How to claim the $750 pandemic payment

After much back and forth, the $750 pandemic payment is back. Here’s what you need to know about claiming the cash.

Covid-infected workers forced to isolate at home without sick leave will again be able to claim up to $750 in pandemic pay from this week.

Services Minister Bill Shorten has urged anyone who has run out of sick leave to apply – not just casual workers who aren’t typically entitled to sick leave.

“What’s going to happen is that if you have to isolate for seven days, if in that seven-day period, you lose more than eight hours of work or a full day’s work, you are able to claim,’’ he told Sunrise.

“The only checks and balances is if you have sick leave, you have to use your sick leave first, but I stress not your holiday leave. But if you’ve got some sick leave, you have to use that first.”

How much you can claim

For each seven day period of self-isolation, the amount of pandemic pay you are eligible for depends on how many hours of work you lost.

The new scheme operates in a similar way to the original scheme.

You are eligible for:

• $450 if you lost at least eight hours or a full day’s work, and less than 20 hours of work

• $750 if you lost 20 hours or more of work.

• If you lost less than eight hours or a full day’s work during the seven day period of self-isolation, quarantine or caring, you won’t be eligible for this payment.

You can claim up to $750. Picture: istock

The Albanese Government initially axed the scheme on June 30 before state premiers called for it to be reinstated amid a wave of winter cases.

“If you are 17 years or older, if you are an Australian working in Australia, or you hold a visa which means you can work in Australia, you’re eligible,’’ Mr Shorten said.

“Also, if you have more than $10,000 in the bank, so it’s not a means test, but if you’ve got liquid assets, then you’re not eligible.

“But you can make the claim by going online through your myGov account or if you don’t have that you can set one up pretty easily through Services Australia website.”

Mr Shorten said applicants would also have to offer evidence they were Covid positive via a PCR test, a doctors certificate or a RAT.

“Yes, they need to have some positive proof. Like a doctor’s certificate or proof that you’ve had a positive Covid reading,’’ he said.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announcing Australians will be able to access the $750 Covid isolation payments until September 30 on Saturday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

Don’t forget tax implications

If you have received the payment in the last financial year, you need to include it in your income tax return this year.

It also needs to be declared to the child support agency if you’re a parent.

It won’t be pre-filled in your tax return so you must do both of the following:

• add all of the PLDP amounts you got for any period during the financial year

• include the total amount in your tax return.

• If you lodge your tax return online using myTax, declare it under ‘Australian Government special payments’.

• If you get Family Assistance you will also need to include the Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment in your family income estimate as taxable income or when you advise us on non lodgement of tax return.

If you’re a member of a couple, you can both claim the payment but you will need to complete separate claims.

Deadlines to claim

The first time limit to keep in mind is you need to claim within 14 days of the start of each seven day period of self-isolation, quarantine or caring.

But if you’re forced to isolate for longer – for example if you’re caring for children who test positive for Covid later than other family members extending the isolation period – you can put in another claim.

How to claim the cash

All Australian residents must claim for the pandemic payment online. And to claim online, you will need a myGov account linked to Centrelink.

If you don’t have a myGov account, you’ll need to create it online.

There was a push to reinstate the payment because of concerns about the rise in Covid cases. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

There is also other support available for those not eligible for the payments including a helpline.

“Yeah, if you’re on an income support payment, you’re also eligible to make a claim (for the Crisis Payment for National Health Emergency payments),’’ Mr Shorten said.

“My best advice is go online to Services Australia. If the whole digital experience just frightens you, and that’s not an illegitimate view, you can call 180 22 66. That’s 180 22 66. The system is there for people who are doing it tough. This is how we’ll look after each other.”

Mr Shorten also left the door open to extending the payment beyond September 30 if the health advice suggested it was necessary.

“Obviously, we all want to see that the Covid surge diminished by that time. If the facts change by the end of that time, no doubt the national cabinet will have the same sort of deliberations that they had on the Saturday meeting, which was convened by the PM,’’ he said.