FOOD SECURITY PROGRAM

Eligibility

Applicants must demonstrate financial hardship and food insecurity through one or more of the following:

• Health Care Card or Pension Concession Card
• Department of Veteran Affairs (DVA) Card
• Recent bank statement (showing inability to afford essentials — e.g., insufficient funds, overdraft use, minimal income deposits)
• Centrelink income statement
• Evidence of dependent children:
  • Health Care Card listing dependents, or
  • Birth certificates

Additional criteria:

• Must not have received support from this program in the last 3 months (to ensure fair distribution).
• Priority for:
  • Single parents
  • Families with children under 12
  • Applicants in crisis (sudden job loss, homelessness, domestic violence, medical emergencies).

Rates

• Child (12 and under): $50
• Youth & Adult (13+): $100

Household examples:

• Family of 2 adults + 2 children = $300 support
• Single parent with 3 kids = $250 support

💡 These amounts are modest but fair. They cover ~1 week’s groceries from major supermarkets for an average family. Many charities in Australia give $30–$70 in vouchers per adult per week, so your rates are reasonable and on the generous side, but not excessive.

Payout Options

• Gift cards (Coles, Woolworths, Aldi) — default option.
• Bank transfer — where stability and financial management is demonstrated.
• Cash — only when there is an immediate need (e.g., stranded without food, no access to stores, rural areas without gift card coverage).

⚠️ Restrictions:

• If there is evidence of drug or alcohol misuse, payout must be in the form of gift cards only, with “non-cash redeemable” types (some vouchers can be restricted to groceries only).

EMERGENCY ESSENTIALS PROGRAM

Eligibility

Applicants must demonstrate financial hardship through one or more of the following:

• Health Care Card or Pension Concession Card
• Department of Veteran Affairs (DVA) Card
• Recent bank statement (last 30 days) showing financial hardship
• Centrelink Income Statement
• Other evidence of hardship (e.g., eviction notice, overdue utility bill)

Additional requirements:

• Proof of dependents (if applying for school essentials):
  • Health Care Card with dependents listed, or
  • Birth certificate(s)
• Must not have received Emergency Essentials support in the past 3 months

Rates / Support Provided

Support value depends on household size and specific needs:

• Hygiene products: $50 (per household) – can be provided as care packs or gift cards to pharmacies/supermarkets
• School essentials: $100 (per school-aged child, once per year, Jan–March)
• Fuel vouchers: $50–$100 (per household, as gift card or fuel card)

💡 Example:

• Family with 2 school children + fuel needs = $250 support
• Single parent with baby (nappies, hygiene, fuel) = $150 support

Payout Options

• Gift cards (supermarkets, pharmacies, fuel stations, Officeworks, Kmart/Big W for school items)
• Direct provision (care packs or donated goods like nappies, hygiene kits, stationery)
• Bank transfer (only if items cannot be sourced locally)
• Cash — only in urgent situations, subject to assessment

⚠️ If there is a risk of drug/alcohol misuse, payout is restricted to gift cards or direct provision only.