Disaster relief assistance
The Department of Communities is the Queensland Government agency responsible for supporting the recovery of communities affected by disaster and supporting families and individuals to restore their emotional, social, economic and physical well-being at this time.
Disaster relief from the Department of Communities may include financial support. The following information outlines the financial assistance available to people who are unable to provide for their own recovery following a disaster. Please take some time to consider this general information.
If you feel you are eligible for any of the available grants please visit your nearest Community Recovery Centre to complete the relevant application forms.
Financial assistance
Financial grants are available as a ‘safety net’ for families and individuals affected by a disaster. These financial grants provide a contribution to families and individuals who are not able to meet the cost of replacing or repairing uninsured essential household goods and/or their owner occupied residence without government assistance. They are not designed to meet the full cost of replacement or repair or to replace household insurance.
Three types of financial grants are available. The second two are means tested.
Emergent Assistance Grants
Emergent Grants are available to individuals and families who need financial assistance to meet their basic needs in the first few days after a disaster. These grants contribute to the purchase of immediate, short term needs which may include food, temporary accommodation, transport, medical supplies and clothing. Emergent Assistance Grants are not means tested.
Essential Household Contents Grants
Essential Household Contents Grants are available to eligible families and individuals to assist with the replacement or repair of uninsured essential household contents. These items may include:
- food
- cooking utensils
- bedding and linen
- essential furniture
- clothing
- floor coverings
- essential white goods (repair or assistance towards replacement)
Set amounts apply per item and a maximum limit, across all items, also applies. Applicants must satisfy a Weekly Income and Asset Test. If you are eligible for an Essential Household Contents Grant departmental officers will visit your home where possible, to assess the damage and to complete an application with you.
The payments are only for essential items that have been lost, damaged or destroyed in a disaster.
Structural Assistance Grants
Structural Assistance Grants are available to eligible families and individuals to contribute to the cost of repairing an uninsured, owneroccupied residence including caravans, to a safe and habitable condition. The dwelling must be the property owner’s sole place of residence at the time of the natural disaster.
The maximum grant available is reduced by any previous payments made as an Emergent Assistance Grant or an Essential Household Contents grant.
You are required to obtain quotes from at least one, but preferably two, repairers. Structural Assistance Grants over $1,000 are paid directly to the repairer of your home, rather than to you personally.
A government officer will visit your residence to undertake a structural damage assessment with you. They will provide a list of the work required to return your residence to a safe and habitable condition.
The officer will also provide an approximate costing for this work to be completed. This assessment will be used as a benchmark and will be compared against quotes provided by individual repairers.
Non Profit Organisations
Assistance is available to churches, clubs, sporting associations and other voluntary non-profit organisations for restoration and re-establishment costs of facilities owned by the organisation.
Funds are not generally available where adequate insurance could be obtained at a reasonable rate. Associations must have first exhausted all alternative sources of assistance.
For information about eligibility andhow to apply please contact the Department of Communities’ Community Recovery Unit on Tel:(07) 3239 3288
Eligibility requirements
Emergent Assistance Grants
You and your family are eligible for emergent assistance if you:
- have been adversely affected by the disaster and are not in a financial position to provide for your own recovery;
- have been displaced from your home; and/or
- have lost basic utilities in your home; or
- are travelling and have been unable to continue to your destination.
The amount of an Emergent Assistance Grant is deducted from any further assistance for which you may be eligible, and takes into account any claims by other family members living in the same residence.
It is recognised that households may contain a mix of individuals and family members. It is important to list all members of the household at the time of the application for assistance.
Essential Household Contents Grants and Structural Assistance Grants
To be eligible for these grants you must satisfy the Weekly Income and Asset Test requirements. Your realisable asset value excludes your family home, household contents, one motor vehicle and any tools you may have to operate your business.
Additionally, you must meet the following requirements:
- the damage or loss is the result of the natural disaster.
- your property is uninsured or is insured but your insurance policy excludes the disaster that has affected you.
- in the case of the Essential Household Contents Grant you must be the uninsured owner of the household contents.
- in the case of the Structural Assistance Grant you must be the uninsured owner of the residence and have been living in the dwelling as your sole place of residence at the time of the disaster.
If you feel you may be eligible for either of these grants please contact the Department of Communities* to complete the relevant application forms. You will be notified whether you are eligible or not. If eligible, the grants will be provided as soon as your application has been assessed and approved.
Privacy notice
The Department of Communities collects the information on the application forms for assistance in assessing your eligibility for payment under the Disaster Relief Assistance scheme as required by Section 147 of the Disaster Management Act 2003. If you choose not to provide personal information the department will be unable to assess your application.
The Department of Communities will provide identifying information from this form to its corporate service provider who is contracted to undertake financial management on the department's behalf. The corporate service provider will complete the required accounting procedures associated with any assistance grants for which you may be eligible.
The information collected is only used to pay disaster relief assistance and to assist with the provision of personal support and counselling services where necessary.
If you also indicate that you require services provided by other agencies, identifying information may also be provided to other government and community agencies assisting in the provision of recovery services.
Further information
For further information at the time of a disaster please contact the Community Recovery Hotline on 1800 173 349