Kiwis working in Aust eligible for Coronavirus JobKeeper payment
Update
23 April 2022
The JobKeeper Payment scheme supported Australian businesses significantly impacted by coronavirus (COVID-19). JobKeeper finished on 28 March 2021. In most circumstances, the scheme's last day for payment was 31 March 2022.
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].
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