Financial support for Brisbane Floods
To assist the people of Brisbane and Queensland that have been affected financially by the recent flooding the Government have setup different levels of financial support. If you have been affected you may be entitled to benefits and subsidies. A summary is below:
Queensland State Government Assistance
Personal Hardship Assistance Grant:
This grant is a one-off payment of $170 per person, up to a maximum of $850 per family to help meet immediate, unexpected basic costs for food, clothing, medical supplies or accommodation caused by the flood disaster. This benefit is not means tested.
Essential Household Contents Grant:
This grant is to assist people who have lost essential household contents in the flood and who are not insured. The payment is up to $1,705 per adult and is means-tested
Structural Assistance Grant:
This is a grant of up to $10,500 per individual (and up to $14,000 for a family) as a contribution towards repair of a primary residence to a habitable and secure condition. This payment is only available for people who did not have private insurance and is means-tested.
To find out more about these grants, or to express an interest in claiming, call 1800 173 349.
Australian Government Flood Assistance
The Australian Government also released information about new payments and services for people affected by recent flooding events. There are two main payments that individuals may be eligible for:
Disaster Recovery Payment.
A payment amount of up to $1,000 per eligible adult and $400 per eligible child, this benefit is to assist those who have been adversely affected by the flooding. There are a range of criteria for eligibility and these can be found at www.centrelink.gov.au or by telephoning 180 22 66.
Also claimable through Centrelink, this is a fortnightly payment to assist individuals who have experienced a loss of income as a direct result of the flood disaster. The payment rate is the equivalent of the maximum rate of Newstart allowance.
To claim either of the Centrelink payments you can visit your local Centrelink centre, log on to www.centrelink.gov.au or telephone 180 22 66.
Donations- Premier’s Disaster Relief Appeal
With over $55 million donated to the Queensland Premier’s Disaster Relief Appeal so far, the premier has established a distribution committee which will determine and manage the distribution of these funds. You can keep updated on the progress of this on the Red Cross website.
According to the Insurance Council of Australia, the insurance industry has received over $365 million in claims for over 7000 claimants. If you are not sure if your policy covers you in the floods, you will need to contact your insurer to determine if you are covered.
To assist people in understanding their policy the Insurance Council of Australia has set up a 24-hour emergency hotline. The aim of this hotline is to provide general advice and tips for the claims process. You can contact the hotline on 1300 728 228.
There are other payments available for primary producers and small business owners. To research all payments that are available as well as other community services that may be available, go to www.qld.gov.au/floods
