ADRIAN MONARCA
We hope you and your family were keeping well during the Extended Lockdown last month. Please note the below information pertains to the JULY 2021 Victorian lockdown and NOT the current AUGUST 2021 Victorian lockdown that came into effect on 5 August 2021. This DOES NOT mean the below information is no longer relevant. The below STILL APPLIES to eligible businesses and workers. Stay tuned on our Facebook page for updated information regarding new lockdown grants that we will write about shortly.
We now have more complete information around the types of grants and payments available to 1) Eligible Businesses or 2) Eligible Workers. We thought we would provide a summary of the different kinds of Government assistance currently available. The Victorian and Federal Government have announced extra support measures to assist small and medium businesses to recover from the recent lockdown, which have been summarised further below.
If you believe you are eligible or are unsure, and need assistance to lodge an application with Business Victoria, please contact us. Feel free to forward this link to anyone else that you think might benefit from this information.
(The following website also provides a summary of all other types of assistance available at present. https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/financial-and-other-support-coronavirus-covid-19#relief-packages)
1) Eligible Businesses
After you have read the below, I recommend that you read further information on the website links provided below, which contain additional information, eligibility criteria, instructions on how to Apply, etc. Also, for further information contact Business Victoria on 13 22 15. Again, if you need assistance with this please contact us.
Victorian Business Support Package
i) Business Costs Assistance Program – Round TWO July Extension
This program is for eligible businesses that had not previously applied for the assistance in June 2021, and did not receive the automatic July 2021 Top-Up Payments which other businesses have already received.
This grant applies to both employing and non-employing businesses, including Sole Traders registered for GST.
*Claim closure date: Please note, this will be open for applications until 11.59pm Friday 13 August 2021 or until program funds are exhausted or, whichever is earlier. *Grant amount: Eligible businesses will receive a grant of $4,800. *Eligibility criteria: To be eligible for the Program, a business must: 1. Be located within Victoria; and 2. Be registered as operating in an eligible industry sector identified in the List of Eligible ANZSIC classes which is linked to your ABN; and 3. Have incurred direct costs as a result of the July COVID-19 Restrictions and the business cannot predominantly operate remotely; For example, booking cancellations, utilities, wages, paid leave for staff unable to attend work, rent or the loss of perishable good or any other direct costs affecting the operation of the business related to the July 2021 COVID-19 restrictions; and 4. Have an annual Victorian payroll of up to $10 million in 2019-20; and 5. Be registered for GST on 15 July 2021; and 6. Hold an ABN and have held that ABN on and from 15 July 2021; and 7. Be registered with the responsible Federal or State regulator. For example, ASIC, WorkSafe. For employing businesses only: 1. Be registered with WorkSafe Victoria; and 2. Attest that the business is supporting its workers to access any paid leave entitlements, or that if a person can work from home, to work from home during the July COVID-19 Restrictions, and supporting their casual workers, where possible. *Where to apply? Below is a link to the application form: https://businessvic.secure.force.com/PublicForm?id=bcap22021vc21#no-back-button
More information, including the Guidelines, is available on the Business Victoria website below:
https://business.vic.gov.au/grants-and-programs/business-costs-assistance-program-round-two-july-extension
ii) Licensed Hospitality Venue Fund 2021– July Extension
This program is for eligible licensed hospitality venues that were affected by the COVID-19 restrictions announced on 15 July 2021, but did not apply for the Licensed Hospitality Venue Fund 2021 in June 2021.
*Claim closure date: this will be open for applications until 11.59pm Friday 13 August 2021 or until program funds are exhausted or, whichever is earlier. *Grant amount: Eligible businesses will be invited to apply for grants of $7,200 for each eligible premises. *Eligibility criteria: More information, including the Guidelines, is available on the Business Victoria website below: https://business.vic.gov.au/grants-and-programs/licensed-hospitality-venue-fund-2021-july-extension
iii) Small Business COVID Hardship Fund
If up until now your business has unfortunately not been eligible under any other existing business support funds, you may be entitled to this assistance.
*Grant amount: Eligible businesses will be invited to apply for grants of $5,000. *Eligibility criteria: 1. 70% or greater reduction in Revenue. 2. Small businesses with a payroll of up to $10 million. 3. This Grant may apply to Sole Traders who are not registered for GST, so I suggest waiting another week or so before applying for the COVID-19 Disaster Payment (which is summarised towards the end of this e-mail), as this particular Grant will pay a much higher amount, and you can’t receive both Payments. *Please note, more details on the roll-out should be provided by the Victorian Government soon, hopefully in the next week or so.
iv) Business Continuity Fund
This is for businesses that remain impacted by capacity limits placed by necessary public health restrictions.
*Grant amount: Eligible businesses will receive $5,000 grants. *Eligibility criteria: Twenty-four eligible sectors should be covered by the fund for businesses including gyms, cafes, restaurants, event businesses, catering services and hairdressers. Recognising businesses located in the CBD will continue to be impacted due to restrictions on the number of staff allowed in office buildings, they will be eligible to receive an additional $2,000. *Please note, more details on the roll-out should be provided by the Victorian Government soon, hopefully in the next week or so.
v) Commercial Tenancy Relief Scheme and Landlord Hardship Fund
This will provide support to landlords that provide rent relief for their tenants.
The Commercial Tenancies Relief Scheme will be reinstated to provide much needed rent relief to small to medium commercial tenants and their landlords.
The Scheme will be available to businesses with an annual turnover of less than $50 million and have suffered a decline in turnover of at least 30 per cent due to COVID.
Landlords will be required to provide proportional rent relief in line with a business’s reduction in turnover. For example, a business with a turnover of 40 per cent of pre-pandemic levels can only be charged 40 per cent of its rent. Of the balance, at least half must be waived, with the remainder to be deferred.
*Please note, more details on the roll-out should be provided by the Victorian Government soon.
For more information, click on the below website link:
https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/commercial-tenancy-relief-victorian-businesses
2) Eligible Workers
Eligible workers can apply for the Federal Government COVID-19 Disaster Payment. For more information, click on the below website link:
Also, for further information contact Services Australia Disaster Assistance on 180 22 66.
COVID-19 Disaster Payment
This is for Australian workers who have had their hours of work and income significantly affected due to the lockdown, and may be eligible for a COVID Disaster Payment from the Federal Government of $600 or $375 per week.
Most small businesses not registered for GST are eligible.
If you’re a member of a couple, you can both claim this payment. You and your partner will need to make separate claims.
*Claim closure date: 1. For the payment period of 16 to 22 July 2021, claims open 23 July 2021 and close 12 August 2021. 2.For the payment period of 23 to 27 July 2021, claims open 25 July 2021 and close 19 August 2021.
*Eligibility criteria:
1. you’re an Australian resident or hold a visa that gives you the right to work in Australia
you’re 17 years or older, AND
2. you did not get an income support payment, ABSTUDY Living Allowance, Dad and Partner Pay or Parental Leave Pay during the payment period, AND
3. you did not get the Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment, AND
4. you did not get a state pandemic payment, AND
5. you did not get a state small business payment from Business Victoria (listed further above in this post) for the same period, AND
6. you lost income and didn’t have any appropriate paid leave entitlements.
You are not required to take any of these types of leave before accessing the payment, which is a good thing:
– annual leave
– unpaid leave
– paid sick and carer’s leave
– long service leave
– compassionate leave when your employer has stood you down without pay.
You also need to have met these rules between 16 and 27 July 2021:
1. you lived in, worked from or visited a Commonwealth-declared COVID-19 hotspot that is subject to a state restricted movement order, or you lived in or worked from other areas of Victoria,
2. you were unable to earn your usual income of 8 hours or more or a full day’s work because you were in the COVID-19 hotspot and were subject to restricted movement, or you lived or worked from other areas of Victoria.
Please note, there are no liquid assets rules for Victoria. This means you can still receive this payment, even if you have a certain amount of assets or money in your bank account.
More information is available on the Services Australia website link below:
https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/covid-19-disaster-payment-victoria/who-can-get-it
*How much can you get?:
The amount of COVID-19 Disaster Payment in Victoria you can get depends on your situation, and all of the following:
– the location of the health order
– the period you’re claiming for
– the hours of work you lost.1. For the payment period of 16 to 22 July 2021, $375 if the amount you lost is less than 20 hours work that week, and $600 if the amount you lost is more than 20 hours work that week,
2. For the payment period of 23 to 27 July 2021, $375 if the amount you lost is less than 20 hours work that week, and $600 if the amount you lost is more than 20 hours work that week.
Please note, a full day of your usual work is what you were scheduled to work but could not because of a restricted movement order. This includes not being able to attend a full time, part time or casual shift of less than 8 hours.
Therefore, you can get it even if you’re eligible on only one day during a payment period.
*How to apply?: If you are an Australian resident, you must claim this online via myGov.
If you are on a Working Visa, you must call 180 22 66 (this is not a typo).
For more information, click on the below website link:
https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/covid-19-disaster-payment-victoria/how-claim
Watch the YouTube video on the below website link, which provides east-to-understand visual instructions:
