You can apply for an emergency relief payment if:
- your principal place of residence was damaged or destroyed by the fires and you can’t live in it, or
- your principal place of residence was in an evacuation warning area, and you evacuated your property
and
- you have unmet immediate relief needs.
How to apply
A support officer from the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing can help you apply for emergency relief support.
Call the VicEmergency Hotline 1800 226 226. Press 0, then 1 to talk to someone (or Press 9 for an interpreter) or go to an Emergency Relief Centre.
Visit Emergency Management Victoria for relief and recovery centre locations and additional services.
When visiting a relief centre have personal identification (ID) with you if you can. This could be a:
- driver licence
- Medicare card
- letter or bill with your name and address.
For more information and other resources to help with your wellbeing, visit the January 2026 fires page.