BRQ WELCOMES FINANCIAL HELP FOR PEOPLE AND FAMILIES IN CYCLONE-AFFECTED COMMUNITIES
Basic Rights Queensland (BRQ) has welcomed Government announcements regarding financial assistance for individuals and families impacted by ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred. With over 40 years’ experience supporting everyday Queenslanders to access income support and address financial hardship, BRQ knows that this assistance will help with immediate needs and recovery efforts.
The Australian Government’s Disaster Recovery Allowance (DRA) and Disaster Recovery Payment (DRP) are available to eligible residents in declared disaster areas. These payments aim to provide financial support to those who have suffered loss or hardship due to the cyclone.
Download our factsheet on the Disaster Recovery Allowance
Download our factsheet on the Disaster Recovery Payment
Services Australia encourages affected individuals to check their eligibility and apply for assistance through the myGov website or by calling the dedicated disaster assistance hotline on 180 22 66.
These payments come on top of Personal Hardship Assistance activated by the Queensland Government for residents in Redland, Gold Coast, Logan, Fraser Coast, Moreton Bay, Brisbane and Scenic Rim City Councils (with potentially more to come). These emergency grants will help cover immediate essentials, hardship payments for extended loss of power and water, and support for uninsured households to replace essential items or repair structural damage.
Residents can check eligibility and apply via www.qld.gov.au/disasterhelp or by calling the Community Recovery Hotline on 1800 173 349.
Further advice on the payments available through Services Australia can be provided by Basic Rights Queensland, a community legal centre which specialises in social security and provides free legal assistance.
Quotes attributable to Sam Tracy, Legal Practice Director at Basic Rights Queensland:
- “These disaster payments will help ease some of the financial burden and assist in much needed financial recovery for the hundreds of thousands of people impacted.”
- “We have been assisting people with Centrelink payments for forty years, and it is so important and welcome that governments support people in need with these safety nets.”
- “We have had nearly 20,000 people view our social media posts on payments for TC Alfred – it is critical that people know the support is there and how to access it.”
For more information on how to apply and the eligibility criteria, visit www.qld.gov.au/disasterhelp or www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/natural-disaster, or contact Basic Rights Queensland on free call 1800 358 511.
