances.
SSRV has commissioned a project to optimise our capability to respond to the social security needs of people affected by natural disasters.
We recognise that disasters can quickly lead to complex situations, affecting multiple aspects of people lives, including confusion or trouble with social security payments.
Our Disaster Preparedness and Response Plan will tackle this challenge from a range of perspectives. Find out more.
