WA paper applicants face waits of up to 10 weeks for fuel payment

Applicants in Western Australia who mailed forms for the government’s $100 fuel support payment should allow nine to 10 weeks to receive the money, the government says. The Sydney Morning Herald reported that postage could take longer in some regional locations. By contrast, applications through the Service WA app and other online channels are approved within one to two days.

More than one million of the state’s 2.3 million eligible driver’s licence holders have applied, and $110 million has been paid since the scheme opened on July 1. Treasurer Rita Saffioti told parliament last month that 96 per cent of applications came through the Service WA app.

That leaves between 40,000 and 50,000 applications submitted by post, according to her figures as reported by the Sydney Morning Herald. The Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure has deployed additional staff to process the paper applications and is using overtime and weekend work. A departmental spokeswoman said more resourcing would be implemented this week.

The government’s stated estimate of nine to 10 weeks is measured from posting an application to receiving payment, so it encompasses both processing and delivery time. The Sydney Morning Herald’s account also reported that the Cook Government set aside $198 million for the payment scheme, including $11 million for administration.

In a parliamentary comment quoted by the newspaper, an unnamed male speaker said that, as of the end of September, 41 per cent of allocated funds had not been paid and fewer than half of Western Australian drivers had received a payment. The excerpt does not identify the speaker, so the figures are attributable to that parliamentary comment rather than to a named official.

The contrast in processing times is substantial: app and online applications can be approved in one to two days, while people using post are advised to wait nine to 10 weeks for the payment to arrive. The newspaper’s account does not say how long payment takes after an online application is approved, or give a separate processing-time breakdown for mailed applications.

The headline from Yahoo News Australia also describes licence holders seeking the $100 fuel voucher as facing a 10-week wait. The government’s account of the paper route therefore remains the central practical guidance: allow nine to 10 weeks from mailing, with longer postal delays possible in some regional locations.

The department says it is adding resources while maintaining overtime and weekend work to handle paper submissions.