FINANCIAL SUPPORT
If you are an employee or a business who has been affected by COVID-19, below is a list of the financial help available from the State and Federal Government.
BUSINESS
Business Support Fund – if you are Small Business that employs staff, have been subject to closure or is significant impacted by shutdown restrictions – you may be eligible for the Business Support Fund. To apply, click here.
Accommodation Support Program – Accommodation businesses in regional Victoria impacted by these cancellations can apply for direct financial support through the Regional Tourism Accommodation Support Program. To apply, click here.
JobKeeper Payment – The JobKeeper Payment scheme is a temporary subsidy for businesses significantly affected by coronavirus (COVID-19) administered through the Australian Tax Office. Eligible employers, sole traders and other entities can apply to receive $1,500 per eligible employee per fortnight. To enrol, click here.
WORKERS
Working for Victoria – If you are an employer or jobseeker in Victoria, you can register your details on the Working for Victoria site to access new work opportunities. The $500 million initiative aims to help our community and contribute to Victoria’s ability to respond to the coronavirus pandemic and is dedicated support for our agriculture, food processing and critical food supply chain businesses. Further, the $2.7 billion Building Works package announced recently is providing a pipeline of Victorian projects for roads, transport, schools and other important redevelopments. For more information, click here.
Victorian workers can apply for a $450 Coronavirus (COVID-19) Test Isolation Payment that provides financial support while they self-isolate to wait for the results of a coronavirus (COVID-19) test
Centrelink – If you have lost your job, you may be eligible for the Jobseeker payment. To apply, visit them online or phone 13 28 50.
For multilingual services, phone 131 202.
RENTERS
The Victorian Parliament have passed a range of new laws to protect tenants from eviction throughout the pandemic. These laws have created a six-month moratorium on evictions, suspend rental increases and established a new dispute resolution process for tenants and landlords. More details can be found here.
The Victorian Government has established the rental assistance fund to provide a one off $2,000 grant to support Victorian’s experiencing rental hardship. This grant will ensure tenants can maintain safe, secure and stable accommodation. More information is available here.