Support Available in the Wake of Ex Tropical Cyclone Alfred

When a disaster strikes, as we’ve seen recently, it’s often difficult to navigate avenues for support across different agencies.We’ve put together this guide to summarise what support is available in the wake of ex-tropical cyclone Alfred, and the eligibility conditions to access that support. We cover both Queensland (QLD) and New South Wales (NSW).If we can help, we will, so please let us know.

Note that this list was compile with information available to us at the time of writing, but it may not be complete. Please ensure you seek out appropriate support from the relevant authorities.

Support for Individuals & Families

Various grants and payments are available depending on your situation and eligibility:

Federal Government Assistance

• Disaster Recovery Payment: A one-time lump sum of:
  • $1,000 per adult
  • $400 per child under 16
  • Apply via Services Australia
• Disaster Recovery Allowance: Temporary income support for those unable to work due to the disaster. Payments last up to 13 weeks. More details on Services Australia here.

QLD Assistance

This support is accessed via qld.gov.au.

• Emergency Hardship Assistance: $180 per person or up to $900 for families.
• Essential Services Hardship Assistance: $150 per individual or $750 per family if without essential utilities (power, water) for over 5 days.
• Essential Household Contents Grant: Up to $5,300 for replacing essential items lost in the disaster.
• Essential Services Safety and Reconnection Scheme: A grant to help cover the cost of safety inspections ($200) and repairs and replacements ($4,200) to reconnect essential services – i.e., power, gas, water, and sewage – lost for five consecutive days or more.
• Structural Assistance Grant: Up to $80,000 for uninsured homeowners needing repairs.

A comprehensive guide to Queensland support is available on qld.gov.au.

NSW Assistance

This support is accessed via Services NSW.

• Personal Hardship Assistance Grant:  $180 per person (up to $900 per family) for immediate needs.
• Essential Household Goods Grant: Up to $18,000 for uninsured low-income households to replace necessary items.
• Structural Repair Grant: Covers essential repairs to make a home habitable.
• Structural Rebuild Grant: Helps with costs of rebuilding a home after major damage.
• Temporary Dwelling Grant: Financial aid for temporary housing if your home was destroyed.
• Access Grant: Up to $50,000 towards essential repairs to impassable lawful privately-owned accessways to a principal place of residence of a low income earner.

A comprehensive guide to NSW support is available here.

Support for Small Businesses & Primary Producers

For business owners and farmers affected by the disaster, there are various financial relief options:

QLD Assistance

• Relief Loans: Up to $250,000 (10 years at 2.14%) for disaster-affected businesses and farms. Details available on QRIDA website here.
• Working Capital Loans: Up to $100,000 to cover essential costs like wages and rent. Details available on QRIDA website here.
• Freight Subsidies: Up to $5,000 to help transport emergency fodder, equipment, or livestock. Details available here.

NSW Assistance

• Relief Loans: Low-interest loans (3.14% pa up to $130,000) for small businesses and farmers. Details available on the Rural Assistance Authority webpage (RAA)
• Primary Producer Transport Subsidy: Up to $15,000 for transporting essential supplies like fodder or water. Access via the RAA here.

Other Considerations

• Hardship Assistance from Banks & Financial Institutions: Many offer temporary relief, such as deferring loan repayments and waiving fees. Contact your bank or visit the Australian Bankers Association.
• Tax Considerations: Unless declared otherwise, grants, support payments and disaster payments will often be assessed as income in your tax return. However, this depends on the nature of the payment and what it relates to. The ATO provides a summary here.
• Insurance Payouts: If you have received an insurance payout, in some circumstances this will be taxable and a capital gain or loss triggered when the asset was destroyed. The ATO provides some basic details here. As always, seek out guidance from us in relation to your specific circumstances.

Final Thoughts

Recovering from a disaster is challenging, but financial aid and government support can help ease the burden. If you’ve been affected by Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred, act quickly to apply for assistance.

For more details on eligibility and applications, visit:

• Services Australia
• qld.gov.au
• QLD Rural and Industry Development Authority (QRIDA)
• NSW Rural  Assistance Authority (RAA)
• Service NSW

You can also contact LINK Advisors if you require support with an application or to discuss tax treatment of a loss, expense or funding.