Relief Payment Information
If you have been impacted by the Victorian bushfires, there are two types of government support payments you might be eligible for which are outlined below.
Disaster Recovery Allowance
The Disaster Recovery Allowance is an Australian Government income support payment. This payment is now available.
It is a short-term payment to help you if the Victorian bushfires directly affect your income. You can get it for a maximum of 13 weeks. You will be paid from the date you started losing income as a direct result of the bushfires.
You have until June 23, 2025 to make a claim with the Australian Government for the following Local Government Areas (LGAs):
- Ararat
- Macedon Ranges
- Northern Grampians
- Southern Grampians
You can find out more about the payment and how to apply, here.
Emergency Relief Payment
An Emergency Relief Payment is a Victorian Government payment, jointly funded by the Australian Government. This payment is now available.
Emergency relief payments are designed to provide immediate financial help for eligible Victorians experiencing financial hardship due to the Victorian bushfires in Grampians National Park.
An emergency relief payment can help you to pay for things such as:
- Food
- Clothing
- Medication
- Accommodation
You are eligible for an emergency relief payment if:
- Your principal place of residence was damaged or destroyed by the bushfire and you can’t live in it, or
- Your principal place of residence was in an evacuation warning area, and you evacuated your property, and
- You have unmet immediate relief needs.
Emergency relief payments are designed to provide immediate financial help for eligible Victorians experiencing financial hardship due to the bushfires.
Payments are based on a fixed amount for each member of your household and are not calculated based on how much money you earn. Payments are $680 per adult and $340 per child, up to a maximum of $2380 per eligible family.
To apply for a payment please call the VicEmergency Hotline on 1800 226 226 (select option 0, then option 1)
Have some ID ready, if you can, such as:
- Driver’s license
- Medicare card
- Letter or utility bill showing your address
For translated fact sheets on emergency relief payments please visit the Personal Hardship Assistance Program page of the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing website. You can also find out more about the payment here.
Salvation Army
In a government-declared emergency, The Salvation Army offers hardship grants for urgent necessities. If you would like to access this support, contact council for a referral or drop into the recovery office at the Halls Gap Hub.