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COVID pandemic leave payments for casual workers reinstated

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during a visit to a pop-up Covid-19 vaccination hub in Sydney.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during a visit to a pop-up Covid-19 vaccination hub in Sydney. Source: AAP Image/Joel Carrett

The federal government has reinstated a $750 pandemic leave payment following sustained pressure from Labor insiders and welfare organisations


Published

Updated

By Claudia Farhart, Claire Slattery

Presented by Edinel Magtibay

Source: SBS



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The federal government has reinstated a $750 pandemic leave payment following sustained pressure from Labor insiders and welfare organisations


Highlights

  • The pandemic leave will be reinstated until the 30th of September
  • Federal government will split the cost of the pandemic payment with the states- estimated to total 780-million dollars
  • Crisis payments for people in severe financial hardship will also be reintroduced

From Wednesday, 20 July, if you're required to isolate and you DON'T have access to paid sick leave, you'll once again be entitled to a one-off payment of 750-dollars.

The scheme will be backdated to July 1st and reinstated until the end of September, after expiring two weeks ago.

Prime minister Anthony Albanese now says that the reinstatement is in response to an increase in cases in more infectious COVID variants, chiefly the BA-4 and BA-5 strains, and his commitment to vulnerable Australians.


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