Emergency relief

We are pleased to advise that Meli’s Emergency Relief service has resumed for Greater Geelong.

The program provides one-off emergency support for low and fixed income individuals and families, to help with costs such as paying bills, buying groceries or fuel.

Our service is facing significant challenges following a reduction in funding this financial year. We have made changes to how we allocate support, to ensure we can help as many people as possible with the resources we have available. Please be aware, Meli no longer provides ER in the South West region. We only provide ER in the Greater Geelong region.

Emergency Relief eligibility

• If you have accessed the program within the last six months, you will not be eligible to apply
• Applicants will be asked to supply two forms of ID and proof of income (e.g. a pay slip or Centrelink statement)
• Support will be allocated on a random basis. If selected, you will be notified on Friday to schedule an appointment.
• If you are unsuccessful, you can reapply again the following week or at another time, however you will need submit a new application
• Please only submit one application at a time, as duplicates will be removed
• If you live in Greater Geelong, you are eligible to access Emergency Relief (see map below).

How to apply

Applications for Emergency Relief must be made via the form on this page. The form is open from 9am Monday to midnight Wednesday each week. On Friday, you will be advised by email if your application is successful or unsuccessful.

We understand this may be a difficult time, and we appreciate your patience and understanding.

Further resources