The USU/ASU has written to the Deputy Prime Minister seeking urgent information about financial support for airline workers. Both the COVID Disaster Payment and Domestic Retention Payment are due to cease or become significantly reduced. We hope to have more information for you soon; until then, a summary of your payments are below.

The COVID Disaster Payment

70% vaccination rate
The automatic payments will stop when 70% of people 16 years or older in your state or territory are fully vaccinated with two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.

If you are still affected by movement restrictions, you’ll need to reapply for the payment each week.

80% vaccination rate
When 80% of people 16 years or older in your state or territory are fully vaccinated with two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, your COVID-19 Disaster Payment will reduce over two weeks. You’ll need to reapply for the payment each week.

The first week after your state or territory reaches 80% fully vaccinated, COVID-19 Disaster Payment will be one payment of:

  • $450 if you’ve lost more than 8 hours or a full day of work and you are not getting an eligible Centrelink or Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) payment
  • $100 if you’ve lost more than 8 hours or a full day of work and you are getting an eligible Centrelink or DVA payment.

The second week after a state or territory reaches 80% fully vaccinated rates, COVID-19 Disaster Payment will:

  • be one $320 payment if you have lost more than 8 hours or a full day of work and you are not getting an eligible Centrelink or DVA payment
  • end if you are getting an eligible Centrelink or DVA payment.

After this period, the COVID Disaster Payment will cease. If the Domestic Retention Payment continues, you will automatically become eligible for it.

The Domestic Retention Payment

The DRP provided financial assistance for employees who are not eligible to receive the Federal Government COVID-19 Disaster Payment but who support the domestic flying business and have been stood down due to restrictions on domestic travel.  The DRP is due to end on October 24, 2021.

The DRP is an automatic payment (provided you meet the eligibility criteria). At this point, it is unclear whether the DRP will be extended and what payment you will be entitled to if borders remain closed.

Pass this bulletin to your colleagues who aren’t in the union. They can join at www.usu.org.au/join.

Please speak to your organiser Thomas Russell on 0419 761 320 for more information.