Cash assistance
$41.1 million was allocated to our flood relief grants, including 100% of the $27.2 million raised through the Australia Unites Telethon.
These grants provided direct cash assistance to people impacted by the floods.
The grants
Two grants were available:
Bereavement grant
$20,000 cash assistance to support senior next-of-kin of those who died as a direct result of the floods and who were experiencing financial hardship with immediate needs (funeral and other related expenses).
Relief grant
$500 cash assistance per household for people who were experiencing financial hardship as a result of flood impact to their primary place of residence.
Applications opened on 18 March 2022 and closed on 21 April 2022. People were able to apply online, over the phone or in a recovery centre.
As of 30 June 2022, a small number of applications have been flagged as potential duplicates, containing at least one detail identical to another application. These are being followed up by our grants team.
Discretionary Financial Hardship Flood grant
After distributing all eligible grants, $7.2 million remains. When grant applications closed on 21 April 2022, we had received over 100,000 applications. We made the decision to close applications to ensure enough funds were available to pay everyone who was eligible.
There is $7.2 million remaining because not every household who applied for a relief grant was eligible. The main reasons for this were:
- The applicant lived outside the flood-impacted area
- More than one person from the same household applied
- The application was incomplete, and the applicant did not respond to requests for more information
The remaining funds will be distributed as Discretionary Financial Hardship Flood grants to households facing continued financial hardship from the floods. These will be available until the remaining funds are exhausted. This will be facilitated through our recovery teams on the ground and other support agencies already working with impacted communities, to reach those facing continued financial hardship and processed by our dedicated cash assistance.
I would dearly like to thank Red Cross for the $500. I lost clothing and food products because of the floods and being on a disability pension it would have been impossible to replace my damaged items if it wasn't for the grant.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart, the tears keep coming with trying to deal with what we have been through.
Being able to buy a second pair of shoes and some more clothes I feel a bit more human.
Without the support, face to face, online and phone, I don't think my husband and I would have managed. Red Cross made it so much easier.
Thank you.
The on-the-ground support I received from Red Cross made a difference not just financially but psychologically as well.
You folks clearly understand what we were going through.
Applying for grants
In the aftermath of a disaster, people need to be able to access support as quickly and easily as possible. Our grant application was a simple online form, requiring basic information and documentation to confirm eligibility.
How people felt about the application process and receiving the grant
How people spent their Relief grant
Results based on 1,286 responses to our grant recipient survey, sent to all who had received a Relief grant as of 4 April 2022.
