NSW Flood Support Programs Currently Available

Once again, our community is suffering from the effects of yet another disaster. The government has stepped in to provide some much-needed support. To help you, we have summarised the support programs currently available for those affected by the floods in NSW.

Northern NSW Floods, February 2022 – Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment

The Federal Government introduced the ‘Northern NSW Floods February 2022 – Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment’ for individuals living in 26 specific local government areas across Queensland and New South Wales.

If eligible, you’ll receive:

• $1,000 per adult (partners will need to make separate claims)
• $400 for each child younger than 16 years old

Click here to find out if you are eligible and how to apply.

Disaster Recovery Allowance (DRA)

The DRA is a short-term income support payment provided by the Federal Government for individuals, employees, small-businesses and farmers who have experienced a loss of income directly resulting from a major disaster.

The DRA payment varies based on personal circumstances and is set at the maximum equivalent rate of Jobseeker Payment or Youth Allowance and is paid up to a maximum period of 13 weeks.

More information on this allowance can be found by clicking here.

Storm and Flood Disaster Recovery Grant

The Storm and flood disaster recovery small business or not-for-profit organisation grant launched in November 2021 is still available for organisations impacted by current flooding.

This disaster recovery grant of up to $50,000 is aimed at helping to cover the costs of clean-up and reinstatement of day-to-day operations.

To be eligible you must be a small business owner or a not-for profit organisation in a defined disaster area and:

• Have suffered direct damage on business assets or equipment
• Be primarily responsible for paying for the costs claimed
• Re-establishing your small business or not-for-profit organisation within the same area

Sole traders with no employees who fulfil the above criteria are also eligible to apply if they can show that immediately before the eligible disaster, they derived a majority of their income from the business, and the majority of their income would have come from the business if the disaster did not occur.

For more information or to apply, click here.

Disaster Relief Grant for Individuals

The aim of this grant is to provide financial assistance to re-establish a basic standard of living if your home or essential household contents were damaged or destroyed by a natural disaster. The amount paid by the NSW government will depends on the damage on your main residential property.

The application process and more information on this grant can be found here.

Thankfully there is a lot of support available to those affected by the recent flooding. If you need any further assistance with any of the above options, please reach out.

– Francesca Pedercini

Posted 03.03.2022

This article is compiled as a helpful guide for your private information and is subject to copyright. We suggest that you do not act solely on the basis of material contained in this article because items are of general nature only and may be liable to misinterpretation in particular circumstances. We recommend that our advice be sought before acting on any of these crucial areas.