(SOURCE: Services Australia)

Services Australia is responsible for delivering the COVID-19 Disaster Payment, a support payment for workers adversely affected by a state public health order.

Who can get it

You must meet all eligibility rules to get the COVID-19 Disaster Payment. You can get it even if you’re eligible on only one day of the relevant event dates.
To get the payment, you need to meet the general eligibility rules and any rules for the COVID-19 health order that affected you.

If you’re a member of a couple, you can both claim this payment. You and your partner will need to make separate claims.

You can get this payment even if you’re eligible on only one day of a recognised COVID-19 period of restricted movement, lockdown or hotspot.

Eligibility Rules

You need to meet all the eligibility rules to get the payment.

To get it you must meet all of the following:

• you’re an Australian resident or hold an eligible working visa
• you’re 17 years or older
• you’re not getting an income support payment, ABSTUDY Living Allowance, Dad and Partner Pay or Parental Leave Pay
• you’re not getting the Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment, a state or territory pandemic payment or a state small business payment for the same period
• you live in, work from or have visited a Commonwealth-declared COVID-19 hotspot
• you live in, work from or have visited a location subject to a state or territory restricted movement order
• you had paid employment and because you were in the COVID-19 hotspot or are subject to restricted movement, you can’t attend work on or after day 8
• you’ve lost income on or after day 8 and don’t have any appropriate paid leave entitlements
• if you are claiming for a period prior to the third week of lockdown, you have liquid assets of less than $10,000.

Key eligibility dates

These are the key dates for the recognised events.

Local Government Areas (LGA) Eligible

How much you get depends on your situation.

First and second period

You’ll get the following amount for the first and second period of a restricted movement order.

If you lost less than 20 hours work per week, you’ll get $325 for each relevant period, if you’re eligible.

If you lost 20 hours or more of work per week, you’ll get $500 for each relevant period, if you’re eligible.

Third period and beyond

From 15 July 2021 people in parts of Sydney will get the following amount for the third and subsequent periods of a restricted movement order.

If you’re eligible, you’ll get $375 if you either lost:

• 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, if you’re eligible.

How to claim

Complete the following steps to claim the COVID-19 Disaster Payment

If you’re an Australian resident

Australian residents need to claim online.

To claim online you need a myGov account linked to a Centrelink online account. If you don’t have a myGov account, you can create one.

If your myGov account isn’t linked to Centrelink, you can prove who you are through myGov to link to Centrelink.

If you’re an eligible working visa holder

Eligible working visa holders need to call us on 180 22 66 where we can take your claim.

Phone lines are open Monday to Friday 8 am to 5 pm.

You can call our Multilingual Phone Service on 131 202 to talk to us in your language.

Please visit servicesaustralia.gov.au and search ‘COVID-19 Disaster Payment’