Scott Morrison has announced financial aid for Victorians who have lost work due to the lockdown

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has pledged financial support for Victorians who have lost work due to the state’s fifth lockdown.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison will extend financial support to Victoria after a desperate plea from Daniel Andrews.

Late last night Mr Morrison agreed to financial assistance for state-imposed lockdowns for a period of less than seven days.

Under the new arrangements individuals will be eligible for a $375 Covid-19 Disaster Payment if they have lost between eight and less than 20 hours of work, and a $600 payment for 20 or more hours of work during the lockdown period.

There will be no liquid assets test applied to eligibility for these payments and costs will be shared between the federal and state government.

PM Scott Morrison and Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews. Picture: Mark Stewart

The assistance covers declared hotpots including Moorabool Shire, City of Greater Geelong, Borough of Queenscliff and Surf Coast Shire.

Payments will be made in arrears on application to Services Australia seven days after the commencement of the lockdown ie from July 23.

Should the Victorian lockdown be extended, the additional features of the upgraded and revised economic support arrangements proposed by the Commonwealth will be activated by agreement.

The late-night agreement came after Mr Andrews called on the federal government to “step up” and help those in need after the state was sent into its fifth hard lockdown.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews made a direct plea to Prime Minister Scott Morrison for financial assistance.

The five-day snap lockdown was outlined on Thursday after the state recorded more than a dozen new cases in just 48 hours, after a crew of infected removalists and a NSW family returned to the state.

New positive infections have sparked a swath of venue alerts, including the MCG.

While outlining lockdown measures, Mr Andrews confessed he had been texting back and forth with Scott Morrison discussing the cash incentive.

But a Commonwealth relief package was only available when a lockdown lasts seven days or longer.

“All week there has been a bit of banter, and back and forth, between our government and the Commonwealth,” Mr Andrews said.

New Tier 1 exposure sites have been published at https://t.co/xojLvnrdjA.

If you visited a Tier 1 exposure site during these times, you must immediately isolate, get a COVID-19 test, and quarantine for 14 days. You should also contact us on 1300 651 160. pic.twitter.com/APeSEWx1wr

— VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) July 15, 2021

“All we have sought to do and what I think we have done is remind the Commonwealth government that, at every point, they have said that packages of support and measures and policies and plans are based on need.

“Well, there is need in Victoria from 11.59pm tonight.

“And we expect the Commonwealth government will step up and help those people who need the help.”

It comes after the Victorian government released a scathing statement, slamming the Commonwealth for playing favourites by offering a package to NSW businesses during its latest outbreak.

“Victorians are rightly sick and tired of having to beg for every scrap of support from the federal government,” a spokesman for the state government said earlier this week.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has sent the state into a snap lockdown. Picture: NCA NewsWire/David Geraghty

But Mr Andrews said on Thursday he just wanted everyone to get a fair deal.

“I want whatever the need is … that need to be met,” he said.

“It’s not foreign aid. We’re not a different country. We make a contribution and we expect the national government supports us.”

Victorians will only be allowed to leave their homes for a number of reasons when the entire state enters the lockdown at midnight.

The state recorded two further Covid-19 cases in addition to 12 infections officially announced earlier on Thursday.