APRIL 5, 2017: A request to the Federal Minister for Justice to allowed severely affected residents in the Mackay Local Government Area to be eligible for Disaster Recovery Payments and the Disaster Recovery Allowance was granted within 24 hours.This morning the Minister for Justice Michael Keenan has announced that Mackay has now been included in the local government areas which are eligible for this Australian Government assistance.I raised this with the Minister on Monday when he was in the Whitsundays, we followed up by letter yesterday and had word late yesterday that Minister Keenan had activated it.These payments are for people who have been severely affected by cyclone and flooding events, and though that’s a relatively small number in the Mackay local government area, the effects on them are devastating.Some of these people experienced severe flooding and they have lost houses, cars, tools and stock.Disaster Recovery Payments are one off payments of $1000 per adult and $400 per child for people who have suffered serious injury or major damage to their homes as a result of the disaster.The Disaster Recovery Allowance provides income assistance for up to 13 weeks at the maximum rate of Newstart Allowance and this will assist employees, primary producers and sole traders who have lost their income as a result of the disaster.People will have six months to lodge their application by:

• calling the Department of Human Services on 180 22 66
• completing a claim form at a Centrelink or Medicare Service Centre, or any Centrelink Agent
• posting a form toEmergency Processing CentreReply Paid 7815Canberra BC ACT 2610
• faxing a form to 1300 727 760

ELIGIBILITYAn individual may be eligible for the Disaster Recovery Payment if they are at least 16 years of age, not a dependent child and as a direct result of the severe weather, rainfall and associated flooding that occurred as a result of Tropical Cyclone Debbie:

• the person has been seriously injured, or
• the person is an immediate family member of a person who died as a direct result of the disaster
• the person’s principal place of residence has suffered major damage
• the person’s principal place of residence has been destroyed, or
• the person is the principal carer of a dependent child affected by one of the above criterion.

An individual may be eligible for Disaster Recovery Allowance if they are 16 years of age, or older and are not a dependent child and:

• earn, or receive an income by working or residing in the affected local government areas above, and as a direct result of the severe weather, rainfall and associated flooding that occurred as a result of Tropical Cyclone Debbie:
  • experienced a loss of income as a direct result of the disaster
  • are not receiving another income support payment or pension (such as Age Pension, Newstart Allowance, service person from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, or Farm Household Allowance) for the same period they are claiming the DRA, and
  • their income is less than the relevant income threshold amount in the fortnight following their loss of income.

PHOTO: Courtesy of The Daily Mercury, Mackay.