PM Announces Pandemic Leave
Disaster Payment for Victoria
Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced on 3 August 2020 a “disaster payment” in the form of a pandemic leave disaster payment. The payment will be one-off amount of $1,500, available to workers in Victoria who have no sick leave available who have to self-isolate for 14 days as a result of an instruction by a public health officer.
It will only apply to workers in Victoria, where the Government has declared a “state of disaster” and imposed Stage 4 lockdowns, which are expected at this point to run until mid-September.
The Victorian Government has already announced that it will provide a disaster payment, principally made to those on short-term visas; that is, those who are not permanent residents or citizens of Australia who otherwise wouldn’t have accessed Commonwealth payments. The Federal Government will provide its payment to those who fall outside that scope and who don’t have leave available to them because it has been used up.
To this end, the Government has registered the Financial Framework (Supplementary Powers) Amendment (Home Affairs Measures No 4) Regulations 2020, which establish the legislative authority for the Government to make pandemic leave disaster payment grants.
In response to questions from journalists, the PM advised:
- the Federal Government payment will not apply to states other than Victoria (although there is scope to extend it if other states are forced to declare a state of disaster);
- it will continue for as long as the Government says there is a state of disaster;
- it will only apply while the Victorian Stage 4 restrictions are operative; and
- the payment is only for the fortnight that a worker is to self-isolate – it is not a recurring fortnightly payment while the state of disaster declaration remains in force.
Accessing the Federal Government payment
Services Australia has provided further details on its website. It states that, to get this payment, the applicant must:
- be at least 17 years old;
- live in Victoria; and
- have no income from paid work, including sick leave entitlements.
In addition, the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services must also have told the applicant to self-isolate or quarantine. They must have done this because the applicant:
- has COVID-19;
- has been in close contact with a person who has COVID-19;
- cares for a child, aged 16 years and under, who has COVID-19; and/or
- cares for a child, aged 16 years and under, who has been in close contact with a person who has COVID-19.
If a person has to self-isolate more than once, they can claim this payment each time. However, a person cannot get this payment if they already receive:
- an income support payment, ABSTUDY Living Allowance, Paid Parental Leave or Dad and Partner Pay;
- the JobKeeper payment; or
- the Victorian Coronavirus (COVID-19) Worker Support Payment.
Coronavirus Worker Supplement Payment (Victoria)
The Victorian Government announced its Coronavirus Worker Supplement Payment on 30 July.
To be eligible for a one-off $1,500 Coronavirus (COVID-19) Worker Support payment, the claimant must have been instructed by the Department of Health and Human Services:
- to self-isolate or quarantine at home because they are either diagnosed with coronavirus (COVID-19) or are a close contact of a confirmed case; or
- that a child aged aged under 16 in the claimant’s care needs to self-isolate or quarantine at home because they are either diagnosed with coronavirus (COVID-19) or are a close contact of a confirmed case.
To receive the payment, the claimant must:
- be 17 years and over;
- be currently living in Victoria (including people on Temporary Protection Visas and Temporary Working Visas 457 and 482);
- be likely to have worked during the period of self-isolation or quarantine and are unable to work as a result of the requirement to stay at home;
- not be receiving any income, earnings or salary maintenance from work;
- have exhausted sick leave entitlements, including any special pandemic leave; and
- not be receiving the JobKeeper payment or other forms of Australian Government income support.
Workers include those that are permanent, casual, part-time, fixed-term and self-employed. There is no requirement for a claimant to be a citizen or permanent resident to be eligible.
Important: Clients should not act solely on the basis of the material contained here. Items herein are general comments only and do not constitute or convey advice per se. Also, changes in legislation may occur quickly. We, therefore, recommend that our formal advice be sought before acting in any of the areas.
