banner
Home >News >COVID-19 Hospital Surge Support Allowance

COVID-19 Hospital Surge Support Allowance

2021-10-15

The Victorian Government has announced two key supports for healthcare workers across the state, thanks to work by Dan Andrews and Martin Foley MP,

Support to Bring Australian Healthcare Workers Home
A package to recruit workers currently overseas — including many Australian HCWs overseas that want to return home. We know the long-term solution is increased tertiary education places and better funding, but this will bring some much-needed relief to hospitals currently suffering disastrous understaffing.

COVID-19 Hospital Surge Support Allowance
An up to $60 COVID Allowance per shift, payable to all patient-facing healthcare workers in public hospitals.

Initially, this was to only include certain HCW but HACSU advocated for allied health to be included — thanks to Fiona Patten MP for pushing for, and winning, an expansion in who will receive this. 

We've received more information on the new COVID Hospital allowance, which we've broken down into this table.

You should be paid the allowance automatically if eligible, though some workers will receive a back pay or lump sum to cover the time in which the program is being established.

The Allowance is in place from 11 October 2021 until 10 February 2022.  Workers should recieve a back-pay sum to cover any time from 11 October 2021 where they were eligible but payroll systems were still being updated to include the new Allowance.

We will update members when we receive more information, as we still have a few questions on the Allowance and its implementation. If you have questions about your specific situation, please contact your delegate, organiser or HACSU Assist.

Click here for an update dated Friday 15 October regarding HACSU calling for clarity on Community Mental Health's inclusion in the allowance.

MH-COVID-Pay-211013-Surge Allowance