People on temporary visas who have no way to support themselves and have urgent needs will be the main focus of the emergency relief provided by Red Cross during the next six months.
Red Cross will receive funding from the Australian Government to deliver food, medicine and crisis accommodation to those who have no other support, or claim to government funding, such as migrants on temporary visas.
The funding is expected to be available in the coming weeks.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE
You may be eligible for Red Cross Safety Net support if you are:
– in Australia on a temporary visa,
– in urgent financial hardship,
– cannot access Centrelink, Medicare or similar services,
– have no income, savings or other financial support (including from family overseas).
Red Cross will provide assistance based on need, prioritising people with urgent needs, such as families with young children, people with a disability, people who are experiencing harm, people who are vulnerable to COVID-19, and people with physical or mental health issues.
To apply for assistance, those eligible may email Red Cross to request for help. As soon as funding becomes available, the Red Cross team will be in contact to discuss if they can assist with emergency payments, food deliveries, crisis accommodation costs or other support.
To protect everyone’s safety during COVID-19, Red Cross will not be able to assist you at their offices during this time, or distribute funds from their office, but will provide assistance by phone and email during business hours.
You may email: nat_rc_msp@redcross.org.au or call 1800 733 276 during business hours.
For those needing help immediately, Red Cross states that if you are currently in a situation where your health or safety is threatened, please call 000.
If you are eligible for mainstream community support services, try AskIzzy or the Department of Social Services.