Deadline extended for Personal Hardship Assistance as grants help over 155,000 Queenslanders

More than 155,000 people have now received Commonwealth-state funded financial assistance to help rebuild their lives following the impacts of December’s severe weather events in Queensland.

As at 3pm, 11 January 2024, a total of $28 million has been paid through the Personal Hardship Assistance Scheme (PHAS).

PHAS includes payments of $180 for individuals and up to $900 for a family of five or more to cover the costs of essentials like food, clothing and medicine.

A range of other support measures are also available through the scheme to eligible individuals to help make their home safe to live in, replace household contents, and reconnect essential services like electricity, water and sewerage.

With floodwaters from ex-Tropical Cyclone Jasper still lingering and challenges with connectivity and infrastructure remaining, the deadline for Personal Hardship Assistance applications has been extended another four weeks for eligible residents in the nine activated local government areas.

This includes the LGAs of Cairns, Cassowary Coast, Cook, Douglas, Hope Vale, Mareeba, Tablelands, Wujal Wujal and Yarrabah.

The new closing date for PHAS applications in FNQ is now 7 February 2024.

PHAS grants are also available to disaster affected residents on the Gold Coast and in select localities within the Scenic Rim and Logan LGAs, with applications now closing at midnight 31 January 2024.

The Queensland Community Recovery Hotline, 1800 173 349, is available around the clock for questions on personal disaster assistance, eligibility and applying for support.

People can also apply for personal hardship assistance grants at www.qld.gov.au/disasterhelp.