Free rapid antigen tests for providers of services to vulnerable cohorts

The Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) has been supplying free rapid antigen tests (RATs) to ensure eligible services providers can support the needs of our priority client groups.

The priority groups include:

• 24-hour residential services for homelessness, out-of-home care and youth justice rehabilitation
• children and young people in out-of-home care, their carers and birth parents
• vulnerable children and families at risk in child protection, and domestic and family violence
• social housing tenants supported by community housing provider
• case management for people receiving homelessness, community corrections and youth justice services
• Aboriginal communities
• people with disability including individuals who are immunocompromised and their carers
• eligible Commonwealth Concession Card holders in NSW:
• Pensioner Concession card
• Commonwealth Seniors Health Care card
• Health Care Card (including Low Income Health Care card); or
• Department of Veterans’ Affairs Gold, White or Orange cards.

In addition, Service NSW service centres are providing free RATs to all members of the community.

Eligibility

Your organisation is eligible to access RATs for services provided to any of the priority client groups listed above.

In addition, your organisation must either:

1. be contracted by DCJ to provide those services, or
2. if not contracted by DCJ, be a non-government organisation or charity that provides services to people with disability, and be registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC).

How to order the RATs

You can order RATs at any time, using our online order form.

Each order can be in batches of 400, up to 3 boxes per order. Plan ahead so that your organisation has enough RATs.

The RATs are free and will be delivered at no cost to the address you nominate when ordering.

We expect demand to be high, so please be patient for receiving your order.

Why is DCJ providing these for free?

The NSW Government is committed to protecting the community and providing RATs to those in need.

This initiative ensures organisations and individuals can be supported for the early detection and treatment of COVID-19.

You can read more in Ministers Coure and Maclaren-Jones media release dated 15 July 2022 and Minister Maclaren-Jones media release dated 22 April 2022 and Minister Maclaren-Jones media release dated 25 January 2023.