Apply for Personal Hardship Assistance, Tropical Cyclone Alfred, March 2025

Introduction

If you lived in a property impacted by Tropical Cyclone Alfred (the disaster event) on 3 March 2025, you may be eligible for Personal Hardship Assistance.

This payment is to help pay for food, medication, clothing, temporary accommodation and other essential needs.

Closing date

Applications close at 11:59pm on Tuesday 8 April 2025.

Eligibility

For individuals

You must:

• be aged 18 years or over
• live in a disaster declared area (AGRN 1198) impacted by the disaster event on 3 March 2025
• be impacted by power outages in effect for 48 hours or more, or have been subject to Evacuation Orders (category red emergency warning) caused by the disaster event
• as a result of the disaster event, require emergency financial assistance to meet your immediate needs and those of any dependents included in your application.  

Note: You will not be eligible for this payment if you are living at an address concerning land which has been acquired by the NSW Government under a buy-back scheme.

For households 

When you apply you must include:  

• yourself as the eligible individual, and  
• any dependents (up to 4).

Any additional eligible individuals should submit a separate application.

Note: 

• People under the age of 18 cannot apply separately.
• Dependents cannot be added to your application after it is submitted.
• The same dependent(s) must not be included in more than one application. 

For more detail on eligibility criteria, please read the Guidelines and Terms and Conditions.

What you need

• your Australian bank account details for payment
• a MyServiceNSW Account
  • you can create one when you start your application
  • you may need details from 2 identity documents (such as Australian driver licence, Medicare card, passport)
  • you will need to have multi-factor authentication set up
• one of the following documents that shows your name and impacted address – have the documents ready to be uploaded in JPG, PDF, PNG, or TIF format:
  • a copy of your residential tenancy agreement as of 3 March 2025 or a screenshot from Rental Bonds Online from NSW Fair Trading
  • a receipt or invoice for the accommodation showing you were there on 3 March 2025
  • a council rates notice issued between 3 September 2024 and 3 March 2025
  • a utility bill issued between 3 September 2024 and 3 March 2025
  • a vehicle registration notice issued between 3 September 2024 and 3 March 2025
  • a letter from Centrelink, Medicare, Service NSW, Transport for NSW, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) or other government agency issued between 3 September 2024 and 3 March 2025
  • a copy of your Health Care Card, Pensioner Concession Card or Commonwealth Seniors Health Card as of 3 March 2025
  • any other evidence that supports you were at an impacted residence on 3 March 2025.

Dependents

You'll need to provide the names, Medicare numbers and Medicare details of all the dependents included in the application.

Keep receipts for auditing

To prevent any fraud activity, you may be selected for random auditing if you’re approved for payment.

You’ll need to keep evidence of how you’ve spent the grant. This includes keeping receipts on all spent items for a minimum of 5 years from the grant closing date.

How to apply

1. Check you meet the eligibility criteria.
2. Have your document(s) ready for uploading.
3. Select the ‘Apply online’ button.
4. Log in, or create your MyServiceNSW Account.
5. Follow the prompts to apply for a grant.

What happens next

When you submit your application, you'll receive a confirmation email with a reference number. 

After your application is received, it will be assessed. We’ll contact you if additional information to support your application is required. 

If your application is approved, a payment will be transferred to your bank account within 2 to 12 business days after approval.

Unable to apply online

If you're not able to apply online:

• call 13 77 88 for more information, or
• take your supporting documents to:
  • a Service NSW Centre in an impacted area, or
  • a Recovery Assistance Point.

Links

• Guidelines
• Terms and Conditions
• Privacy collection notice