Individual grants

Last Updated: 10 Jan 2022 3:04pm
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Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment

The Australian Government’s Pandemic Leave Disaster Payments provide eligible Tasmanians with a payment from the Australian Government if they cannot earn an income because they are required to isolate or quarantine.

The Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment will be scaled based on the number of hours of work the individual has lost or expects to lose during an isolation period of up to 7 days:

  • Individuals who have lost or expect to lose 20 hours or more will continue to be entitled to $750.
  • Individuals who have lost or expect to lose at least a day of work or up to 19 hours will be entitled to $450.

Claims can be made if you are required to stay home from work because you have COVID-19 or have been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19, and you have used all available sick leave entitlements, including any special pandemic leave. People will need to have advice of a positive test from a testing clinic or health professional or evidence that they have registered a positive result from a home-administered RAT with their state health authority. You may also be eligible if you are the parent or guardian of a child aged 16 years or under who is a close contact or has tested positive for COVID-19.

Read more on the Services Australia website and call 180 22 66 to make a claim.

Pandemic Isolation Assistance Grants

Grants are available to support workers and self-employed people who are required to isolate or quarantine due to COVID-19 risk.

To apply, please call the Public Health Hotline on 1800 671 738.

Test and isolate

A $250 grant is available to support eligible Tasmanians who miss work due to a direction from Public Health to isolate while waiting for a COVID-19 PCR test result.  This means that workers do not have to choose between having a PCR test or going to work.

This payment is available if you are unable to work and lose income due to:

  • being directed by Public Health to isolate while awaiting your COVID-19 test result or
  • being a carer for a dependant who has been directed to isolate while they await their COVID-19 test result.

To be eligible for assistance, you must meet all of the following criteria:

  • be a Tasmanian resident
  • have been tested for COVID-19 via a PCR test, or be required to care for a dependant that has been tested for COVID-19 via a PCR test, and be waiting on your or your dependant’s test results
  • be isolating at your regular place of residence, with family or friends, or in a government-managed facility, while waiting for your or your dependant’s test results
  • be able to demonstrate that you have lost income or earnings while waiting for test results
  • have exhausted paid sick leave or carers leave entitlements, including any special pandemic leave, or have no entitlement to such leave - your leave entitlement/casual employment will be verified with their employer
  • not be receiving Australian Government income support (Centrelink, Austudy).

Eligible Tasmanians may receive the grant multiple times, but no more than once within a 30-day period.

This payment can be made to people who receive the Australian Government’s Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment or the Pandemic Isolation Assistance Grant while isolating (see below for additional information).

This payment is not available if you:

  • require COVID-19 testing as a condition of your work
  • are getting a COVID-19 test to travel to another jurisdiction.

Close contacts and confirmed cases

Close contacts of confirmed cases will be directed to quarantine for a minimum of 7 days after last exposure to a case regardless of vaccination status, with the duration beyond 7 days being dependent on the results of a Rapid Antigen Test taken on day one and day six of quarantine, and whether the person is still symptomatic.

Eligible Tasmanians can apply for an Australian Government’s Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment, which provides $750 to cover each 7 day period they are required to quarantine.

In the event that you cannot access the Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment, you can apply for the Tasmania Government’s Pandemic Isolation Assistance Grant and receive $750 for the first 7 days and an additional $750 for a subsequent period of up to 7 days where you are required by Public Health to quarantine.

This payment can be made consecutively with the Test and Isolate payment. This means that for people who are required to get a PCR test and isolate for 7 days or more, the combined payment of $250 for a test and $750 for the 7 days of isolation will result in people receiving $1000 in the first week of isolation. However, those who need to continue isolating beyond the first 7 days will get a maximum of $1500 for their test and subsequent isolation period.

To be eligible, you must be:

  • a confirmed case of COVID-19
  • a close contact of a confirmed COVID case or
  • be required to care for a dependant who is a confirmed case or close contact.

You must meet all of the following criteria:

  • be a Tasmanian resident
  • be able to demonstrate that you have lost income or earnings
  • have exhausted paid sick leave or carers leave entitlements, including any special pandemic leave, or have no entitlement to such leave - your leave entitlement/casual employment will be verified with their employer
  • not be receiving Australian Government income support (Centrelink, Austudy) or the Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment for the relevant 7-day quarantine period.

Eligible Tasmanians can receive the grant for each period of up to 7 days that they are required to quarantine.

Upon exiting quarantine, close contacts must adhere to public health directions for a further 7 days, which includes wearing a mask outside the home, avoiding certain high-risk settings and vulnerable people. In the event that this means you cannot work and you are unable to earn income, you may receive a payment of $750, provided you meet the eligibility criteria above.

Read more about the requirements of close contacts of COVID-19 cases.

Returning Tasmanians

Unvaccinated Tasmanian returning residents who have been directed under the Emergency Management Act 2006 (Directions in Relation to Persons Arriving in Tasmania), to quarantine for 5-14 days after returning to the State may also be eligible for a Pandemic Isolation Assistance Grant of $750 for each period of up to 7 days that they are required to quarantine.

You must meet all of the following criteria:

  • be a Tasmanian resident
  • are unable to earn income for the period of your quarantine
  • be directed to quarantine for 5-14 days immediately following entry to the state
  • be able to demonstrate that you have lost income or earnings while quarantining
  • have exhausted paid sick leave or carers leave entitlements, including any special pandemic leave, or have no entitlement to such leave - your leave entitlement/casual employment will be verified with their employer
  • not be receiving Australian Government income support payment (Centrelink, Austudy).

Eligible Tasmanians can receive the grant multiple times, but no more than once within a 30-day period.

People getting vaccinated

A $250 payment is available to Tasmanians who are unable to work due to attending a vaccine appointment or in the days after receiving their vaccine. This payment assists people who are at risk of losing income due to attending a vaccination appointment or due to side effects from the vaccine.

You must meet all of the following criteria:

  • be a Tasmanian resident
  • have been vaccinated for COVID-19 as evidenced by a vaccination certificate or a Medicare immunisation history statement; or be required to care for a dependant that has been vaccinated for COVID-19
  • have exhausted paid sick leave or carers leave entitlements, including any special pandemic leave, or have no entitlement to such leave - your leave entitlement/casual employment will be verified with their employer
  • be able to demonstrate that you have been unable to attend work and have lost income due to you or your dependant receiving the vaccine - the payment is available to people who develop symptoms within 3 days of getting their vaccination.