The Victorian State Government has announced a new one-off payment worth $1,500 for renters who having difficulties due to the ongoing covid-19 enforced lockdown.
The $1,500 payment will be awarded to renters via their landlords, if they can prove that they have suffered a loss of income as a result of the covid-19 pandemic.
“We’re… asking landlords, as they did last year, to show a level of compassion to people who find themselves in sometimes very desperate circumstances. I think this is an important initiative that is actually going to make a significant difference to people’s lives,” said Richard Wynne the Victorian Minister for Housing.
To receive the payment, renters must have lost at least 20 percent of their income and have spent 30 percent of their income on rent.
Furthermore, there is an income limit of $62,860 for singles and $94,300 for couples.
The payment will be made directly to landlords whose renters meet the criteria.
Victorians applying for the payment must prove that the loss of income caused by the covid-19 pandemic occurred before or after Thursday 27th May 2021. They must also have under $2,000 of savings.
Landlords will also need to provide evidence of a rent reduction agreement with the renters that came into effect before or after 27 May 2021.
This means that, landlords who give their tenants a rent reduction now in order to access the payment will not be eligible.
NSW Workers Waiting For A Covid Test Are Eligible To Claim A $320 Payment
On Sunday 15th August, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian confirmed that workers in New South Wales who are waiting for a covid-19 test result are eligible to claim a $320 payment as the state continues to record hundreds of cases a day.
To receive the payment, NSW workers must be 17 years old or older and live in one of the following local government areas (LGAS) that includes;
Bayside, Burwood, Strathfield, Blacktown, Campbelltown, Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland, Fairfield, Georges River, Liverpool, Parramatta and the Penrith suburbs of Caddens, Claremont Meadows, Colyton, Erskine Park, Kemps Creek, Kingswood, Mount Vernon, North St Marys, Orchard Hills, Oxley Park, St Clair and St Marys.
Workers must also need to have had a Covid-19 test after Friday 13th August, or if they live in Bayside, Burwood, Strathfield, the test must to have occurred after Monday 16th August.
On top of this, NSW workers need to prove that they were likely to have worked during the period of isolation, and have consequently lost income.
Workers who have lost income as they have needed to care for someone isolating while waiting for a Covid-19 test are also eligible to receive the payments.
Workers who are capable of working from home, who have access to paid sick leave, carers leave or pandemic leave are deemed ineligible to receive the payment.
Furthermore, workers who have been receiving income support from the Australian Government, such as the Covid-19 Disaster Payment, the Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment are ineligible for the payment.
Essential workers who are required to take a test every three days as part of the state’s surveillance testing are also ineligible, as those workers are permitted to work while they wait for test results.
People waiting on rapid antigen tests are also ineligible.