Disaster Relief Grant for individuals

Introduction

If your home or essential household contents were damaged or destroyed by a natural disaster, you may be eligible for the Disaster Relief Grant for individuals.

The financial assistance is provided to help people to recover from the effects of a disaster and re-establish a basic standard of living. It is not provided to replace insurance or compensate for losses.

Eligibility

You may be eligible for financial support if the following apply: 

• your primary place of residence was damaged by a natural disaster 
• you do not have insurance for the damage or your insurance doesn’t cover the damage caused during this natural disaster 
• you are a low-income earner with limited financial resources after tax, mortgage or rent have been deducted
• it has been less than 6 months since the disaster.

If there are multiple individuals with differentially owned assets living within the one address, for example, in a share-house arrangement, each individual must make their own application, covering only those items which belong to them, and which are in scope.

You may not be eligible if any of the following apply:

• lack of maintenance has caused or impacted the damage, such as poor roof maintenance
• the damage is cosmetic and not essential to living in a safe and habitable home.

Categories of support

The grants assist low-income residents who have no other means of restoring their homes to a safe and habitable condition following a disaster event.

Assistance falls into two categories: 

1. Essential Household Contents Grants to assist with the cost of re-establishing essential household items considered necessary to maintain a basic standard of living.
2. Structural Grants as a contribution toward essential structural repairs to homes for households unable to meet the cost of repairs. The Structural Repair Grants are commonly delivered in the form of either grants to contribute toward essential structural repairs to homes or full rebuilds of property which has been rendered uninhabitable. 

If the natural disaster event has caused damage to a temporary dwelling, assistance provided will depend on the type of temporary dwelling. There are several types of temporary dwelling support available, including support for people living in caravans, houseboats and relocatable homes and rough sleepers.

The application process

1. If you believe you're eligible to apply, call 13 77 88 for referral to the NSW Reconstruction Authority to discuss your eligibility. The NSW Reconstruction Authority will review your request for assistance.
2. If you are eligible then we will send you an application form and fact sheet to allow further assessment. This will be sent to your nominated email or mailing address.
3. Gather the extra information and documents you will need to provide.
4. Submit your application with the extra information and documents you have gathered. Your application can be made up to six months after the disaster.
5. We will let you know when we receive your application, give you a case number and advise if you need to supply any other documents.
6. We will check your application and talk to the agencies you have named on your behalf. By signing and submitting your application you are giving us permission to do so.
7. We will arrange to visit your home and inspect the damage before making a final assessment of your application.
8. We will write to you to tell you the outcome of your application.

What you need to provide

Contact details

• The physical home address of the property that was damaged
• Temporary address and contact number

Proof of income (one or more of the following)

• Centrelink advice letter
• Income statement or payslips
• Evidence of taxable income 
• Profit and loss statement for 12 months of earnings or a current income tax assessment (for sole traders and business owners)
• Evidence of income streams from superannuation pensions
• Evidence of income from parenting payments or carer payments
• Evidence of income from Veterans Affairs or Workers Compensation payments
• Evidence of income from rental property or other investments
• Evidence of any other income which would otherwise be declared in an annual tax return

Verification of home loan repayments or rent

• Your last normal weekly rent receipt
• A statement from your lending authority which includes notification of above minimum mortgage payments

Proof of assets

• A statement from your lending authority/mortgage documents
• Council rates notice
• Utility bills
• At least three months of bank statements for all accounts owned by the applicants

Insurance details (if applicable)

• Policy numbers
• Insurance company letters or emails

After you have submitted your application

How will I know my application was successful

We will assess your application as quickly as possible. Sometimes the size and property damage caused by a disaster means it can take time to assess your damage, but we will keep you informed of what you can do to assist us and how we’re progressing.  We will write to you and share the outcome and next steps following our assessment.

If your application is unsuccessful

You may appeal the decision if your claim has been declined or you have additional information that supports your claim. Appeals must be lodged within one month and addressed to:

Disaster Relief Grants
NSW Reconstruction Authority
GPO Box 5434 Sydney NSW 2001