Flood Support Available to Queensland Families & Individuals
Over the past three weeks, Queenslanders have been left devastated by the impacts of recent flooding events. If you or your family have been affected by these events, there are a range of government initiatives available to support you in this time of need.
Read on to find out more about these grant programs offered by the State and Federal Governments.
Australian Government Payments
Disaster Recovery Payment
This aid is a lump sum payment available to eligible individuals in Queensland who have been severely impacted by the February 2022 floods. Eligible applicants will receive $1,000 per adult and $400 for each child younger than 16.
To be eligible, you must:
- Be an Australian resident or hold an eligible visa
- Meet Local Government Area rules (LGAs)
- Have been seriously affected by the storms and floods (e.g., seriously injured or suffered major property damage)
Applications must be made through myGov, Linked Services, Centrelink and are due 1 September 2022. If you have not done so already, you will need to create a myGov account and link Centrelink to this account to lodge your application.
Disaster Recovery Allowance
This allowance is available to eligible individuals in Queensland who have lost income because of the recent floods. Eligible applicants will receive the payment for up to 13 weeks from the date on which the individual started losing income. Depending on personal circumstances, you will receive the maximum equivalent rate of JobSeeker Payment or Youth Allowance.
To be eligible, you must:
- Be 16 or older
- Be an Australian resident or hold an eligible visa
- Have lost income as a result of the storms and floods
- Be earning less than the average Australian weekly income ($1,737.10) after losing income
Application process and due dates are identical to the Disaster Recovery Payment above.
Queensland Government Payments
Extraordinary Disaster Assistance Recovery Grants
Grants of up to $50,000 are available for small businesses to assist them with alleviating the costs associated with the recovery process (subject to the determination of the outcome of any pending insurance claims).
The maximum grant amount of $50,000 is available through two applications:
- An initial amount of up to $15,000 to support an initial claim (which requires photographic evidence of the direct damage experienced, as well as estimates of the costs to be incurred).
- A subsequent amount of up to $35,000 (which requires full evidence of payment of costs).
You can find more details about the eligibility criteria and application process for this grant here. Applications for this grant close on 5 September 2022.
Disaster Assistance Loans
Small businesses affected by the severe weather from 22 February onwards may be eligible to access one of two loans to assist with the funding of their recovery, depending on whether direct damage to property was suffered or, alternatively, whether a negative impact on ongoing working capital and cashflow requirements was experienced. Upon application, small businesses will receive concessional loans of up to $250,000 or $100,000 respectively for a maximum loan term of 10 years (with the initial two years interest only). The loan, administered by the Queensland Rural & Industry Development Authority (QRIDA), must be secured by a registered mortgage.
The detailed eligibility criteria and application processes for the two loans can be viewed here and here. Applications for these loans close on 31 December 2023.
Emergency Hardship Assistance Grant
This grant is eligible to Queenslanders who have been directly impacted by a disaster, or are unable to meet immediate food, clothing, medical supplies or temporary accommodation requirements. Successful applicants may receive $180 per person or $900 per family of 5 or more and is available to claim for a period of 7 days following your area’s grant activation. The list of activated areas can be found here.
To be eligible, you must:
- Live or are stranded in the targeted activation zone
- Have suffered hardship as a result of the event
- Be unable to meet immediate essential needs for food, clothing, medical supplies or temporary accommodation.
You can submit an online application for this grant here or call 1800 173 349.
Essential Services Hardship Assistance Grant
This grant is available to those who have been directly impacted by a disaster through the loss of one or more essential services for more than 5 days. Eligible applicants may receive $150 per person or up to $750 per family of 5 or more and is currently available to claim for a period of 7 days following your area’s grant activation (see above).
To be eligible, you must:
- Have lost power as confirmed by your energy provider
- Be directly impacted by the loss of one or more essential services for more than 5 days as a direct result of an eligible disaster
- Be suffering hardship
- Experienced loss of electricity, gas (including bottled), water, and sewerage (including septic tanks)
You can submit an online application for this grant here or call 1800 173 349.
Essential Household Contents Grant
This grant offers financial assistance to contribute to the replacement of repairing essential household contents that have been lost or damaged (i.e., whitegoods, beds, linen), for those uninsured or unable to claim their insurance. Successful applicants may receive up to $1,765 for single adults, and $5,300 for couples/families.
To be eligible, you must:
- Live in a disaster affected areas where the grant has been activated
- Be uninsured or unable to claim insurance to replace or repair household contents
- Qualify under the income test, see here
You can submit an online application for this grant here or call 1800 173 349
Structural Assistance Grant
This grant offers financial assistance to contribute to safety and security repairs to your home for those uninsured or unable to claim their insurance. Where deemed eligible, applicants can secure a one-off payment of up to $10,995 for single adults, and up to $14,685 for couples/families.
To be eligible, you must:
- Live in a disaster affected area where this grant is activated
- Own or be the mortgagee of the home, caravan or boat
- Have been living in the home, caravan or boat at the time of the disaster (it was your primary place of residence)
- Be uninsured or unable to claim insurance for the structural repairs
- Qualify under the income test, see here
You can submit an online application for this grant here or call 1800 173 349
Essential Services Safety & Reconnection Grant
This grant offers financial assistance to assist in reconnecting damaged essential services for those uninsured or unable to claim their insurance.
The grant encompasses 2 stages:
- Inspection: up to $200 towards a safety inspection for each essential service needing reconnection (electricity, gas, water, sewerage or septic system); and
- Repair: up to $4200 towards repair work to enable essential services to be reconnected.
To be eligible, you must:
- Live in a disaster affected area where this grant is activated
- Be the owner or mortgagee of the home
- Be uninsured or unable to claim insurance to replace or repair your essential service/s
- Qualify under the income test, see here
You can submit an online application for this grant here or call 1800 173 349
If you have any questions about these programs, please call or email us to discuss with a Macro Team member today.