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Is the question I was asked today. So let’s look at what they announced today for NSW employees and employers.

First they increased the COVID-19 Disaster Payment that employees, or anyone can claim through Services Australia. But this I not a “JobKeeper” as the employee approaches Services Australia and proves they are down to their last $10,000 or less of liquid assets and a series of other things. You can recommend it to employees but you can’t claim it for them.

The second announcement is the closest to JobKeeper, called “Small and medium business support payments”. But to start, it is not run by the ATO but by the NSW Government (funded 50% by the Federal Government), and these are the eligibility criteria as I understand them:

1. Entities will be eligible if their turnover is 30% lower than an equivalent two week period in 2019.

2. Entities must have an annual turnover between $75,000 and $50 million.

3. Entities will be required to maintain their full time, part time and long term casual staffing level as of 13 July 2021.

The eligible entities based on the conditions above will receive 40% of their NSW payroll payments, at a minimum of $1500 and a maximum of $10,000 per week. For non-employing businesses, such as sole traders, the payment will be set at $1,000 per week. These payments will cease when current lockdown restrictions are eased or when the Commonwealth hotspot declaration is removed.

You can register your interest from tomorrow (14 July 2021 – I just checked and nothing is there yet) at Service NSW.

Not JobKeeper for anyone outside NSW and not like JobKeeper as it does not involve the ATO