Disaster Recovery Payment
The Disaster Recovery Payment (DRP) provides a one-off, non-means tested recovery payment of $1,000 for eligible adults and $400 for eligible children.
DRP is targeted towards those most severely affected by a disaster. It is Commonwealth-funded, and is delivered by the Commonwealth Department of Human Services.
Eligibility
An individual may be eligible for DRP if they are:
- at least 16 years of age, or older and are not a dependent child
- are an Australian resident or holder of an eligible visa, and
- as a direct result of the severe weather, rainfall and associated flooding that occurred as a result of Tropical Cyclone Debbie in the local government areas of Gold Coast, Logan, Mackay, Scenic Rim and Whitsunday in Queensland, and the local government areas of Lismore and Tweed in New South Wales:
- the person has been seriously injured, or
- the person is an immediate family member of a person who died as a direct result of the disaster
- the person’s principal place of residence has suffered major damage
- the person’s principal place of residence has been destroyed, or
- the person is the principal carer of a dependent child affected by one of the above criterion.
A person may also be eligible for an equivalent payment if they are a New Zealand Special Category Visa holder.
Claiming the payment
Once an event is declared a major disaster an eligible person will have six months to lodge their application by:
- calling the Department of Human Services on 180 22 66
- completing a claim form at a Centrelink or Medicare Service Centre, or any Centrelink Agent
- posting a form to
Emergency Processing Centre
Reply Paid 7815
Canberra BC ACT 2610
- faxing a form to 1300 727 760
Disaster Recovery Allowance
The Disaster Recovery Allowance (DRA) is a short-term income support payment to assist individuals who can demonstrate that their income has been affected as a direct result of the disaster.
DRA assists employees, small business persons and farmers who experience a loss of income. It is payable for a maximum of thirteen weeks from the date at which a customer has, or will have, a loss of income as a direct result of a disaster. DRA is taxable.
Eligibility
An individual may be eligible for DRA if they:
- are 16 years of age, or older and are not a dependent child
- are an Australian resident or the holder of an eligible visa and living in Australia for the period of time they receive the allowance
- earn, or receive an income by working or residing in the affected local government areas of Gold Coast, Logan, Mackay, Scenic Rim and Whitsunday in Queensland, and the local government areas of Lismore and Tweed in New South Wales
- as a direct result of the severe weather, rainfall and associated flooding that occurred as a result of Tropical Cyclone Debbie that occurred in March and April 2017 in Queensland:
- experienced a loss of income as a direct result of the disaster
- are not receiving another income support payment or pension (such as Age Pension, Newstart Allowance, service person from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, or Farm Household Allowance) for the same period they are claiming the DRA, and
- their income is less than the relevant income threshold amount in the fortnight following their loss of income.
A person may also be eligible for an equivalent payment if they are a New Zealand Special Category Visa holder.
Claiming the payment
Once an event is declared a major disaster an eligible person will have six months to lodge their application by:
- calling the Department of Human Services on 180 22 66
- completing a claim form at a Centrelink or Medicare Service Centre, or any Centrelink Agent
- posting a form to
Emergency Processing Centre
Reply Paid 7815
Canberra BC ACT 2610
- faxing a form to 1300 727 760
NDRRA Assistance for Individuals
NDRRA ASSISTANCE MEASURES
A range of assistance has been activated for individuals in six (6) local government areas (LGAs): Gold Coast City, Isaac, Logan, Mackay, Scenic Rim and Whitsunday.
Immediate Hardship Assistance: This assistance provides a grant that is available to address the immediate needs (e.g. food, clothing, emergency accommodation or medical supplies) of individuals and families who are unable to provide for their own recovery from their own resources. The grant amount is $180 for individuals and up to $900 for families.
Immediate Hardship Assistance: The Essential Services grant is a second grant available to individuals or families, who are directly impacted by the loss of one or more essential services for more than five (5) days, are suffering hardship and are unable to provide for their own recovery from their own resources. The grant amount is $150 for individuals and up to $750 for families.
Essential Household Contents Grant: This assistance provides a financial contribution towards the repair or replacement of uninsured essential household contents. The maximum grant amount is $1,765 for an individual and $5,300 for couples or families. Applicants for this assistance are income tested.
Structural Assistance Grant: This assistance provides a financial contribution towards the repair of damage to a dwelling (including caravans and residential vessels) caused by an eligible disaster to return it to a safe, habitable and secure condition. The maximum grant amount is $10,995 for individuals and $14,685 for couples or families. Applicants for this assistance are income tested.
Essential Services Safety and Reconnection Scheme: This assistance provides financial assistance of up to $5,000 to individuals and families as a contribution towards safety inspections of and repairs to essential services (e.g. electricity, gas, water and sewerage) damaged by an eligible disaster. Applicants for this assistance are income tested.
- The Scheme provides for financial contributions of:
- up to $200 for a safety inspection for each essential service needing reconnection; and
- up to $4,200 to undertake repair work to enable essential service reconnection.
For further information, and to apply, contact the Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services (www.communities.qld.gov.au) or call the Community Recovery Hotline on 1800 173 349.
NDRRA Assistance for small business & non-profit organisations
Assistance for small businesses and non-profit organisations:
Concessional interest rate loans (direct damage) for small businesses: This assistance provides loans of up to a maximum of $250,000 to assist small businesses to recover from the disaster event, for example repairing or replacing damaged plant, equipment and buildings, replacing lost stock and livestock, and supplying stock for up to one month.
Concessional interest rate loans (direct damage) for non-profit organisations: This assistance provides a concessional interest rate loan up to a maximum of $100,000 and a grant up to a maximum of $5,000 to assist non-profit organisations to recover from the disaster, for example repairing or replacing damaged plant, equipment and buildings, and supplying stock for up to a month.
Further information on concessional loans is available on the QRAA website at www.qraa.qld.gov.au.
Essential working capital loans (loss of income) for small businesses (including non-profit organisations): This assistance is for those who have suffered a significant loss of income as a consequence of the disaster. They provide a concessional interest rate loan up to $100,000 for essential working capital required to continue business operations.
The loan can be used to help continue operations for the next 12 months or until the next major income is received, to cover:
- salaries and wages
- paying creditors
- paying rent or rates
- procuring fodder or water for livestock or produce (primary producers)
- procuring alternative logistics solutions, such as transportation of livestock or produce (primary producers)
- fuel and other supplies essential to the business.
Other assistance: The Queensland Government may also claim costs associated with certain other disaster assistance measures undertaken by state agencies and councils including the establishment and operation of evacuation and recovery centres, debris removal from residential properties and the demolition and rebuilding of disaster damaged houses.
