Federal assistance after disastrous power outage

Income support payments are being offered to rural residents who lost power following devastating storms.

The federal assistance will provide up to 13 weeks of support for workers and sole traders who lost income due to power outages in the far west NSW town of Broken Hill and nearby areas.

Emergency Management Minister Jenny McAllister said the severe storms and resulting electricity outages had impacted livelihoods.

"This is a really difficult time for a lot of far western communities impacted by the recent storms and the power outages," she said.

Applications for the disaster recovery allowance open at 2pm on Thursday and people can check their eligibility and apply for assistance through Services Australia and myGov.

The assistance comes after power companies Origin and Energy Australia agreed to defer bills for impacted customers.

The NSW government also announced support payments of $200 for residents and up to $400 for businesses.

The outages followed severe thunderstorms on October 17 which damaged powerlines, while back-up generators delivered intermittent power to 20,000 locals.

The region is expected to be reconnected to the national grid by Saturday as workers fix a 3.5km section of transmission lines.

Locals have been asked to minimise energy usage during evening peak periods.