The Australian government helped those who had to take leave from work if you had to self-isolate or quarantine due to COVID-19 or if you had to care for someone who has to self-isolate or quarantine due to COVID-19 as required by their state or territory government.
The Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment (PLDP) was paid at $450 if 8 hours of work or a full day’s pay was lost and you worked less than 20 hours per week, or $750 if 20 hours or more of work per week was lost. This payment was paid by Services Australia.
Who Was Eligible To Receive The PLDP?
Those who were eligible to receive the payment include:
- you had coronavirus (COVID-19)
- you were required to isolate as a close contact of a person who had COVID-19 by your state or territory
- you cared for a child who was 16 years or under, or you were required to isolate as a close contact of a person who had COVID-19 by your state or territory
- you cared for someone who had COVID-19
- you cared for someone with disability or a severe medical condition who had to self-isolate or quarantine because they were a close contact of a person with COVID-19. You must have been living in the same household as the person with the disability or a severe medical condition.
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Close Contacts
Close contacts included people who usually lived with the person who tested positive to COVID-19, or stayed in the same household for more than 4 hours with the person who tested positive to COVID-19.
From 27 April 2022, you were also a close contact if your state or territory government required you to isolate as a close contact.
Essential Workers
Essential workers of close contact may have been exempt from isolation. The PLDP won’t be eligible for those essential workers who were able to work and earn an income. You may have been eligible for the payment if you couldn’t work because you cared for someone who had COVID-19, a child under 16 years old who was a close contact or a person with a disability or severe medical condition who was a close contact.
Depending on your state or territory, you may have been eligible for payment if you were unable to work because you needed a negative Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) result to return to work, were unable to get a RAT or had to remain in isolation.
Who Was Eligible?
Eligibility depended on the following:
- You must have been 17 years old and live in Australia
- You must be an Australian Resident for taxation purposes or hold a visa that gives you the right to work in Australia
- You lived in Australia during self-isolation, quarantining or a caring period
- You lived in Australia at the time of your claims
- You were unable to work and lost at least 8 hours or a full day’s work in a 7 day period of self-isolation, quarantine or caring
- You had no sick leave entitlements, including pandemic sick leave, personal leave or leave to care for another person
- You had liquid assets of less than $10,000 on the first day of the period you’re claiming for.
What Are Liquid Assets
Liquid assets are finds that were readily available to you in cash or savings, or assets that can be converted into cash.
Who Was Not Eligible For The PLDP?
Not everyone was eligible to receive the PLDP. Those who earned an income, earning or salary form paid work; those who received income support payments such as ABSTUDY Living Allowance, Parental Leave Pay or Dad and Partner Pay; or the COVID-19 Disaster Payment were not eligible.
Those who received the following during their isolation or caring period were not eligible:
- ACT COVID-19 Hardship Isolation Payment
- NSW Test or Isolate Payment
- South Australian COVID-19 Cluster Isolation Payment
- Tasmanian Pandemic Isolation Grant Assistance
- Tasmanian Test and Isolate Grant
- Victorian COVID-19 Test Isolation Payment
- Western Australian COVID-19 Test Isolation Payment.
State or Territory public health orders may exempt essential workers who were close contacts from having to isolate.
When Was The PLDP paid?
Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment ended 30 June 2022 and covered isolation periods from 18 January 2022 and on or before 30 June 2022, or on or before 17 January 2022. You had 14 days from when your isolation period began to claim.
The PLDP is NOT included in your auto-filled information in your ATO tax records or on your income statement from Centrelink. The details of your payment are found on your letter you received at the time of payment. If you lost your letter, you can request a letter to be sent to you via post.
Not all COVID-19 and disaster payments are taxable however, the PLDP is and needs to be included on your tax return as Other income. The ATO will be checking returns in the future to see if these payments were declared and if not may issue amended assessments for the tax outstanding. ITP Tax Accountant can help you lodge your tax return and declare all COVID-19 payment you may have received.