Emergency relief support

Financial support for temporary visa holders, people seeking asylum and people with an uncertain visa status to help meet their basic needs.

What is emergency relief?

Emergency relief is to help people meet their basic needs, like food, medicine or shelter.

This support is for people who do not have access to Commonwealth income support (including SRSS, Special Benefits and Job Seeker).

How much is the payment?

Your application will be assessed for all available emergency relief available in your state or territory at that time.

If eligible, payment amounts will vary according to your situation and family size.

We know you may be in a difficult situation, however this is not income support and we know the payment may not meet all your needs.

Who is this service for?

Applicants must meet all of the following:

Live in Australia

Be unable to access Commonwealth Government income support

Be seeking asylum, hold a temporary visa or have an uncertain visa status

Have no or very limited income, savings or community support

How do I apply?

Documents you need before you start

Visa details

Passport number, visa grant number or Immi card number.
If you are seeking asylum, further evidence such as letter confirming protection claim or letter from a support agency.
If you are unsure or do not have a current visa, leave the visa fields blank or select ‘uncertain’ and we will call you for a confidential discussion. Red Cross does not share personal or visa information with the government.

Bank statements

For all adult members of the family, including joint and linked accounts
Including name, BSB, account name and address
Dated not older than 2 weeks from date of application
Including transaction history of at least one month

For your own security, do not upload a credit card statement or a bank statement that contains a credit card number.

Submitting the above information will help us process your application as quickly as possible. If we need to ask you for missing information, this will delay the process.

To start, we'll check you are eligible for Red Cross emergency relief.
If you are eligible, you will be able to apply.

Get started

You must confirm that all information provided to Red Cross is true and correct. If your application contains information or documentation believed to be false or misleading, including concealing any relevant circumstances, it will be declined.

If you have applied for emergency relief with Red Cross before, please use the same username and password to login.

I need help now

If your health or safety is in danger now, call 000.
13 11 14 - Lifeline Crisis Support
1800 737 732 (1800 RESPECT) – Family & Domestic Violence
1800 55 1800 - Kids Helpline
AskIzzy – search for support by suburb
If you can access your savings, or support from home, please do so.

Information for service providers

Service providers can help a client to apply via the online portal.

If you are supporting a client to apply, do not use your work email address; applications must be made using the client’s unique personal email. If the client does not currently have an email address, please support them to open a new one.