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Payroll tax customers have the option of deferring their payroll tax payments until 14 January 2022. All customers are still required to lodge the 2020/21 annual reconciliation by the due date which has been extended to 14 January 2022. In addition, customers have the option of deferring their monthly payments for the July to December 2021 return periods until 14 January 2022.

From 13 December 2021, customers will be able to establish a Support Payment Arrangement for up to 12 months. The plan will be interest free and customers will have the option to include tax payable from the 2020/21 annual reconciliation and any monthly liabilities for July to December 2021 return periods.

The initiative also includes a 50% reduction in 2021/22 payroll tax liability for business with grouped Australian wages of $10 million or less who experience a 30 per cent decline in turnover.

Westpac has announced that its Disaster Relief Package is available for customers who are suffering hardship as a result of the recent disasters. Westpac's Disaster Relief Packages aim to offer immediate practical help to assist customers to manage the impact of natural disasters on their finances.

Depending on the nature of disasters, our Disaster Relief Packages generally offer the following:

Home loan and insurance customers

• Affected customers with Westpac home loans may apply to defer repayments for up to three months.
• Affected Westpac customers with Home and Contents insurance can make a claim online 24/7
• Affected Westpac customers with Car insurance can make a claim online 24/7

Credit cards, term deposits and personal loans

• Affected credit card customers may apply to defer repayments to their card for up to 90 days.
• Westpac will waive interest rate adjustments for affected customers wishing to withdraw term deposits.
• Customers experiencing severe hardship may also be offered a halt on all interest accrual on unsecured credit products for a period of up to three months.

Business customers

• Apply online for Disaster Relief Package
• Affected businesses with existing loans can request loan restructuring without incurring the usual bank establishment fees.
• Affected business customers with merchant facilities are eligible to receive assistance including monthly terminal access fee refunds for up to three months. Contact us to find out if you are eligible on 1800 029 749.

You may be able to access a range of tailored support options if you or your business are impacted by a natural disaster, pandemic or other disruptive or unforeseen event.

Support for individuals:

• Customised payment arrangements such as the option to defer loan repayments
• Waived fees and charges
• Temporary overdrafts, additional loans or emergency credit limit increases (subject to credit approval)
• Early access to Term Deposits
• Emergency accommodation assistance for Residential Home Insurance customers whose homes have been damaged by bushfire, flood or storms
• Expedited home and contents insurance claims

Support for business customers:

• Deferred business loan repayments for eligible* business customers.
• Refund of merchant terminal fees for up to 90 days or waiver of merchant terminal non-return fees for eligible^ business customers
• Specialised tailored support for larger business customers
• Early access to Term Deposits, Cash Deposit, Farm Management Term Deposit and Business Investment accounts

If you have a Relationship Manager they will be able to discuss the support options available to you, or you can call our dedicated Business Financial Assistance team, available 24/7, on 13 26 07.

Broker Emergency Assistance Package
Eligible Brokers who have been significantly impacted by the flood emergency in Victoria, New South Wales or Tasmania are encouraged to contact their Relationship Manager to help them understand their options and how to apply for assistance.

If you’ve been affected by a natural disaster – such as a bushfire, flood, storm or earthquake, ANZ offer their customers a range of supports.

Offerings under their Disaster Relief Package includes:

• Short-term payment relief on home loans, credit cards, personal loans and some business loans (we may still charge you interest during that period)
• Waiving fees for restructuring business loans
• Waiving fees for accessing term deposits early

Also, if you have ANZ Home and Contents Insurance, you may be eligible for emergency funds and temporary accommodation.

Whether you are just starting out with a great business idea or looking to expand and grow your business, Business Connect services can help you on your journey to business success. Business Connect is a dedicated and personalised NSW Government program that provides trusted advice to help you start or grow your small business.

For businesses affected by a natural disaster or COVID-19, Business Connect can help to:

• work out priorities and next steps
• develop a business or recovery plan
• manage cashflow and access finance
• connect to other government support and professional services
• innovate and implement digital tools such as ecommerce
• market your business to reach new customers

Business Connect also provides regular free business advice and webinars.

he NSW Government is offering $50,000 interest-free loans to primary producers to implement systems and management practices that enhance the sustainability of their farm business. The loan term is seven years and there are no repayments required in the first two years.

This loan will fund:

• The transport of stock, fodder and water
• Genetic banking of breeding herds
• Installation of on-farm fodder and water infrastructure
• Activities that promote profitability and resilience as a result of the on-farm investment

If you're having difficulty paying your household energy bill because of a short-term financial crisis or emergency, such as unexpected medical bills, or reduced income due to COVID-19, you could be eligible for Energy Accounts Payment Assistance (EAPA) $50 vouchers.

If you’re an employee who works from home, you may be able to claim a deduction for expenses relating to that work to cover:

• Running Expenses
• Occupancy Expenses
• Phone and Internet Expenses

Please note that this information is general in nature only, and may not apply to your individual situation.

This 'shortcut method' is available for the 1st of March 2020 to 30 June 2021 only.

The new $1 billion JobTrainer program will provide up to an additional 340,700 training places to help school leavers and job seekers access short and long courses to develop new skills in growth sectors and create a pathway to more qualifications.

Courses will be free or low cost in areas of identified need, with the Federal Government providing $500 million with matched contributions from state and territory governments.

The ATO are also offering tailored support for your needs and circumstances on a case-by-case basis. They do not apply these additional relief options automatically, so you need to contact the ATO. Assistance includes:

• Payment deferrals
• Changing your GST reporting cycle
• Vary pay as you go instalments
• Remitting interest and penalties
• Low interest payment plans

Business Connect is a dedicated and personalised NSW Government program that provides trusted advice to help you start or grow your small business and are running a series of specialised free webinars to provide additional support.

If you’ve been affected by a bushfire, storm or flood, we can help you with everyday legal problems including insurance claims and disputes, financial hardship, tenancy and Centrelink.

An Early Resolution Assistance (ERA) approval of $2000 in professional fees is available for legal services and up to an additional $5000 is available for disbursements. Funding extensions are available in reasonable circumstances. An eligible business or primary producer with more than one bushfire related legal matter may receive more than one approval for legal services and related expenses.

Eligible LGAs in the Northern Inland are:

• Armidale
• Glen Innes Severn
• Inverell
• Tenterfield
• Walcha

The funding is available for legal issues including, but not limited to:

• Insurance disputes
• Commercial leases
• Contract disputes
• Planning and building law
• Local Government disputes
• Entitlements to government grants and schemes
• Credit and debt
• Banking
• Fencing issues
• Property law
• Employment law issues for employers

To be eligible for funding under the Scheme, the applicant must be:

• A primary producer or small business owner.
• With a farm or business located in a designated LGA.
• With a legal issue arising from the 2019/2020 bushfire season in one of the designated LGAs.

The High-Risk Settings Pandemic Payment is to provide lump sum financial assistance to limit the financial hardship of eligible individuals working in high risk settings who are, or were, unable to work and earn an income as a result of having tested positive with COVID-19.

The High-Risk Settings Pandemic Payment grant program commences on 15 October 2022 and replaces the Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment that ends on 14 October 2022. The High-Risk Settings Pandemic Payment supports eligible workers in high-risk settings to not attend work for a seven day period of workplace exclusion if they test positive to COVID-19, in order to mitigate the risk of infection within the high-risk setting.

The amount of High-Risk Settings Pandemic Payment that is payable is determined by the number of hours the person would have worked during their period of workplace exclusion due to testing positive with COVID-19. All eligible people who test positive with COVID-19 on or after 00:01am, 15 October 2022 and are excluded from work in a high-risk setting for 7 days, will receive:

• $750 if they would have worked 20 hours or more; or
• $450 if they would have worked a full day or at least 8 hours and up to 20 hours of work.

Only one payment can be claimed for each period of infection.

For the purposes of High-Risk Settings Pandemic Payment, a “high-risk setting” means a setting or workplace in which the person works that involves close personal care and support services involving frequent close contact in the following settings:

• Aged Care, including home care that involves close personal care and support services involving frequent close contact.
• Disability care, including disability home care that involves close personal care and support services involving frequent close contact.
• Aboriginal healthcare, including workforce employed by Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations, community health care, Aboriginal drug and alcohol services and support services involving frequent close contact.
• Hospital care, including day hospitals and smaller facilities, paramedical, ambulance, patient transport and support services involving frequent close contact.

The number of times a person can receive a High-Risk Settings Pandemic Payment will be capped at three in a six month period. The payment count will start from 1 July and take into consideration any prior claims, including previous Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment claims from this date.

If you find that you are unable to make your repayments due to an unforeseen circumstance you may be eligible to receive Financial Hardship assistance.

Depending on the nature of your financial difficultly, some possible assistance may be:

• Utilise any advance payment on your loans
• Convert repayments to an interest only structure for a period of time
• Reduced repayments for a period of time
• Extension of your loan term
• Debt restructure
• Debt refinance

While many businesses have been adversely affected by COVID-19 and are reducing their workforces, there are some areas of the economy which have an increased demand for workers.

This includes jobs in health and care sectors, transport and logistics, some areas of retail, mining and mining services, manufacturing, agriculture and government sectors, among others.