Disability Worker COVID-19 Leave Grant

About the Disability Worker COVID-19 Leave Grant

The Australian Government is providing National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) providers grant funding to support eligible workers who are unable to attend work due to a COVID-19 infection.

Under this grant, NDIS providers that make a payment to disability workers who deliver close personal support to NDIS participants, have lost hours due to a COVID-19 infection and have insufficient or no sick leave, will be eligible for reimbursement.

The grant recognises that some people with disability are at higher risk of severe impacts from COVID-19. It recognises the inherent risks in providing support to people with disability in high risk settings, including disability accommodation settings, and reduces the incentive for workers to continue to provide those supports if they contract COVID-19.

The Disability Worker COVID-19 Leave Grant replaces the High Risk Settings Pandemic Payment and matches funding available to aged care workers.

The funding provides support towards the costs associated with scheduled hours of work lost between 1 April 2023 and 31 December 2023.

When do I apply?

Applications will be considered in three submission periods.

  • Submission period 1 is open 11 August – 7 September 2023. Apply in period 1 for hours lost between 1 April and 30 June 2023.
  • Submission period 2 is open 3 October – 6 November 2023. Apply in period 2 for hours lost between 1 July and 30 September 2023.
  • Submission period 3 is open 18 December 2023 – 30 January 2024. Apply in period 3 for hours lost between 1 October and 31 December 2023.

Applicants should submit their grant application as soon as possible.

Where do I apply?

Apply online at GrantConnect. The online application form, the Employee Declaration form and Questions and Answers are available on GrantConnect. 

Registration with GrantConnect is free and takes less than a minute.

How does the grant work?

An eligible disability worker tests positive for COVID-19 and does not attend work.

If that worker does not have sick leave to cover the time off work, the NDIS provider gives the worker an eligibility declaration form to fill in. This form confirms the worker’s COVID-19 infection, employment status and access to sick leave.

The worker will need proof of their COVID-19 infection ‒ proof of registering positive case with relevant state or territory, or a medical certificate, or a date stamped photo of positive RAT or PCR result, or a statutory declaration.

The NDIS provider pays the worker at least the amount the provider will receive through the grant:

  • $450 per person where the worker has lost at least eight hours, and up to and including 20 hours of work
  • $750 per person where the worker has lost more than 20 hours of work.

The NDIS provider applies for the grant, claiming reimbursement of the money they have paid each eligible worker.

As long as the NDIS provider and its worker/s are eligible, the NDIS provider will be reimbursed the amounts shown above.

Who is eligible?

NDIS providers as defined in the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013, registered or not, including individual providers of disability support (sole traders) and who provide the following classes of supports to participants:

  • high intensity daily personal activities, involving the delivery of health related supports
  • community nursing care
  • daily personal activities
  • assistance with Daily Life Tasks in a Group or Shared Living Arrangement.

Information for workers

More information about the grant in English, Arabic, Chinese, Greek, Korean, Nepali, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Tagalog is available at: Grant information for NDIS workers

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