Crisis Payment, which is paid through Centrelink, is a very important safety net for Australians in order to help them when sudden and unexpected financial hardships arise. The payment, being a temporary one, could help pay for basic survival needs such as food, shelter, utilities, and so on when things are getting tough.
Centrelink Crisis Payment
Crisis Payment is one sort of financial assistance or payment facilitated by Centrelink, a departmental entity within the Department of Social Services in Australia. It is accorded to persons who have been thrown into situations of extreme financial hardship due to extreme occurrences.
It is a one-time payment; it serves the immediate purpose of alleviating the suffering of those plunged into crises such as domestic violence, natural disasters, or life-changing situations.
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Eligibility Criteria for the Crisis Payments Centrelink
For one to be eligible for a Crisis Payment, they must meet the following criteria:
Severe Financial Hardship
- An individual has to be in a situation of extreme financial hardship to be eligible in order to receive a Crisis Payment.
- This can be in the form of not being able to afford such basic living things as food, accommodation, or electricity.
- Furthermore, for the application of the crisis payment to be considered, applicants must be eligible to be granted a social security pension or benefit, or the ABSTUDY Living Allowance.
Extreme Circumstances
- The Crisis Payment is for people in extreme circumstances. These include:
- Domestic or Family Violence: A Crisis Payment is payable to people who have to leave their home because of domestic or family violence.
- Staying in a Home After Violence: Where a member of the family has been removed from the home because of their violence, the people who stay in the home may be eligible for a Crisis Payment.
- Natural Disaster: A Crisis Payment is payable where the person has had to leave their home as a consequence of a natural disaster, whether fire or flood.
- Released from Prison or Psychiatric Confinement: The crisis payment may be granted to a person who has been released from prison after serving at least 14 days, or psychiatric confinement.
Crisis Payment Centrelink Benefits
The nature of the Crisis Payment is to provide temporary assistance to people facing disastrous situations, which is usually severe. The amount a person gets will be based on the income support payment the person already had.
Calculation:
- One Week of Income Support: It is also equivalent to one week of the individual’s current income support payment.
- Maximum Basic Rate: This payment is therefore calculated at the maximum basic rate of an individual’s income support. This means any supplementary payment or allowance part is not added into the calculation.
Variability:
- Individual Income Support: The size of the Crisis Payment is linked to their individual income support rate. If one gets more as a higher income support payment, then the more their Crisis Payment will be.
Application for a Crisis Payment via Centrelink
The easy step on how one can apply for a Crisis Payment using Centrelink online:
- Create a myGov account if you don’t have one, through the website https://my.gov.au/.
- First of all, after creating your myGov account, make sure you link it with your Centrelink account so you could access your Centrelink account details and its online services.
- Log into your myGov account. At the top, click Centrelink. In this section, there should be a “Claims and Payments” or “Apply for Benefits.”
- Then, look for an option which says something about a “Crisis Payment.” Click on this to begin the application.
- The online application will call for a range of information about your personal financial situation and the nature of your crisis.
- This may include:
- Your income and expenditure
- The extent of your financial hardship Supporting documents to attach, such as medical certificates or notices to quit/rent arrears
- Applying As part of the application,
- you may also be required to attach supporting evidence to validate your claim.
- Once you have filled in all the information and attached the particular documents, check your application once.
- If everything is fine, submit your application.
Types of Crisis Payments
Crisis payment is a temporary financial support given to an individual or family in a situation that highlights a case of sudden unexpected financial hardship. In Centrelink, different situations come with different types of crisis payments.
Rent Assistance:
- Purpose: Assists in paying the rent or mortgage repayment for their house when persons face a financial crisis to bear.
- Individuals need to prove that they cannot pay their rent or mortgage as a result of sudden and unexpected loss of income.
Employment Services:
- The purpose is to provide temporary support for basic living needs like food, clothes, and utilities.
- A person should be facing extreme economic hardship and cannot afford the most basic needs.
Disaster Relief Payment:
- The intent is to provide financial support for individuals and family members who are impacted by natural disasters such as floods, bushfires, or cyclones.
- Must be directly impacted by a declared natural disaster where there has been an injury or financial loss and hardship has occurred.
Medical Transport Payment:
- Will assist you in meeting the cost of your necessary medical transport, such as an ambulance or taxi.
- Must be a person who is medically affected and needs urgent or essential treatment for which they need to travel to have this carried out. Or the person, for whatever reason, is not in a position to pay for the treatment/transportation.