18 September 2020
We understand that many people have been impacted by COVID-19, and that you may need some financial relief to meet your most urgent needs.
Please see I need help now for other services that may be able to support you.
Here is some important information to read before you contact us.
What is emergency relief?
Who is this service for?
How do I apply?
I need help now
What is emergency relief?
Emergency relief is to help people meet their basic needs, like food, medicine or shelter.
Australian Red Cross has received Government funding specifically to support people who are on temporary visas with a small one-off emergency relief payment.
Emergency relief payments are not income support. They are limited and we know may not meet all needs that you have.
Receiving financial assistance from Red Cross will not affect your current or any future visas.
The information you provide in your online application is sent to a Red Cross portal. It is not a government database or system.
Who is this service for?
Given the large number of people impacted by COVID-19, the support can only be offered to people in Australia with urgent needs who:
- are not Australian citizens or permanent residents; and
- have a need, such as a utility bill or medical expenses, and are unable to meet that need.
How do I apply?
Due to the high volume of applications we have received, there will be a delay in responding to your application. The current processing time is six weeks.
Before you start your application you will need:
Evidence of your current or most recent visa status such as your passport number or immi card number. If you are uncertain or don’t have a valid visa right now, you can still apply and we will contact you to discuss your application further.
Evidence of financial hardship:
- a bank statement that is no more than 2 weeks old that shows transactions for the past month
- if you have regular transfers to another bank account you will need to provide a bank statement for that account
- screenshots are acceptable only if they show your name, account number and one month of transactions.
If you do not provide this information your application will be delayed.
You can log in to your application after it has been submitted to check its progress. Due to high demand, it may take several weeks for your application to be processed. We will contact you if we require further information.