Update 1st May, 2020
The government announced the JobKeeper payment as a way to encourage companies to keep people employed despite the difficult economy. However, there are strict criteria around which businesses are eligible. Only businesses which have suffered a 30% drop in revenue can apply.
Is Hireup an eligible employer?
So far, Hireup has not qualified as an eligible employer. Although Hireup has been affected by the response to the Covid-19 pandemic, business revenue has not dropped by the 30% or more required to qualify for JobKeeper. Unless the rules change, Hireup will not be able to apply for JobKeeper payments for support workers for the month of April.
Going forward, things could change. It is still possible that in May, or beyond, Hireup’s revenue could be affected by Covid-19 more. It is also possible the government may change the qualification rules for businesses in the disability sector.
We will keep this page updated with the latest information.
Non-JobKeeper support
There is other financial help for casual workers who have seen their incomes drop because of the impact of the coronavirus and - for whatever reason - are not eligible for JobKeeper.
This includes:
- A $550 per fortnight supplement from April 27th for six months, for any worker whose income is lower than $1,086 per fortnight.
A JobSeeker Payment and Sickness Allowance. The amount you can get varies with your circumstances, but the eligibility rules for both have been relaxed since they were first introduced.