The federal government's COVID-19 Disaster Payment has been extended to South East Queensland after the Chief Medical Officer declared 11 Local Government Areas (LGAs) as hotspots for the period from 31 July to 8 August 2021.
The LGAs listed as Commonwealth hotspots include:
- City of Brisbane
- Moreton Bay
- Redland City
- Logan City
- City of Ipswich
- Shire of Noosa
- City of Gold Coast
- Lockyer Valley
- Scenic Rim
- Somerset
- Sunshine Coast.
We note from Services Australia that a person may be eligible for the COVID-19 Disaster Payment if they have lost work and income due to a Queensland COVID-19 public health order, and meet the other eligibility rules.
Eligibility
To be eligible for the payment you need to meet all of the
eligibility rules, including:
- you're an Australian resident or hold a visa that gives you the right to work in Australia
- you're 17 years or older
- you didn't get an income support payment, Education Allowance or ABSTUDY Living Allowance during the payment period
- you didn't get the Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment, a state or territory pandemic payment or a state small business payment for the same period
- you lost income and didn't have any appropriate paid leave entitlements
- you lived in, worked from or visited a Commonwealth-declared COVID-19 hotspot that is subject to a state restricted movement order
- you have been unable to earn your usual income of 8 hours or more, or a full day's work because you were in the COVID-19 hotspot and were subject to restricted movement.
If you are couple (have a partner, are married, in a registered relationship or de-facto relationship), each individual can claim the payment, and you will need to make separate claims.
There are 2 relevant periods to apply for
- 1 August to 7 August 2021, and
- 8 August 2021.
Payment amounts
Eligible Queenslanders will be able to apply for the payment from 7
August 2021 and it is calculated based on the hours of work
lost.
| Period date range | Amount if you lost less than 20 hours work that week | Amount if you lost 20 hours or more that week |
| 1 August to 7 August | $450 | $750 |
| 8 August | $450 | $750 |
Applications for this Federal Government COVID-19 Disaster Payment can be made through Services Australia from 7 August 2021.
The material contained in this publication is in the nature of general comment and information only and is not advice. The material should not be relied upon. Please contact your local Moore Australia office to discuss your specific circumstances or case. Moore Australia, any Australian Member, any related entity of those persons, or any of their officers employees or representatives, will not be liable for any loss or damage arising out of or in connection with the material contained in this publication.