Government assistance after a disaster

What is this resource?

This resource is designed to support community workers and volunteers connect people in disaster affected communities with legal help. It will help you understand what options your client has to access compensation or assistance after a disaster. We refer to community members you are supporting as your ‘client’ throughout this resource. 

It provides:

• links to legal information resources that you can provide to your client

• information on how to make a referral for legal help

Crisis and Emergency Assistance

The Commonwealth and Victorian Government occasionally provide one-off financial assistance to people impacted by disasters. Your client might be able to apply for an immediate income support payment even if they are not receiving a Centrelink benefit. The type of payment or assistance that they may be able to receive will depend on their circumstances. 

The following resources provide information on the relevant schemes run by the Federal and State Governments for people in Victoria:

• Emergency and Crises Assistance – Disaster Legal Help Victoria

• Are you affected by the Victorian floods? – Social Security Rights Victoria (ssrv.org.au)

• Personal Hardship Assistance Program | Disaster Legal Help Victoria

The Victorian State Government website also provides information about the range of support, including financial support, that they can provide to people affected by disasters, with various eligibility requirements. More information can be found here: Relief and Recovery – VicEmergency.

Power Outages

Disaster events can leave people without power for an extended period. There are guaranteed service levels that electricity distributors are required to provide certain customers. They are set out in the Electricity Distribution Code of Practice. If a distributor fails to meet the minimum service levels, they are required to make payments to customers. 

The payments may vary depending on the circumstances. 

In response to the February 2024 storm event in Victoria, Gippsland Community Legal Centre has developed a resource explaining how compensation payments work in the event of a power outage. 

Read the resource for more information: Understanding-Compensation-Available-After-A-Power-Outage.pdf (gcls.org.au)