Emergency relief services

The Australian Government is providing $100 million to bolster the capability of charities and community organisations that provide emergency and food relief to those in need. A further $100 million will be provided where needed.

The Community Support Package offers flexible funding to boost support for Australians, including veterans, who may:

• need assistance with bills, food, clothing or petrol
• be experiencing financial difficulty, including through debt.

The $100 million will be distributed in the following way:

• $37 million to be shared among almost 200 Commonwealth-funded emergency relief organisations
• $7 million to be provided to the Red Cross over the next six months
• $16 million to be shared by food relief providers Foodbank Australia, SecondBite and OzHarvest
• $20 million for financial counselling services including the National Debt Helpline, Money Support Hubs and Problem Gambling
• $20 million for the Good Shepherd to offer 40,000 Australians access to safe, affordable financial products through the No Interest Loan Scheme.