Yahoo Finance $1k payments announced for 34 disaster-struck regions
Residents in 34 NSW areas will be eligible for $1,000 disaster relief payments as “one-in-100-year” floods sweep the state.
Residents can also claim $400 for children, under the Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment and Disaster Recovery Allowance, provided they have suffered a serious injury or home damage.
Workers who have lost their livelihoods will also be eligible for income-support payments for up to 13 weeks, equal to the JobSeeker payments.
What areas are eligible for the disaster relief payments?
If you live in one of these Local Government Areas, you may now be eligible for the payments:
Armidale,
Bellingen,
Central Coast,
Cessnock City,
Clarence Valley,
Coffs Harbour,
Dungog,
Hawkesbury,
Kempsey,
Lake Macquarie,
Maitland City,
Mid-Coast,
Nambucca Valley,
Newcastle City,
Port Macquarie-Hastings,
Penrith,
Port Stephens,
Tenterfield,
Blacktown,
Blue Mountains,
Camden,
Campbelltown,
Canterbury Bankstown,
Cumberland,
Fairfield,
Hawkesbury,
Hornsby,
Inner West,
Ku-ring-gai,
Liverpool,
Northern Beaches,
Parramatta,
Penrith,
Sutherland,
The Hills, and
Wollondilly
More regions will be added to the list following consultation with the state government.
To access the payments, residents need to call Services Australia on 180 22 66.
"It can be processed over the phone, you just need to provide your details and explain your circumstances to them, and we can arrange those payments to you as quickly as possible," Prime Minister Scott Morrison said.
Residents on the JobSeeker payment will also receive a reprieve from mutual obligations until at least 6 April.
“The AGDRP provides a one-off, non-means tested payment of $1,000 for eligible adults and $400 for eligible children, who have been seriously injured, lost their homes or whose homes have been directly damaged, or the immediate family members of a person who has lost their life, as a direct result of the storms and floods,” Minister for Emergency Management David Littleproud said.
It comes as Sydney workers are urged to work from home where possible. Transport NSW issued an alert on Sunday evening calling on Sydneysiders to avoid all unnecessary travel.
“If possible customers should work from home and motorists who need to drive should exercise extreme caution and never drive through flooded waters.”
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