NSW floods: How to claim the $1,000 disaster payment and other government support

$1,000 flood disaster payments are now available for people in flood-affected areas in New South Wales.

The payment is available for those in the 37 areas that have been declared natural disaster zones in the past week.

Here’s what is currently available and how you can apply.

What support is available for NSW residents?

Eligible residents can claim two different payments from the Australian Government – the Disaster Recovery Payment and the Disaster Recovery Allowance.

The Disaster Recovery Payment is a one-off lump sum payment. Eligible adults can receive $1,000 and eligible children can receive $400. Members of a couple can both claim the $1,000 payment but will need to make separate claims.

The Disaster Recovery Allowance is a short-term payment if you have lost income because of the floods. You can get it for up to 13 weeks. It will be available for employees and sole traders. It is equivalent to the JobSeeker Payment or Youth Allowance, depending on your circumstances, and it is taxable. Couples can both receive the payment if they make separate claims.

Which areas are eligible for disaster payments in NSW?

The 37 eligible local government areas (LGAs) are:

• Bayside
• Blacktown
• Blue Mountains
• Camden
• Campbelltown
• Canterbury Bankstown
• Central Coast
• Cessnock
• Cumberland
• Dungog
• Fairfield
• Georges River
• Hawkesbury
• Hornsby
• Kiama
• Lake Macquarie
• Lithgow
• Liverpool
• Maitland
• Mid-Coast
• Muswellbrook
• Nambucca Heads
• Newcastle
• Northern Beaches
• Penrith
• Port Stephens
• Randwick
• Shellharbour
• Shoalhaven
• Singleton
• Sutherland
• The Hills
• Upper Lachlan
• Warren
• Wingecarribee
• Wollondilly
• Wollongong.

Residents have until 10 January 2023 to make a claim.

How to claim the payment

The Disaster Recovery Payment and Disaster Recovery Allowance can be claimed from 2pm on Thursday 7 July 2022. The payment can be claimed online through a myGov account linked to Centrelink.

The Disaster Recovery Payment is available if you, or your dependent child, have been seriously affected by the floods. For example, if you were seriously injured, if you are the immediate family member of an Australian citizen or resident who died or is missing, or if the flood caused major damage to your home or a major asset at your home.

The Disaster Recovery Allowance is available to people who lost income as a direct result of the storms and floods and earned less than the average Australian weekly income ($1,737.10 per week as at 9 August 2021) in the weeks after the income loss.

More information is available on Services Australia. If you need help claiming you can call the Emergency information line on 180 22 66.

What other financial assistance is available in NSW?

The federal government and NSW government previously announced disaster funding for people in flood-affected LGAs. The help includes money for people whose homes or belongings have been damaged, support for affected local councils in cleaning up and restoring damaged roads and public assets, concessional interest rate loans for small businesses and non-profits, and loans and freight subsidies for primary producers.

The government has told people to visit the National Recovery and Resilience Agency’s website or the Service NSW website for more information.

Impacted families in the eligible LGAs will also be able to access childcare relief. Childhood education and care services will be able to waive gap fees for children not attending care during the emergency, while families will receive additional paid absences for the duration of the emergency so they don’t use up their annual allocation.

If your home has been damaged by the floods, you may be eligible for a Disaster Relief Grant from the New South Wales government.

The government says you may be eligible if:

• your home (primary place of residence) was damaged by a natural disaster
• you do not have insurance for the damage or your insurance doesn’t cover the damage caused
• you are a low-income earner with limited financial resources after tax, mortgage or rent have been deducted
• it has been less than six months since the disaster.

You can apply by calling 13 77 88 and asking about the Disaster Relief Grant administered by Resilience NSW.

A number of banks, including ANZ, CommBank, NAB and Westpac, are also offering financial assistance and support to eligible customers.

If you have home insurance, check Product Disclosure Statement, Target Market Determination and certificate of insurance to see if you are covered for flooding, or contact your provider directly.

Cover image source: Leah-Anne Thompson/Shutterstock.com