HOW SUPPORT ACT CAN HELP

Support Act provides financial relief for music workers in crisis, mental health counselling through the Wellbeing Helpline, assistance with funeral expenses and financial guidance.

Crisis Relief Grants

We provide financial assistance when a music worker or family is in crisis. This could be as a result of serious illness, a mental health problem, accident, injury, or another unexpected problem. Our social workers also assist with advice and other forms of practical assistance.

Wellbeing Helpline

The Support Act Wellbeing Helpline is staffed by professional counsellors who offer expertise in all areas related to mental health. It is free, confidential and open to anyone in music or the arts. Call 1800 959 500.

First Nations Support

Support Act seeks to provide a culturally safe experience for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists, artist managers, crew and music workers. We employ a First Nations Social Worker and have established a dedicated support line for those seeking mental health and wellbeing support.

Funeral Help

We understand that the cost of a funeral can create additional stress when dealing with the loss of a loved one. We contribute to funeral costs and do our best to help quickly and discretely.

Tax Help

We’ve developed a Tax Help program to provide accounting and taxation support to current service users or those who meet the criteria for a Crisis Relief Grant, who are overwhelmed by a backlog of un-lodged returns or need assistance with financial literacy.

Crew

We recognise and celebrates the incredible contribution made by crew – past, present and in the future – to the Australian Music Industry. We are proud to partner with CrewCare and the Australian Road Crew Association (ARCA) to ensure that all crew can access our services.

WHO WE CAN HELP

We help music workers of all kinds – and from all genres and regions. We will also consider applications from dependents of a deceased artist or music worker and prioritise assisting with expenses related to the care of children.

TO QUALIFY FOR FINANCIAL HELP YOU WILL NEED TO…

  1. Tell us about the illness, injury or other crisis which has altered your circumstances and impacts on your ability to work in music.
  2. Show that your household expenses exceed your household income. Your existing assets may be taken into consideration.
  3. Demonstrate that you have worked professionally in the music industry for at least five years.
  4. Provide two professional referees who can verify your career.
  5. Show that you are a permanent resident or citizen of Australia; or have a valid working visa for Australia.

If you decide to apply for a grant, we will ask you to provide information about your circumstances and it is necessary that we ask questions about your income, expenses and other personal matters.

We understand that this can be confronting and we will only ask for information that is required to help us assess your eligibility for our help. We may also ask you to provide documents in support of your application.

You can contact us between 9am and 5pm Monday to Fridays. Support Act is a small charity and most staff are employed on a part time basis. For this reason, we may not be able to take your call or read your email immediately but we will get back to you as soon as we can. Whilst we aim to ensure this does not impact on the delivery of our service, we do ask you to bear this mind.

Support Act abides by state and federal privacy laws and all of our staff are bound by a confidentiality agreement. This means that the information you provide will be treated confidentially at all times. No personal details of your application are disclosed to our board of directors, your referees or to anybody outside Support Act without your prior consent. If we provide counselling, the details of this remain between you and our social worker.

From time to time volunteers may also be engaged to assist us, under the direction of Support Act staff. To avoid doubt all staff and volunteers are required to handle personal information in accordance with our Privacy Policy, and are required to sign a confidentiality agreement.

As a charity our resources are limited and we must follow strict criteria to decide who qualifies for our help. All decisions made are final and we reserve the right not to enter into correspondence about the outcome of a decision.

If you receive a Crisis Relief Grant, we will pay your bills and/or debts directly to the creditors concerned. We cannot make the payment to you or to another person. Whilst we must follow guidelines for how a Support Act grant can be spent, we aim to provide assistance tailored to your individual needs.

If you have received a grant from us before, we will consider another application (provided it is not within the same 12 month period) but we ask you to bear in mind that because our resources are limited we must prioritise new applications.

If for whatever reason all or part of the grant we award you is not expended within a 12 month period, we reserve the right to withdraw it.

Check out our Frequently Asked Questions. If you still can’t find what you are looking for, then contact us.