What if I was paid partly in cash or do not have payslips to prove what I am owed?

Apply for FEG and provide whatever evidence you have (bank statements showing deposits, employment contract, rosters, timesheets, text messages about pay, or a statutory declaration). The department will also contact the insolvency practitioner to verify your entitlements.

Can I claim FEG if I was a director or contractor for the company that went bust?

Directors and their spouses, de facto partners, or relatives are generally excluded under Fair Entitlements Guarantee Act 2012 s 11. Contractors (except certain textile, clothing and footwear outworkers) are also excluded. FEG is for employees only.

What if the liquidator expects to pay me in full from the insolvency estate?

If the insolvency practitioner expects to pay your entitlements in full within 112 days of the insolvency date, FEG may not apply because there is another source of funds. DEWR will assess this during the claim process. If the liquidator later cannot pay you, you can then claim FEG provided you are still within the 12-month deadline.

Can I review or appeal a FEG decision if I disagree with it?

Yes. The department's decision letter will explain the outcome, the reasons, and your review rights. Contact the FEG Hotline on 1300 135 040 for information about requesting a review.

Fair Entitlements Guarantee (FEG): unpaid wages, leave, redundancy

What to do now

Official DEWR pages: Fair Entitlements Guarantee home, Making a FEG claim, Am I eligible?. Online claim: FEG Online Services. Hotline: 1300 135 040. Clock: You must lodge an effective claim within 12 months of whichever date is later: the date your employment ended, or the date your employer entered liquidation or bankruptcy. Wait: The department aims to process claims within an average of 14 weeks of receiving an effective claim. Fee: Free.

Check you are eligible. You must have been an employee (not a contractor), your employer must be in liquidation or bankruptcy, you must have lost your job due to insolvency or within 6 months before the insolvency practitioner was appointed, and you must have been an Australian citizen or permanent or special category visa holder at the time your job ended.
Gather your records. Payslips, employment contract, bank statements showing wages stopped, notice of liquidation or bankruptcy, and your citizenship or residency proof (Australian passport, birth certificate, citizenship certificate, or visa grant notice from before your job ended).
Apply online or by form. The fastest way is FEG Online Services. You need a smart device with an authentication app, bank account details, and your documents in upload format. Alternatively, download the FEG claim form (current as at 1 May 2026) and post it with your documents to the address on the form.
The department assesses your claim. DEWR checks eligibility, contacts the insolvency practitioner to verify your entitlements, applies the maximum weekly wage cap, and deducts any debts you owe to your former employer. You receive a written decision explaining the amount you will be paid and any amounts not covered.
You are paid after assessment. If eligible, DEWR pays FEG into your bank account. Tax is withheld under PAYG rules (different rates apply to wages, leave, and redundancy). The amount over the FEG cap can be claimed as a debt in the insolvency (proof of debt lodged with the liquidator or trustee).

This is legal information about the Fair Entitlements Guarantee in Australia, not personal legal advice.

What FEG covers

FEG can pay five categories of unpaid entitlements when your employer enters liquidation (company) or bankruptcy (sole trader or partnership):

Unpaid wages: up to 13 weeks of unpaid wages.
Annual leave: accrued annual leave in full.
Long service leave: accrued long service leave in full.
Pay in lieu of notice: up to 5 weeks of notice pay if you did not receive the notice required under your contract, award, or the National Employment Standards.
Redundancy pay: up to 4 weeks' pay for each full year of service. Your award, enterprise agreement, or contract may set a higher scale (for example, the National Employment Standards scale), but FEG caps redundancy at 4 weeks per year. You can claim the difference from the insolvent estate.

All FEG payments are capped at the maximum weekly wage. For claims made between 1 July 2026 and 30 June 2027, the cap is $3,032 per week. If you earned more than that, FEG will pay you at the $3,032 rate and you lodge a proof of debt for the uncapped balance.

FEG does not cover unpaid superannuation. If your employer owes super, report it to the ATO using the Report unpaid super contributions tool and contact the insolvency practitioner about lodging a creditor claim for the super guarantee charge. Since 31 December 2007, SGC ranks equally with employees' entitlements for wages and super contributions as a priority debt in insolvency. See the related guide Unpaid super and Payday Super for more.

Eligibility requirements

You may be eligible for FEG if all of the following apply:

Your employment has ended and your employer is now in liquidation or bankruptcy.
The end of your employment was due to insolvency, or occurred less than 6 months before the insolvency practitioner was appointed, or occurred on or after the insolvency practitioner was appointed.
You are owed employment entitlements and have taken reasonable steps to be paid those debts.
At the time your employment ended, you were an Australian citizen, or the holder of a permanent visa or special category visa.
You lodge an effective claim within 12 months of whichever date is later: the date your employment ended, or the day your employer went into liquidation or bankruptcy.

You are not eligible if you:

were a contractor (except certain textile, clothing and footwear contract outworkers),
are an excluded employee under Fair Entitlements Guarantee Act 2012 s 11 (which refers to Corporations Act 2001 s 556 for company liquidations, and excludes spouses, relatives, and de facto partners of bankrupt employers).

DEWR makes eligibility decisions under the Fair Entitlements Guarantee Act 2012. If you are not eligible for FEG, you can still lodge a proof of debt with the insolvency practitioner as an unsecured creditor and claim in the insolvency.

The 12-month claim deadline

You must lodge an effective claim within 12 months of whichever date is later:

the date your employment ended, or
the date your employer entered liquidation or bankruptcy.

An effective claim means you submitted the FEG claim form (or online claim) within 12 months and provided all required documents and information, including your citizenship or residency proof.

Worked example: FEG claim with dates

15 July 2026: your employer tells you there is no more money and you are made redundant. You are owed 3 weeks' wages ($2,500 per week), 4 weeks' accrued annual leave, and 8 weeks' redundancy pay under your contract (4 years' service, contract says 2 weeks per year). Total owed before FEG caps: 3 + 4 + 8 = 15 weeks at $2,500/week = $37,500.
29 July 2026: creditors resolve to wind up the company. A liquidator is appointed. You receive a letter from the liquidator confirming the company is in liquidation.
FEG deadline: 12 months from 29 July 2026 (the insolvency date, which is later than your employment ending on 15 July). You must lodge an effective claim by 29 July 2027.
5 August 2026: you apply for FEG online via FEG Online Services. You upload your payslips, employment contract, the liquidator's letter, and your Australian passport. Your claim is effective.
DEWR calculation: you earned $2,500 per week, which is under the maximum weekly wage cap ($3,032 for the 2026-27 year). FEG will pay the full 3 weeks' wages ($7,500), 4 weeks' annual leave ($10,000), and redundancy: your contract entitlement is 8 weeks (2 weeks per year x 4 years), which is less than the FEG cap of 16 weeks (4 weeks per full year x 4 years), so FEG pays the full 8 weeks at $2,500 = $20,000. Total FEG payment: $37,500 (before tax).
After assessment (the department averages 14 weeks from an effective claim), you receive a written decision letter. The payment is deposited into your bank account within 2 business days of the decision, less PAYG withholding tax.
Remaining unpaid entitlements: none in this example. If you had been owed super, you would report that to the ATO and lodge a proof of debt for the super guarantee charge in the liquidation.

The liquidator or bankruptcy trustee's role

The insolvency practitioner (liquidator for a company in liquidation, or bankruptcy trustee for a bankrupt individual or partnership) is responsible for:

verifying employee entitlements owed at the date of insolvency,
providing accurate entitlement information to DEWR for FEG claims,
lodging an SGC statement with the ATO for any unpaid super (super ranks as a priority debt alongside wages and other entitlements),
distributing any recovered funds to creditors according to the priority rules in the Corporations Act 2001 or Bankruptcy Act 1966,
keeping DEWR informed about dividend recovery prospects (FEG stands in your shoes as a creditor after it pays you, and recovers what it can from the insolvent estate).

Your FEG claim is generally calculated using information verified by the insolvency practitioner, as they have access to the employer's records. If the employer's records are incomplete, this can slow assessment. If you have documents the practitioner may not have, provide them with your claim.

The FEG Recovery Program funds liquidators and trustees to pursue recoveries, including unpaid super guarantee charge, where certain criteria are met. This does not change your direct access to FEG or your right to lodge a creditor claim.

Where to claim and get help

FEG Online Services: fegonlineservices.dewr.gov.au

FEG claim form (effective 1 May 2026): Download PDF

FEG hotline: 1300 135 040

DEWR FEG pages: Fair Entitlements Guarantee · Making a FEG claim · Claim assessment process · Am I eligible?

What to do now

Check you are eligible. You must have been an employee (not a contractor), your employer must be in liquidation or bankruptcy, you must have lost your job due to insolvency or within 6 months before the insolvency practitioner was appointed, and you must have been an Australian citizen or permanent or special category visa holder at the time your job ended.
Gather your records. Payslips, employment contract, bank statements showing wages stopped, notice of liquidation or bankruptcy, and your citizenship or residency proof (Australian passport, birth certificate, citizenship certificate, or visa grant notice from before your job ended).
Apply online or by form. The fastest way is FEG Online Services. You need a smart device with an authentication app, bank account details, and your documents in upload format. Alternatively, download the FEG claim form (current as at 1 May 2026) and post it with your documents to the address on the form.
The department assesses your claim. DEWR checks eligibility, contacts the insolvency practitioner to verify your entitlements, applies the maximum weekly wage cap, and deducts any debts you owe to your former employer. You receive a written decision explaining the amount you will be paid and any amounts not covered.
You are paid after assessment. If eligible, DEWR pays FEG into your bank account. Tax is withheld under PAYG rules (different rates apply to wages, leave, and redundancy). The amount over the FEG cap can be claimed as a debt in the insolvency (proof of debt lodged with the liquidator or trustee).

This is legal information about the Fair Entitlements Guarantee in Australia, not personal legal advice.

What FEG covers

FEG can pay five categories of unpaid entitlements when your employer enters liquidation (company) or bankruptcy (sole trader or partnership):

Unpaid wages: up to 13 weeks of unpaid wages.
Annual leave: accrued annual leave in full.
Long service leave: accrued long service leave in full.
Pay in lieu of notice: up to 5 weeks of notice pay if you did not receive the notice required under your contract, award, or the National Employment Standards.
Redundancy pay: up to 4 weeks' pay for each full year of service. Your award, enterprise agreement, or contract may set a higher scale (for example, the National Employment Standards scale), but FEG caps redundancy at 4 weeks per year. You can claim the difference from the insolvent estate.

Eligibility requirements

You may be eligible for FEG if all of the following apply:

Your employment has ended and your employer is now in liquidation or bankruptcy.
The end of your employment was due to insolvency, or occurred less than 6 months before the insolvency practitioner was appointed, or occurred on or after the insolvency practitioner was appointed.
You are owed employment entitlements and have taken reasonable steps to be paid those debts.
At the time your employment ended, you were an Australian citizen, or the holder of a permanent visa or special category visa.
You lodge an effective claim within 12 months of whichever date is later: the date your employment ended, or the day your employer went into liquidation or bankruptcy.

You are not eligible if you:

were a contractor (except certain textile, clothing and footwear contract outworkers),
are an excluded employee under Fair Entitlements Guarantee Act 2012 s 11 (which refers to Corporations Act 2001 s 556 for company liquidations, and excludes spouses, relatives, and de facto partners of bankrupt employers).

The 12-month claim deadline

You must lodge an effective claim within 12 months of whichever date is later:

the date your employment ended, or
the date your employer entered liquidation or bankruptcy.

An effective claim means you submitted the FEG claim form (or online claim) within 12 months and provided all required documents and information, including your citizenship or residency proof.

Worked example: FEG claim with dates

15 July 2026: your employer tells you there is no more money and you are made redundant. You are owed 3 weeks' wages ($2,500 per week), 4 weeks' accrued annual leave, and 8 weeks' redundancy pay under your contract (4 years' service, contract says 2 weeks per year). Total owed before FEG caps: 3 + 4 + 8 = 15 weeks at $2,500/week = $37,500.
29 July 2026: creditors resolve to wind up the company. A liquidator is appointed. You receive a letter from the liquidator confirming the company is in liquidation.
FEG deadline: 12 months from 29 July 2026 (the insolvency date, which is later than your employment ending on 15 July). You must lodge an effective claim by 29 July 2027.
5 August 2026: you apply for FEG online via FEG Online Services. You upload your payslips, employment contract, the liquidator's letter, and your Australian passport. Your claim is effective.
DEWR calculation: you earned $2,500 per week, which is under the maximum weekly wage cap ($3,032 for the 2026-27 year). FEG will pay the full 3 weeks' wages ($7,500), 4 weeks' annual leave ($10,000), and redundancy: your contract entitlement is 8 weeks (2 weeks per year x 4 years), which is less than the FEG cap of 16 weeks (4 weeks per full year x 4 years), so FEG pays the full 8 weeks at $2,500 = $20,000. Total FEG payment: $37,500 (before tax).
After assessment (the department averages 14 weeks from an effective claim), you receive a written decision letter. The payment is deposited into your bank account within 2 business days of the decision, less PAYG withholding tax.
Remaining unpaid entitlements: none in this example. If you had been owed super, you would report that to the ATO and lodge a proof of debt for the super guarantee charge in the liquidation.

The liquidator or bankruptcy trustee's role

The insolvency practitioner (liquidator for a company in liquidation, or bankruptcy trustee for a bankrupt individual or partnership) is responsible for:

verifying employee entitlements owed at the date of insolvency,
providing accurate entitlement information to DEWR for FEG claims,
lodging an SGC statement with the ATO for any unpaid super (super ranks as a priority debt alongside wages and other entitlements),
distributing any recovered funds to creditors according to the priority rules in the Corporations Act 2001 or Bankruptcy Act 1966,
keeping DEWR informed about dividend recovery prospects (FEG stands in your shoes as a creditor after it pays you, and recovers what it can from the insolvent estate).

Where to claim and get help

FEG Online Services: fegonlineservices.dewr.gov.au

FEG claim form (effective 1 May 2026): Download PDF

FEG hotline: 1300 135 040

DEWR FEG pages: Fair Entitlements Guarantee · Making a FEG claim · Claim assessment process · Am I eligible?

Fair Entitlements Guarantee: claim unpaid wages when your employer goes into liquidation or bankruptcy

The short version

Ask Zoe about your situation

What to do now

What FEG covers

Eligibility requirements

The 12-month claim deadline

Worked example: FEG claim with dates

The liquidator or bankruptcy trustee's role

Where to claim and get help

Common questions

Primary sources

Ask Zoe about your situation

Related guides

Fair Entitlements Guarantee: claim unpaid wages when your employer goes into liquidation or bankruptcy

The short version

Ask Zoe about your situation

What to do now

What FEG covers

Eligibility requirements

The 12-month claim deadline

Worked example: FEG claim with dates

The liquidator or bankruptcy trustee's role

Where to claim and get help

Common questions

Primary sources

Ask Zoe about your situation

Related guides