The Government is doubling the maximum emergency payment for food available to low income families and beneficiaries, and is increasing the amount available for other emergencies.
The Special Needs Grants provide payments to help with urgent needs.
The maximum amount for food payments is being effectively doubled from Monday, by allowing people to apply for the grant twice in one year.
About 280,000 grants were made for food in the year to May, ranging from a limit of $200 for a single person to $550 for a couple with three or more children.
The limit for the 'other emergency' category will increase from $200 to $500 dollars.
