The ARTF Trustees will, on occasion, approve a Hardship Grant to individuals assessed as being in financial hardship. As a general rule, the grants are NOT for serving members (see below).

Applications for Hardship Grants will be restricted to those who have separated from Army within 18 months of the application date. Any request out of scope must be for extreme or dire circumstances and would be reviewed by the Secretary and Trustees.

Trustees consider financial hardship to be a situation where an applicant does not have enough money for basic living requirements (such as utilities, food, car registration but generally not credit card debt, rent or car maintenance) for themselves or their family.

Each case is determined on its merits, but will only be considered after all other avenues of assistance have been exhausted. Grants are usually limited to a maximum of $2,500, unless there are exceptional circumstances. Grants may be available to:

Ex-members of the Australian Army and their dependants.
Ex-members of the Army Reserve, who have completed a minimum of 12 months continuous full-time service and their dependants.
The dependants of current serving Army members.
Widows, deserted spouses and dependants experiencing hardship, to provide money for the period between which income has ceased and a satisfactory financial situation has been resolved.
Typically, Trustees provide Hardship Grants to:

Dependants of currently serving members experiencing financial hardship to provide immediate, essential financial relief.
Ex-members and dependants who, through accident, illness or other circumstances, are suffering serious financial hardship and require urgent help.
Support will be provided in the form of direct payment form the Trust to a supplier or service and not in the form of a 'cash' grant to an applicant.

Australian Military Forces Relief Trust Fund

AUSTRALIAN MILITARY FORCES RELIEF TRUST FUND (trading as ARMY RELIEF TRUST FUND)