If you have been impacted by an emergency in Victoria, support is available. Emergency relief payments are available for eligible people affected by the January 2026 bushfires.
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
Go to an Emergency Relief Centre. Find an Emergency 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.
Need an interpreter?
Call the VicEmergency hotline on 1800 226 226. Press 9 for an interpreter.
Emergency Management Victoria
Visit Emergency Management Victoria for relief and recovery centre locations and additional services.
For more information and other resources to help with your wellbeing, visit the January 2026 fires page on our Services website.