Prime Minister Scott Morrison announces the government’s $130b wage subsidy package. (Photo: AAP)
30 March 2020
ABC News
New Zealanders working in Australia may be eligible for a $1,500 per fortnight JobKeeper Wage Subsidy. This is a new payment announced by Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison today for workers affected by the Covid-19 crisis.
People are eligible to receive the JobKeeper Wage Subsidy include:
- Full-time workers
- Part-time workers
- Casual employees who have been with their employer for at least 12 months
- Sole traders
- New Zealanders on the Special Category Visa 444 visa.
The wage subsidy will include not-for-profit and charity employees and New Zealanders who work in Australia but are typically unable to access welfare programs.
The $1,500 per fortnight JobKeeper payment is for employees of businesses who have lost 30 per cent of their revenue (or 50 per cent for businesses with annual earnings of $1 billion). Employers are to pay employees this flat rate, provided they were on the books as of 1 March 2020, and the Government would reimburse those businesses. The payments will start from 1 May 2020, back-dated to 1 March 2020.
It will also be backdated to include anyone who has been stood down due to Coronavirus. However, a person can not receive both the JobSeeker and JobKeeper payments.
The payment will be delivered through the Australian Taxation Office.
[Read the full ABC News article].
Related
JobKeeper payment factsheet for employees
JobKeeper payment factsheet for employers
New Zealanders can now temporarily access their Superannuation fund
