Financial assistance
If a natural disaster has been declared in your area you may be eligible for:
- Emergent Assistance Grant
- Essential Household Contents Grant
- Structural Assistance Grant
- Other financial assistance
Emergent Assistance Grant
An Emergent Assistance Grant may be available to individuals and families who do not have the capacity to meet immediate, unexpected basic costs for food, clothing, medical supplies or accommodation caused by the disaster.
This grant is a non-means tested once-off payment of $170 per person, up to a maximum of $780 for a family of five or more.
Emergent Assistance Grants are not means tested, however if you are seeking assistance you will need to establish that you have experienced, or will experience, personal hardship as a result of the disaster.
Individuals and families can express an interest in this grant by calling 1800 173 349, visiting the nearest Community Recovery Information and Coordination Centre or contacting your Regional Service Centre.
Eligibility for an Essential Household Contents Grant or a Structural Assistance Grant
To be eligible for the Essential Household Contents Grant you will need to satisfy an income test and for the Structural Assistance Grant you will need to satisfy both the income and asset tests as follows:
- Upper income limits:
- Individual: $715/week + $50 for each dependent
- Couple: $932/week + $50 for each dependent
- Upper asset limits:
- Pensioners: $24,080
- Others: $5,885
Applications will be assessed on a case by case basis and you will need to discuss your eligibility for these grants with officers from the Department of Communities.
Essential Household Contents Grant
An Essential Household Contents Grant may be available to people who own essential household contents that have been lost or damaged in the disaster and who do not have contents insurance.
This grant is a means tested once-off payment of $1,660 per adult, up to a maximum of $4,980 for a couple/family.
Eligible household contents may include cooking utensils, clothing, bedding and linen, floor coverings, essential furniture and white goods and food lost due to storm damage. The grant assists with the repair or replacement of essential items and maximum limits apply for individual items.
An income test will be applied to applications for this grant. If you are eligible, departmental officers will visit your home, to assess the damage and to complete an application form with you.
You can apply for this grant by:
- applying online
- or calling 1800 173 349
- or visiting your nearest Community Recovery Information and Coordination Centre
- or contacting your Regional Service Centre.
Structural Assistance Grant
A Structural Assistance Grant may be available to property owners whose home has been damaged by the disaster. The home must be uninsured for this disaster event, owend by the applicant and their sole place of residence at the time of the disaster. The grant provides a contribution towards repair of the residence to a habitable and secure condition.
This grant is a means tested once-off payment of up to $10,250 per individual, and up to $13,800 for a couple/family.
An income and assets test will be applied to applications for this grant. If you are eligible, departmental officers will visit your home to assess the damage and to complete an application form with you.
You can apply for this grant by:
- applying online
- or calling 1800 173 349
- or visiting your nearest Community Recovery Information and Coordination Centre
- or contacting your Regional Service Centre.
Other financial assistance
Financial assistance may also be available through other government agencies as follows:
- Sport and recreation clubs affected by flood damage may be eligible for up to $5,000 to replace damaged equipment and up to $20,000 to repair infrastructure. Applications for this funding close 30 April 2010 and funding guidelines are available at www.sportrec.qld.gov.au.
- Freight subsidies of up to $5000 per disaster event are available for eligible primary producers located within a disaster-declared area under joint Commonwealth/State Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements (NDRRA). For more information, visit the Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries website or telephone 132 523.
- Low interest rate loans of up to $250,000 for eligible primary producers and small businesses located within a disaster-declared area can be obtained through QRAA (Queensland Rural Adjustment Authority). For more information, visit the QRAA website or telephone QRAA on freecall 1800 623 946.
- Centrelink is offering a one-off Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment for people who have been adversely affected by a disaster. If you are eligible you will receive $1000 per adult plus $400 for each dependent child (under 16 years of age). To lodge an application for this payment visit the Centrelink website or call 180 2122.
Last updated: 15 March 2010