MBV would like to advise our members and other industry stakeholders that the Victorian Government’s Test Isolation Payment ends tomorrow, Tuesday 1 March 2022.

Tomorrow will be the final day for Victorians who have taken a PCR test to be eligible to claim the Test Isolation Payment.

Claims submitted before 9am on Wednesday 9 March will be assessed. Applicants must have taken a PCR test on or before Tuesday 1 March to be eligible to apply.

The program paid $450 to eligible workers who were required to quarantine while waiting for test results. Since the program opened, more than 1.2 million payments have been approved – worth over $545 million.

Minister for Industry Support and Recovery Martin Pakula announced that the Test Isolation Payment is closing due to Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) reducing the need to isolate for long periods while waiting for results.

More than 30 million free RATs have been distributed by the Government at testing centres, to schools and early childcare facilities, and to critical workforces such as health services, aged care and food supply.

The Test Isolation Payment opened in July 2020 to support workers to stay home from work while waiting for the results of a PCR test.

Demand for the program has reduced dramatically as RATs have become more widely available.

Other support, including food relief, is still available to Victorians who are financially impacted by COVID-19.

The Commonwealth Government’s Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment is also available for people who have to self-isolate, quarantine or need to care for someone who has to self-isolate or quarantine.

Visit coronavirus.vic.gov.au for more information.