To be eligible for this program a person must:
- live in Victoria, and
- be unable to access Commonwealth income support (such as JobKeeper or JobSeeker) or the Victorian International Student Emergency Relief Fund, and
- have zero or very limited income, savings or community support
- be a temporary or provisional visa holder, or an undocumented migrant.
To apply for emergency financial assistance go to www.redcross.org.au/vicrelief. Applicants will need their passport and bank statements showing transactions from the last month. The website has information in simplified Chinese, Farsi, Malay, Nepalese, Spanish, Tamil, Urdu and Vietnamese.
Applicants struggling to source required information or apply through the online portal should call Red Cross to discuss their options: 1800 855 240. A reminder that Red Cross is not required to share individual visa information with government.
Recently Minister Donnellan announced a doubling of the assistance payment for eligible people. Single people who have zero or very limited savings, income and community support can now apply to receive a $800 payment. Families still receive more based on the number of people in the household.
People who previously received a $400 payment (or equivalent family amount) can apply for a $400 ‘top up’ payment. For more information see the Q&As and Community service provider fact sheet on the DHHS website.
This emergency financial assistance complements other Victorian Government hardship supports available to all people living in Victoria, including the $1500 worker support payment, the $300 test isolation payment, and the rent relief grant.