COVID Notice: Crisis Payment for National Health Emergency

Published on Tuesday, 15 March 2022 at 4:00:36 PM

A one-off payment if you’re affected by coronavirus (COVID-19).

To get this you must:

  • be eligible for an income support payment or ABSTUDY Living Allowance
  • be in severe financial hardship
  • be in Australia when you claim
  • have proof of a COVID-19 test requiring you, or the person you are caring for, to enter quarantine or self-isolation.

We’ll ask for proof of the COVID-19 test. Your claim will be rejected if you don’t send us the right kind of evidence. 

We may ask for proof of being in severe financial hardship.

You must also contact us within 14 days of entering quarantine or self-isolation, or caring for someone who is.

You can’t get this crisis payment just for being in lockdown. Read about who can get it

 

Who can get it

To get this Crisis Payment you must meet the eligibility criteria.

You must contact us within 14 days of entering quarantine or self-isolation, or caring for someone who is.

We consider you to have made contact if you start a claim for one of these:

  • a payment or concession card
  • this crisis payment.
  • You can make contact in either of the following ways:
  • begin a claim using your Centrelink Online account
  • call us on your regular payment line.

After contacting us, you then have another 14 days to submit your claim.

You must be in Australia when you submit your claim.

You can’t get it if:

  • you’re staying home but leaving for essential activities, such as shopping or work
  • you’re staying home to avoid getting COVID-19, even if your health professional told you to
  • you’re caring for a person who is in quarantine or self-isolation in a hospital
  • someone else has already got it to provide care to the same person
  • your evidence is a negative rapid antigen test (RAT) result.

Eligibility criteria

You can get it if all of the following apply:

  • you’re eligible for an income support payment or ABSTUDY Living Allowance from us
  • you’re in severe financial hardship
  • you, or someone you’re caring for, are in quarantine or self-isolation because you are waiting for COVID-19 test results or have COVID-19.

The COVID-19 test must be a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test or positive RAT result.

You, or the person you are caring for, must be in quarantine or self-isolation because any of the following required you to be:

  • the Australian Government
  • a state or territory government
  • a health professional.

You can be in quarantine or self-isolation at home, in a motel, hospital or any other appropriate place.

You must submit evidence with your claim showing that you, or the person you are caring for, had either:

  • a COVID-19 PCR test
  • a positive RAT result.

You may be asked to submit evidence of financial hardship.

If you’re caring for someone in quarantine or self-isolation

The person you’re caring for must be a member of your immediate family or household.

Your immediate family means your partner, child, grandchild, parent, sibling or grandparent.

Caring for someone means you’re providing daily care or support such as:

  • administering medication
  • bathing
  • preparing meals.

For more information, please visit the Services Australia website: 

https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/crisis-payment-for-national-health-emergency-covid-19

Back to All News