Local farmers will have access to personalised assistance in completing their Farm Household Allowance (FHA) claims this Saturday, November 17, with staff from the Department of Human Services on hand.
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The Inverell Service Centre on 158 Otho Street will be open from 10am to 12 noon on Saturday. Staff will help farmers complete their FHA claim, access the department’s range of digital services, register for a myGov account, upload supporting documents, and connect them with other services they may be eligible for.
A Farm Household case officer will attend to provide ongoing support, and a rural financial counsellor will be available to offer free financial counselling and business tips.
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Farmers will need to bring three original documents to confirm their identity. This may include a driver’s license, shooter or firearm licence, and a birth certificate or passport. They should also bring documents detailing their assets, property and income, including a copy of their last tax return.
Member for New England, Barnaby Joyce was supportive of the information session.
“Some of us have been fortunate to receive some rain lately but the drought continues to hit our communities hard and Saturday’s event is an opportunity for people to learn about the financial assistance and ongoing support available to help them,” Mr Joyce said.
He said feedback from similar events in Tamworth and Dubbo had been positive, and people were appreciating the extra support.
“I strongly encourage local farmers to gather their paperwork and go along on Saturday to receive personalised assistance and have their FHA questions answered with the dedicated staff on hand,” he said.
Minister for Human Services Michael Keenan said helping communities battling the drought was a high-priority for the government and farmers attending on Saturday could expect to receive ongoing support during the crisis.
“The support won’t end on the day – our network of Farm Household Case Officers provide ongoing assistance for FHA recipients to help them access other support services and develop action plans to get their farm business back on track,” Mr Keenan said.
In August, the Federal Coalition Government announced additional lump sum payments for FHA recipients to help them through the drought.
Two lump sum payments are available for eligible households, worth up to a combined $12,000. Payment of the first lump sum commenced from September 1 and the second payment is scheduled for March 1, 2019.
Farmers and their partners can apply for FHA. However, farmers need to lodge a FHA claim before December 1 this year in order to be eligible for the first FHA lump sum payment. Claims lodged after December 2, 2018 may only qualify a farmer to receive the second supplement payment.
Further information can be found here.
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