Red Cross Bushfire Financial Assistance Grants

This program aims to provide grants for people in financial hardship as a result of bushfires in Australia during the bushfires 2019-20.

There are four types of grants available which closed on 31 December 2020:
- Emergency grant: For people who have lost their homes.
- Injury grant: For people hospitalised due to the fires.
- Primary residence repair grant: For home owner-occupiers whose homes were structurally damaged.
- Re-establishment grant: For people who lost their primary place of residence.

The program also offers an additional support grant for people who have already received a previous Red Cross bushfire grant, can provide evidence of low income (e.g. health care card, disability card, pensioner card, or any other evidence that they are receiving government benefits that demonstrate low income), and are still in financial hardship as a result of the fires.

Application opens 1 February and closes 19 February 2021.

The grants will vary depending on people’s individual needs, the number of people who apply, and the funds that the Red Cross left.

The grant is not open to applicants who have already received a payment in the November round, or if their applications were deemed not eligible for an additional support grant. However, people who could not provide required documentation of government benefits in time for the November round are encouraged to re-apply for this round.

Eligible applicants include those who are in financial hardship as a result of bushfires in Australia during the bushfires 2019-20.

Eligible costs must be related to the bushfires. These could be:
- Additional rebuilding or re-establishment costs.
- Basic necessities like groceries, utility bills or school fees.
- Further repairs to make homes safe to live in.
- Clearing unsafe and bushfire-damaged trees on property.
- Ongoing out-of-pocket medical costs.
- Other costs related to individual circumstances due to the bushfires.

The following are ineligible for additional support grant funding:
- Business expenses such as loss of income or farm equipment. This includes:
a) Farm fences or outbuildings
b) Farming equipment or stock losses
c) Replacing tools of trade
d) Investment properties and holiday homes
- Applicants who have already received a payment in
the November round.
- Applications were deemed not eligible.