Thousands of Aussies eligible for $1,000 cash boost
Aussies in Victoria, Tasmania and New South Wales who have been impacted by extensive flooding have been made eligible to access disaster payments.
Another 44 local government areas (LGAs) have been added to the list of eligible areas to claim the cash support.
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Also read: Aussies warned against falsely claiming flood payment: $20k and prison
The one-off, non-means-tested Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment is $1,000 per eligible adult and $400 per eligible child.
This means a family of four could claim $2,800.
If you live in Victoria, you can now claim the payment if you‘re a resident of:
Alpine
Benalla
Buloke
Campaspe
Central Goldfields
Corangamite
Gannawarra
Greater Bendigo
Greater Shepparton
Hepburn
Horsham
Loddon
Macedon Ranges
Mansfield
Maribyrnong
Mitchell Shire
Moira
Moonee Valley
Murrindindi
Northern Grampians
Pyrenees
Strathbogie
Wangaratta
If you live in Tasmania, you can now claim the payment if you‘re a resident of
Break O’Day
Burnie
Central Coast
Central Highlands
Circular Head
Devonport
Dorset
Flinders
George Town
Kentish
Latrobe
Launceston
Meander Valley
Northern Midlands
Waratah-Wynyard
West Coast
West Tamar
If you live in New South Wales, you can now claim the payment if you‘re a resident of
Central Coast
Coonamble
Goulburn-Mulwaree
Parkes
How to access flood payments
Flood victims can apply for a Disaster Recovery Payment by following these three steps.
1. Set up a myGov account
According to the Services Australia website, if you’re an Australian resident or protected visa holder, the simplest way to claim is online.
To do this, you’ll first need to set up a myGov account, if you haven’t already.
People who need help lodging a claim can call Services Australia on the emergency information line on 180 22 66.
2. Link your myGov account to Centrelink
Next, you’ll need to link Centrelink to your myGov account.
If you have lodged a claim for a payment before through Centrelink, you’ll be able to use your Centrelink Customer Reference Number (CRN) to link Centrelink to myGov. You’ll also need to answer some personal questions, the department advised.
If you haven’t lodged a claim before, you’ll need to prove your identity online using myGov.
3. Make a claim
Once you’ve set up a myGov account and linked it to Centrelink, you can sign in and click “Apply for Disaster Recovery Payment”
You’ll need to answer several eligibility and claim questions before you can submit your claim.
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