After the outbreak of the Covid-19 in Sydney, the Australian government announced support for the public who lost employment because of the covid in NSW. Initially, it was 500 a week which was increased to 600 and further increased to 750. After the outbreak of covid in other states and territories, the support is now available for the other part of Australia too.
After the announcement, there were lots of queries regarding the disaster payment whether you can get it or not, or other questions related to it. Most of the people who lost the work due to covid and not have no jobs are clearly the eligible candidates but the question of people who are doing part-time or working in 2 places are quite frequent in the page Confession of Nepalese in Australia which has become one of the informative sources to the Nepalese people living in Australia.
Here, we are taking those queries as references with permission from them. We will try to understand and solve the unclarity of the covid disaster payment.
I was getting disaster payment and I got the job. Am I still eligible?
If your hours are still less than the hours you used to work before covid, then you could be still eligible. Service Australia has clearly mentioned that you have to update your situation if it changes. In this case, you need to give them a call. It may not affect your visa if you are doing the right thing by informing them.
I am not going to work but I have not lost it. Am I eligible?
You should not do this. Your hours were not decreased and your second job is not lost. They will take the detail about the workplace and could verify anytime. Not going to the work does not mean you have lost the work. you are clearly ineligible for covid payment. You could be penalized for providing false information.
I used to work in two places. I got my job back. Can I apply from another place?
After losing two jobs and getting one back, you are still losing your working hours. According to the eligibility criteria of Service Australia, you are still eligible to get the payment. But, you got the job back from which you were claiming the payment. in this case, you need to call them and explain the situation to them.
I was working on cash, Am I eligible for COVID disaster payment?
you can work on cash until and unless you declare it on your income while lodging the tax. If this is the case and you can provide the ABN, address, and contact detail of your employer then you would be eligible. You can talk with your employer for reference and assistance regarding your working hours. If you have no income record, then you were not working before covid. This makes you ineligible for the payment.
I work in ABN. Can I get disaster payment?
Yes, you could be eligible for either disaster payment or business support payment for your relevant loss. You should give them and a call and explain your situation and about your work.
Can I just stay home and claim the money even after having plenty of shift?
A big NOOO!!! You are not eligible for the payment as you have not lost the job and hours. But you can still stay at home cill with Netflix.
I have to isolate. Can I get the COVID payment?
If you are casual or close contact and you need to isolate yourself for 14 days then you are eligible for AUD$ 1500. You can claim that amount if you are also caring for someone with COVID-19. You need to call service Australia and to provide your details.
I am a student. I lost more than 20 hours.
Being on a student visa you are allowed to work only 40 hrs per fortnight. But this restriction is not applied to some occupations. If you fall under this occupation then, you are perfectly eligible for the covid disaster payment even if you are a student.
OTHER QUERIES
If your income has been affected because of the COVID then you can apply for the covid disaster payment. If you are doing food delivery service then it applies to you too. You could be eligible to apply under sole trader.
By the eligibility criteria, you are not eligible for the disaster payment.
According to the eligibility criteria, you can claim for your lost hours. Suppose you were working 40 hrs and got a new job with 25 hrs per week then you lost a total of 15 hours of income. And you can claim for that.
If that job stopped because of the COVID and you have the contract paper signed before the COVID then you are the employee of that place and you can apply for the payment. You need to talk with your employer as well for the assist.
These answers are based on the eligibility criteria of Service Australia. If you need to contact them or need assistance to apply for the payment you can visit them here. There are lots of queries regarding the covid disaster payment which we will update in Nepsyders.com or its Facebook page in the Future. Please stay updated and stay safe.
