Hardship panel to consider support for businesses

A new panel has been established to consider financial support for businesses experiencing financial hardship that do not qualify for existing COVID-19 business support measures.

The Hardship Review Panel will assess applications on a case-by-case basis from businesses which did not meet the eligibility requirements for the 2021 COVID-19 Business Grant, Micro-business Grant and JobSaver payments. It will include representatives from Revenue NSW, NSW Treasury and Service NSW.

Factors that will be considered include, for example, whether the business is an employer, in a highly impacted industry, in an LGA of concern or has unavoidable costs with no other support available.

Businesses will be back paid to the fortnight where they can demonstrate the required decline in turnover with the Panel.

Hardship applications for JobSaver are now open with hardship COVID business grants and Microbusiness grants to open later this month.