Introduction
The COVID-19 Short-Term Absence Payment closed at 11.59pm on 17 October 2022.
The COVID-19 Short-Term Absence Payment provided financial assistance from 9 February 2021 to 22 August 2022 for businesses (including self-employed people) during the COVID-19 health response to:
- encourage employees to stay home while waiting for a COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test result (in line with public health guidance) and
- support employees unable to work from home, with an income while they cannot work
This assistance was available to businesses (including self-employed people) as a one-off payment of $359 for each employee who met the eligibility criteria.
Any COVID-19 PCR test taken by an employee on or before 22 August 2022 was still eligible for the COVID-19 Short-Term Absence Payment as long as the eligibility criteria were met.
From 23 August 2022 applications for this assistance were still able to be made for COVID-19 PCR tests taken on or before 22 August 2022. These applications must have been made within 8 weeks of the date the COVID-19 PCR test was taken. This means the final date of applications to be made was 17 October 2022.
A business was able apply for the COVID-19 Short-Term Absence Payment for an employee once in a 30-day period (unless an exception applied) from the date of application.
Applications
The COVID-19 Short-Term Absence Payment closed at 11.59pm on 17 October 2022.
Businesses (including self-employed people) must apply online for the COVID-19 Short-Term Absence Payment.
An application can be made even if the employee has already got their COVID-19 PCR test results and has returned to work.
Provided the business meets the eligibility criteria and complies with their obligations, an application can be made up to 8 weeks after the relevant COVID-19 test was taken. However, the test must have been taken on or before 22 August 2022.
The last date for an application for the COVID-19 Short-Term Absence Payment was 17 October 2022. Any applications made on 17 October 2022 must relate to a COVID-19 PCR test taken on 22 August 2022.
