Hardship funding for Ipswich locals

A NEW tranche of hardship aid funding has been announced for Ipswich locals.

Personal Hardship Assistance was last week extended to targeted parts of Ipswich, Lockyer Valley and Somerset, and the Toowoomba LGA.

Eligible residents impacted by Tropical Cyclone Alfred can apply for support including emergency assistance for food, clothing and medicine.

Other grants are available to assist with replacing damaged household contents like white goods and linen, or for immediate needs if a household has lost power for five or more days.

A total of 11 SEQ LGAs can apply for Personal Hardship Assistance, which also includes Brisbane, Fraser Coast (targeted), Gold Coast, Logan, Moreton Bay, Redland, and Scenic Rim (targeted).

Assistance has been provided under the joint Commonwealth-state Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).

State Disaster Recovery Minister Ann Leahy said the funding would help people tackle a challenging period of recovery.

“In the aftermath of a disaster it can be hard to regain balance in your life,” she said.

“Personal Hardship Assistance puts money in pockets and helps people push forward.”

• Emergency Hardship Assistance Grants – $180 a person, up to $900 for a family of five or more to purchase immediate essentials like food, clothing and medicine.

• Essential Services Hardship Assistance – $150 a person, up to $750 for a family of five or more to assist with immediate needs following the loss of essential services at home for more than five consecutive days.

• Essential Household Contents Grants – up to $1,765 for individuals and up to $5,300 for couples or families to replace destroyed essential household contents such as bed linen and white goods.

• Structural Assistance Grants – up to $80,000 for uninsured, income-tested owner-occupiers towards the repair or replacement of a disaster damaged dwelling to return it to a safe and habitable condition.

• Essential Services Safety and Reconnection Scheme – Income-tested grants to help uninsured residents reconnect damaged services like electricity, gas, water or sewerage. Up to $5,000 a household.

• Eligible residents can apply via qld.gov.au/disasterhelp or by calling the Queensland Community Recovery Hotline on 1800 173 349.

Targeted areas in Ipswich: Amberley, Bellbird Park, Booval, Brassall, Bundamba, Calvert, Churchill, Chuwar, Ebenezer, Goodna, Grandchester, Jeebropilly, Karalee, Lanefield, Leichhardt, Marburg, North Booval, One Mile, Purga, Raceview, Ripley, Rosewood, South Ripley, Springfield Lakes, Thagoona, Tivoli, Walloon, West Ipswich, Willowbank, Yamanto.

Lockyer Valley: College View, Crowley Vale, Forest Hill, Glencore Grove, Grantham, Laidley, Laidley Creek West, Laidley Heights, Laidley North, Laidley South, Mulgowie, Plainland, Regency Downs.

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