Here is what is available
COVID-19 Disaster Payment
The COVID-19 disaster payment is available to eligible workers who can’t attend work or who have lost income because of a lockdown and don’t have access to appropriate paid leave entitlements. And, it only applies from the eighth day of lockdown. That is, there is nothing you can claim for the first week of a lockdown.
The disaster payment is only accessible if the hotspot triggering the lockdown lasts more than 7 days as declared by the Chief Medical Officer.
The payment amount depends on how many hours of work you have lost in the lockdown period (week).
| Hours lost | Amount |
| <20 hours | $325 |
| 20+ hours | $500 |
Applications for the disaster payment need to be made weekly.
The payment is available if you are not earning an income or have lost work and you:
- Are an Australian citizen, permanent resident or temporary visa holder who has the right to work in Australia, and
- Are aged 17 years or over, and
- Can’t attend work and lost income on or after day 8 of a COVID-19 lockdown, and
- Don’t have access to appropriate paid leave entitlements through your employer (other than annual leave), and
- Are not getting an income support payment, a state or territory pandemic payment, Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment or state small business payment for the same period.
Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment
The Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment of $1,500 for each 14 day period is for those who have been advised by the health authorities to self-isolate or quarantine because:
- You have coronavirus (COVID-19)
- You’ve been in close contact with a person who has COVID-19
- You care for a child, 16 years or under, who has COVID-19
- You care for a child, 16 years or under, who’s been in close contact with a person who has COVID-19.
The payment might also be accessible if you are a carer for someone impacted.
Eligibility for this disaster payment is very similar except that you need to use any appropriate leave entitlements if it is available to you (for example, pandemic sick leave, personal leave or carer leave).
Support for Business – New South Wales
The NSW Government has announced new grants of up to $10,000 for businesses adversely impacted by the recent COVID-19 lockdowns. Eligibility for the grant is streamed into general business, and hospitality and tourism.
The value of the grant is determined by the impact of the lockdown on your turnover. Your business will need to prove a decline in turnover across a minimum 2 week period after the commencement of the major restrictions.
| Turnover Decline | Grant |
| 70%+ | $10,000 |
| 50% to <70% | $7,000 |
| 30% to <50% | $5,000 |
The grant is limited to businesses (including sole traders) with:
- A NSW registered ABN or able to demonstrate they are physically located and primarily operating in NSW; and
- Annual turnover of more than $75,000 for the year ending 30 June 2020; but
- Below the NSW Government 2020-21 payroll tax threshold of $1.2m as at 1 July 2020; with
- Fewer than 20 full time equivalent employees
The Hospitality & Tourism COVID-19 Support grant is limited to tourism or hospitality businesses with:
- A NSW registered ABN or able to demonstrate they are physically located and primarily operating in NSW; and
- Annual turnover of more than $75,000 for the year ending 30 June 2020; and
- An annual Australian wages bill below $10m as at 1 July 2020.
Should you have any questions with regard to financial assistance during COVID, please submit an online enquiry now or call Peter Quinn on +61 2 9580 9166. We also offer a FREE 45-minute consultation should you have other financial planning, taxation or superannuation issues you may wish to discuss.
The information in this document does not take into account your personal objectives, financial situation or needs, and so you should consider its appropriateness having regard to these factors before acting on it. It is important that your personal circumstances are taken into account before making any financial decision and it is recommended that you seek assistance from your financial adviser.