Centre Link & DHS: Individual Assistance

The Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment (AGDRP) is available to people who have been adversely affected by the Victorian Bushfires.

The AGDRP provides $1,000 per eligible adult and $400 per child.  Claims for this assistance can be lodged with Centrelink until 7 August 2009.

For more information on eligibility or if you have any queries, please visit the Centrelink website or contact the Australian Government Victorian Bushfires Hotline on 180 2211. If you have a hearing or speech impairment - TTY service FreeCALL^TM 1800 810 586.

Eligibility for Assistance

A person is eligible for the AGDRP if, as a direct result of the bushfires:

• they were seriously injured, or
• their principal place of residence was destroyed or sustained major damage, or
• they were unable to return to their principal place of residence for 24 hours or more, or
• they are the immediate family member of an Australian who died in the bushfires, and is the first immediate family member to make a claim for the AGDRP, or
• they experienced psychological trauma, or
• their principal place of residence experienced a utility failure for 48 hours or more.

Seriously Injured

A person is considered seriously injured if, as a direct result of the bushfires, the person sustained an injury and was admitted to hospital.  The person is also eligible, if under normal circumstances, the injury would have required admittance to hospital.

Destroyed

A principal place of residence has been destroyed if, as a direct result of the bushfires, it was destroyed or has been damaged to the extent that it must be demolished.

Major Damage

A principal place of residence has suffered major damage when, as a direct result of the bushfires:

• at least one quarter of the residence has been damaged
• the residence has been declared structurally unsound as supported by evidence, or
• the residence has experienced:
  1. sewerage failure for a period of 24 hours or more, or
  2. sewerage contamination.

Immediate Family Member

An immediate family member of an Australian who dies as a direct result of the bushfires is eligible for the AGDRP.  The person will be regarded as the immediate family member if the person was the deceased person's:

• partner
• natural child, adoptive child or stepchild
• natural parent, adoptive parent or step parent
• legal guardian, or
• brother, sister, stepbrother or stepsister.

Assistance will be provided to only one immediate family member of a person who died as a direct result of the bushfires.

Psychological Trauma

A person is considered to have experienced psychological trauma if:

• they were in the immediate area of the disaster, and
• any of the following occurred:
  • they were an eyewitness to a person seriously injured as a direct result of the bushfires, or
  • they were an eyewitness to the remains, body or bodies of people who died as a direct result of the bushfires, or
  • they were separated for 24 hours or more from an immediate family member as a direct result of the bushfires, or
  • their life was under immediate threat as a direct result of the bushfires, or
  • their principal place of residence was under immediate threat as a direct result of the bushfires, or
  • any real property owned by the individual or business premises owned by the individual, was under immediate threat by the bushfires.

Utility Failure

A person's principal place of residence is considered to have experienced a utility failure if the principal place of residence was without electricity, water or gas services for a period of 48 hours or more, and the utility outage was a result of damage to public or private infrastructure arising as a direct result of the bushfires.

Unable to return

Unable to return means that the person could not return to their principal place of residence for a period of 24 hours or more as a direct result of the bushfires.

Assistance for Funeral/Memorial and Related Costs

The Commonwealth Government acknowledges the hardship faced by those families who have lost a loved one. To support these families, assistance for funeral/memorial and related costs has been made available to the immediate family member of an Australian who died or was declared missing as a direct result of the January/February 2009 Victorian Bushfires. 

This assistance will cover funeral/memorial and related costs. An amount of $5,000 will be paid to the closest family member for each deceased individual to assist with any related costs that they may acquire.  Centrelink can work with families to determine the most appropriate family member to receive this assistance.