Special Assistance Schemes
The Department of Human Services Special Assistance Schemes
The Department of Human Services Special Assistance Schemes help Australians who have been affected by certain adverse events, such as natural disasters and terrorist attacks, to meet individual health and community care costs.
For information on the support available, call the Special Assistance Line on 1800 660 026 (Monday to Friday between 7.30 am and 5.00 pm Australian Western Standard Time).
Contacts
- Call the Special Assistance Line on 1800 660 026 (Monday to Friday between 7.30am and 5.00pm Australian Western Standard Time)
- TTY 1800 552 152 (hearing and speech impaired)
- TIS 131 450 (Translating and Interpreting Service)
The assistance is for health related out-of-pocket costs. These are costs not covered by Medicare, other government programs, private travel or health insurance.
The assistance relates to the following incidents:
Bali 2002: Bombings in Bali on 12 October 2002
Tsunami: Indian Ocean tsunami on 26 December 2004
London: Bombings in London on 7 July 2005
Bali 2005: Bombings in Bali on 1 October 2005
Dahab Egypt: Bombing in Dahab, Egypt on 24 April 2006.
You need to know
Services covered
Out-of-pocket costs are costs paid for some or all of the following services that are a result of the incident.
Eligibility for Special Assistance Schemes
Find out if you are eligible for the Department of Human Services Special Assistance Schemes.
Payment of Special Assistance benefits
You can choose to receive your Special Assistance payment as either an Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) or cheque payment.
First steps
Register for Special Assistance benefits
To register to receive special assistance, you need to fill in and lodge a registration form with any required documents.
- Balimed registration form
- Tsunami Healthcare Assistance registration form
- London Assist registration form
- Bali 2005 Special Assistance registration form
- Dahab Egypt Bombing Health Care Costs Assistance registration form
If you need information on registering, call the Special Assistance Line on 1800 660 026 (Monday to Friday between 7.30 am and 5.00 pm Australian Western Standard Time).
Existing customers
If you are registered for Special Assistance benefits
If you areregistered for special assistance, fill in the relevant form when making a claim and lodge it with any required documents.