December update 2019

This update on the National Redress Scheme includes recent progress and support available over the December/January holiday season.

For more information, call 1800 737 377 from Australia or +61 3 6222 3455 from overseas. To find support services, go to the support services webpage.

Support over the holiday season

For many, the December/January holiday season may be a positive time of celebration with loved ones.

However, it can also be an intense and challenging time when feelings of isolation and loss can surface, and stress, anxiety and depression are heightened.

Support is available to help you if you need it.

The National Redress Scheme phone line will remain open over the holiday season (Monday to Friday 8am – 5pm local time) with the exception of 25 – 27 December 2019 and 1 January 2020.

Redress Support Services are available to provide free, confidential emotional and practical support before, during and after applying to the Scheme. The following Redress Support Services will remain open over the holiday season:

The remaining Redress Support Services will operate with revised opening hours over the holiday season. Alternative contact details will be provided on their answering machines, websites and/or social media pages.

If you need immediate assistance from a counsellor, please contact:

Application progress

As of 29 November 2019, the National Redress Scheme:

  • had received over 5,510 applications
  • made 1,096 decisions, including 792 payments totalling over $64.1 million, and 155 offers of redress awaiting an applicant’s decision
  • had an average payment amount of $81,000
  • was processing over 3,610 applications
  • had 591 applications on hold because one or more institution named had not yet joined, and 218 applications required additional information from the applicant.

Since 1 July 2019, more people have received redress than in the entire first year of the Scheme. From 1 July 2019 to 29 November 2019, 563 applications were finalised, resulting in 553 payments.

Find out more

To find out more about the National Redress Scheme call 1800 737 377  from Australia or +61 3 6222 3455 from overseas (Monday to Friday 8am – 5pm local time with the exception of the December/January dates listed above). excluding public holidays.

You can also go to the website home page: www.nationalredress.gov.au

January update 2020

This update on the National Redress Scheme includes recent data.

For more information call 1800 737 377 Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm (local time), excluding public holidays. To find support services, go to the support services webpage.

Application progress as at 3 January 2020

Application progress as at 3 January 2020. Had received over 5,829 applications. Made 1,194 decisions, including 975 payments totalling over $79.3 million. Made 148 offers of redress, which applicants have six months to consider. Was processing 3,733 applications. Had 898 applications on hold, including 557 because one or more institutions named had not yet joined and about 341 because they required additional information from the applicant.$79.3 million in total payments, Average payment of $81,376

Current financial year data

From 1 July 2019 to 3 January 2020, 747 applications were finalised, resulting in 736 payments.

This is more than the 239 payments made in the first year of the Scheme.

Where do I get support?

Redress Support Services are available to help people understand the Scheme, provide emotional support and guide people through the application process. A list of support services is available on the support services page.

In an emergency call Triple Zero (000).

If you need immediate assistance from a counsellor, please contact:

Find out more

To find out more about the National Redress Scheme call 1800 737 377  Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm (local time), excluding public holidays.

You can also go to the website home page: www.nationalredress.gov.au

March update 2020

This update covers available support, new institutions to join, and recent data on application progress.

Support
This update contains material that could be confronting and stressing. Sometimes words or images can cause sadness or distress or trigger traumatic memories for people, particularly for those people who have experienced past abuse or childhood trauma.

There are free and confidential Redress Support Services to help you. They can provide practical and emotional support before, during and after you apply for redress. Free legal advice and financial counselling are also available. Please visit the National Redress Scheme support page at www.nationalredress.gov.au/support(link is external) for a full list of support service providers.

If you need immediate support, 24-hour telephone assistance is available through:

In case of an emergency call Triple Zero (000).

New institutions

The number of institutions participating in the Scheme has more than doubled as more institutions have completed the necessary steps to join the Scheme.

As at 6 February 2020, 162 non-government institutions were participating in the Scheme - up from 67 last year, in addition to the Commonwealth, state and territory governments.

As at 6 February 2020, the total number of sites, including churches, schools, children's home and charities across Australia that had joined the Scheme, had increased from 41,900 to 47,600, meaning that more applications that were on hold can be progressed.

For details of the institutions that have joined, please visit: ministers.dss.gov.au/media-releases/5468(link is external) or www.nationalredress.gov.au/institutions.

You can also contact the Scheme on 1800 737 377 from Australia or +61 3 6222 3455 from overseas (Monday to Friday 8am - 5pm local time) if you would like more information about your application.

Application progress as at 31 January 2020

See below for more information$89.3 million in total, average payment of $81,184

As of 31 January 2020, the Scheme:

  • had received 6,077 applications
  • had made 1,367 decisions, including 1,112 payments totalling over $89.3 million
  • had made 255 offers of redress, which applicants have six months to consider
  • was processing 3,851 applications
  • had 897 applications on hold, including 543 because one or more institution named had not yet joined, and about 354 because they required additional information from the applicant.

As of 3 January 2020, 31 per cent of payments had been $50,000 dollars or less. 52 per cent had been between $50,001 and $100,000 dollars and 17 per cent had been $100,001 dollars to $150,000 dollars.

Number of payments as at 3 January 2020

As of 3 January 2020, 31 per cent of payments had been $50,000 dollars or less. 52 per cent had been between $50,001 and $100,000 dollars and 17 per cent had been $100,001 dollars to $150,000 dollars.

Find out more

For further information about the Scheme, go to www.nationalredress.gov.au or call 1800 737 377 Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm AET from Australia or +61 2 6222 3455 from overseas (Monday to Friday 8am – 5pm local time).

April update 2020

This update on the National Redress Scheme (the Scheme) covers new arrangements for more institutions to join the Scheme, and recent data on application progress.

This update contains material that could be confronting or distressing. Sometimes words or images can cause sadness or distress or trigger traumatic memories, particularly for people who have experienced past abuse or childhood trauma.

Support is available to help you if you need it. To find out more, go to www.nationalredress.gov.au/help-support/get-free-help-apply/redress-support-services.

Ensuring maximum participation in the Scheme

Under new arrangements agreed by the Australian Government and all state and territory governments, institutions named in the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse or in an application received by the Scheme must provide a clear written statement setting out their intention to join the Scheme by no later than 30 June 2020. These institutions will be expected to join as soon as possible, but no later than 31 December 2020. This additional time reflects the maximum time needed to complete the on-boarding process and recognises of the changed capacity of many institutions due to the coronavirus pandemic.

If by 30 June 2020 an institution has failed to signify its intention to join the Scheme, it will immediately be publicly identified and jurisdictions will consider appropriate action. This may include financial sanctions applied by state, territory or Commonwealth governments, and changes to an organisation's charitable status. Naming institutions is necessary to ensure that people wanting to access the Scheme know the status of relevant institutions.

Where the Scheme receives an application naming a non-participating institution after the 30 June 2020 deadline, the Scheme will contact the institution and the institution will be given six months to join. Should that institution fail to join the Scheme within the six months, the institution will be publicly identified by the Scheme in accordance with Scheme legislation, and jurisdictions may apply other appropriate sanctions. This provides certainty for survivors who were victims of abuse in an institution that has not yet been named, that they can lodge their application at a later date, whilst ensuring that organisations cannot drag out the process of joining, which causes yet more harm to survivors.

In addition, institutions that are already participating in the Scheme will be allowed to add additional institutions to their participating groups after the 30 June 2020 deadline.

These measures ensure as many survivors of institutional child sexual abuse as possible will have access to redress beyond 30 June 2020, whilst ensuring that those institutions that have failed in their duty to survivors by avoiding joining the Scheme are held to account.

To find out which institutions have already joined the Scheme you can search on the Search for Institutions that have joined the Scheme page. This search includes the local sites of all participating institutions, including, for example, individual schools and homes.

Application progress as at 27 March 2020

As of 27 March 2020, the Scheme: had received 6,540 applications, had made 1,883 decisions, including 1,533 payments totalling over $123.3 million, had made 305 offers of redress, which applicants have six months to consider, was processing 3,883 applications, had 869 applications on hold, including 528 because one or more institution named had not yet joined, and about 341 because they required additional information from the applicant.

As of 27 March 2020, the Scheme:

  • had received 6,540 applications
  • had made 1,883 decisions, including 1,533 payments totalling over $123.3 million
  • had made 305 offers of redress, which applicants have six months to consider
  • was processing 3,883 applications
  • had 869 applications on hold, including 528 because one or more institution named had not yet joined, and about 341 because they required additional information from the applicant.

Find out more

For further information about the Scheme, go to www.nationalredress.gov.au or call 1800 737 377 Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm AET from Australia or +61 2 6222 3455 from overseas and leave a message.

May update 2020

The update gives an update on the National Redress Scheme (the Scheme). It covers the First Interim Report of the Joint Select Committee on Implementation of the National Redress Scheme and recent data on application progress.  

The update contains material that could be confronting or distressing. Sometimes words or images can cause sadness or distress or trigger traumatic memories, particularly for people who have experienced past abuse or childhood trauma.

Support is available to help you if you need it. To find out more, go to 
www.nationalredress.gov.au/help-support/get-free-help-apply/redress-support-services.

If you need immediate support, 24-hour telephone assistance is available through:

First Interim Report of the Joint Select Committee on Implementation of the National Redress Scheme

The First Interim Report of the Joint Select Committee on Implementation of the National Redress Scheme was released on 3 May 2020. The report is available(Opens in a new tab/window). The report includes 14 recommendations concerning the implementation of the Scheme. The recommendations are now being considered.

The Joint Select Committee was established in September 2019 to inquire into and report on:

  • the Australian Government policy, program and legal response to the redress related recommendations of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, including the establishment and operation of the Commonwealth Redress Scheme and ongoing support of survivors
  • any matter in relation to the Royal Commission's redress related recommendations referred to the committee by a resolution of either House of the Parliament.

Application progress as at 24 April 2020

s of 24 April 2020, the Scheme: had received 6,716 applications, had made 2,093 decisions, including 1,751 payments totalling over $136.8 million, had made 370 offers of redress, which applicants have six months to consider, was processing 3,843 applications, and had 859 applications on hold, including 526 because one or more institution named had not yet joined.As of 24 April 2020, the Scheme:

  • had received 6,716 applications
  • had made 2,093 decisions, including 1,751 payments totalling over $136.8 million
  • had made 370 offers of redress, which applicants have six months to consider
  • was processing 3,843 applications
  • had 859 applications on hold, including 526 because one or more institution named had not yet joined.

Find out more

For further information about the Scheme, go to www.nationalredress.gov.au or call 1800 737 377 Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm AET from Australia or +61 2 6222 3455 from overseas.

June update 2020

The update provides information on the National Redress Scheme (the Scheme). It covers updated arrangements during the Coronavirus pandemic and recent data.

The update contains material that could be confronting or distressing. Sometimes words or images can cause sadness or distress or trigger traumatic memories, particularly for people who have experienced past abuse or childhood trauma.

Support is available to help you if you need it. To find out more, go to 
www.nationalredress.gov.au/help-support/get-free-help-apply/redress-support-services.

If you need immediate support, 24-hour telephone assistance is available through:

Application progress as at 29 May 2020

As a result of improvements to the Scheme and an increase in Independent Decision Makers over recent months, the Scheme has been able to provide more people with a redress outcome.

From November 2019 to April 2020, the Scheme provided an average of around 260 outcomes to applicants per month. In May 2020, this has increased to around 800 outcomes.

As at 29 May 2020, the Scheme:

  • had received 7,009 applications
  • was processing 3,648 applications
  • had made 2,907 decisions, including 2,250 payments totaling approximately $184 million
  • had 840 applications on hold, including 525 because one or more institution named had not yet joined
  • had made 574 offers of redress, which applicants have six months to consider.
As at 29 May 2020, the Scheme: had received 7,009 applications; was processing 3,648 applications; had made 2,907 decisions, including 2,250 payments totaling approximately $184 million; had 840 applications on hold, including 525 because one or more institution named had not yet joined; had made 574 offers of redress, which applicants have six months to consider.

The National Redress Scheme Information Phone Line is now accepting inbound calls

During the coronavirus pandemic, the National Redress Scheme Information Phone Line temporarily stopped receiving inbound calls and instead people were asked to leave a voicemail message so we could call them back.

As the response to the pandemic has evolved, the Scheme Information Phone Line is once again able to accept inbound calls without the need to automatically leave a voicemail message.

If you would like to discuss your redress application with someone or have any queries around the Scheme, you can call the Scheme Information Phone Line on 1800 737 377 (Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm) from Australia or on +61 6222 3455 from overseas.

Updated Statutory Declaration requirements during Coronavirus

The Scheme understands that due to the Coronavirus pandemic, it may be difficult to have the Statutory Declaration required for the redress application form witnessed.

In response, the Scheme can now accept and process redress applications where the Statutory Declaration was unable to be signed or witnessed due to Coronavirus-related restrictions or concerns. If you are unable to sign or get your statutory declaration witnessed due to Coronavirus-related restrictions or concerns, the Scheme can accept unsigned and unwitnessed statutory declarations until 31 December 2020.

You will still need to submit the statutory declaration form along with your application, even if it is not signed or witnessed. This applies to redress applications lodged or being processed in the period 1 March to 31 December 2020.

If you would like to discuss whether this may apply to you, please call the Scheme Information Phone Line Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm (1800 737 377) from Australia or +61 6222 3455 from overseas.

Find out more

For further information about the Scheme, go to www.nationalredress.gov.au or call 1800 737 377 Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm AET from Australia or +61 2 6222 3455 from overseas.

June update 2020

The National Redress Scheme for survivors of institutional child sexual abuse was established on 1 July 2018. The Scheme has now been in operation for two years and it is time to review how the Scheme is working for survivors and other stakeholders. The review will be undertaking consultations from July 2020 until September 2020. Consultations will initially be in the form of a submissions process and a survey.

The review is wide-ranging and will consider matters such as the implementation and operation of the Scheme, survivor experience of the Scheme, access to support services and to counselling and psychological care as well as financial arrangements.  

The review is being undertaken by an independent reviewer who is keen to hear about your experience of the Scheme. In order to improve the Scheme we really need to hear about your experience as a survivor making an application to the Scheme and what happened during and after the application process.

Further information about how you can contribute to the review will be uploaded to this site as it becomes available.

July update 2020

The update gives an update on the National Redress Scheme (the Scheme). It covers institution updates and recent data.

The update contains material that could be confronting or distressing. Sometimes words or images can cause sadness or distress or trigger traumatic memories, particularly for people who have experienced past abuse or childhood trauma.

Support is available to help you if you need it. To find out more, go to 

www.nationalredress.gov.au/help-support/get-free-help-apply/redress-support-services.

If you need immediate support, 24-hour telephone assistance is available through:

Institutions update

All institutions where the sexual abuse of children occurred must be accountable for that abuse and join the Scheme without delay.

Under new arrangements announced in April 2020(Opens in a new tab/window), institutions have until 31 December 2020 to join the Scheme. The extended timeframe recognises the changed capacity of some institutions during the coronavirus pandemic.

To provide some certainty to applicants, any institution named in the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse and/or an application were asked to provide a written statement outlining their intention to join the Scheme by 30 June 2020.

On 1 July 2020, the details of institutions that signified, and failed to signify their intent to join before the deadline were published on the Scheme website. Minister for Families and Social Services, Senator the Hon Anne Ruston also issued a media release on the naming of institutions.

For the latest information about institutions, visit our website: www.nationalredress.gov.au/institutions.

Application progress as at 26 June 2020

Application progress - details below

As of 26 June 2020, the Scheme:

  • had received 7,261 applications
  • had made 3,382 decisions, including 2,693 payments totaling approximately $220.9 million
  • had made 612 offers of redress, which are currently with applicants to consider
  • was processing 3,358 applications.

Find out more

For further information about the Scheme, go to www.nationalredress.gov.au or call 1800 737 377 Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm AET from Australia or +61 2 6222 3455 from overseas.

August update 2020

This newsletter covers arrangements for the second anniversary review of the National Redress Scheme (the Scheme).

Should you find any of the content in this newsletter confronting or distressing, remember support is available. To find out more, go to www.nationalredress.gov.au/help-support/get-free-help-apply/redress-support-services.

Second anniversary review

The Scheme was established on 1 July 2018. Following its second anniversary, an independent review is being conducted to consider how the Scheme is working for survivors and other stakeholders.

The review is wide-ranging and will consider the implementation and operation of the Scheme, how survivors experience the Scheme, access to Redress Support Services and to counselling and psychological care as well as financial arrangements.

An independent reviewer, Ms Robyn Kruk AO, is undertaking the review. Ms Kruk was the Independent Assessor of the Defence Abuse Response Taskforce and is currently the Chair of Mental Health Australia. In 2018, Ms Kruk was appointed as an Officer of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to public administration, including mental health reform.

The review is undertaking consultations from July 2020 until September 2020.

To help us improve the Scheme, we encourage survivors, advocates and other stakeholders to have their say in the review. It is critical that survivors are at the centre of the review and that the review captures what matters to them most.

You can provide feedback by making a submission and/or participating in a feedback study with pre-prepared questions. Information about how you can make a submission is available on the Scheme website: www.nationalredress.gov.au/about/about-scheme/second-anniversary-review.

The feedback study will open from August 2020 and we will provide further information about this on the Scheme website and an upcoming newsletter when available.

Find out more

For further information about the Scheme, go to www.nationalredress.gov.au or call 1800 737 377 Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm AET from Australia or +61 2 6222 3455 from overseas.

September update 2020

The update gives an update on the National Redress Scheme (the Scheme). It covers the launch of new Scheme resources, a second anniversary review update and recent data.

The update contains material that could be confronting or distressing. Sometimes words or images can cause sadness or distress or trigger traumatic memories, particularly for people who have experienced past abuse or childhood trauma.

Support is available to help you if you need it. To find out more, go to 

www.nationalredress.gov.au/help-support/get-free-help-apply/redress-support-services.

If you need immediate support, 24-hour telephone assistance is available through:

This month, the Scheme launched new resources to provide key information for applicants, potential applicants and their supporters in an easier to understand format.

Three videos are now available covering the topics: 'Scheme overview', 'Applying to the Scheme' and 'Direct Personal Responses'. The videos are each under 10 minutes in length.

An updated Easy Read Fact Sheet is also available, providing information on the Scheme in easy to read language.

In addition to the new videos and fact sheets, details about and support, free, confidential Redress Support Services that are available in all states and territories.

Second anniversary review update

Ms Robyn Kruk AO, the independent reviewer, who is undertaking the second year review into how the Scheme is working for survivors and other stakeholders has written an open letter which you can read on our website.

Open letter from the independent reviewer

Robyn Kruk AO has been appointed to conduct the independent review of the Scheme.

Robyn’s role is to listen to your feedback and provide a report to Government. Government will consider Robyn’s report and publicly respond. We will publish Robyn’s report and the Government’s response so it is open and transparent.

We want to improve the Scheme, and we want to do that together.

Robyn has written an open letter to tell you about the review of the Scheme and how you can let her know your views.
Publication Date:  15 July 2020

Downloads

You can choose to make a submission and/or participate in a feedback study (available throughout October). Submissions are open until 30 September 2020 and you can make your submission on our website.

Application progress as at 4 September 2020, details below.

Application progress as at 4 September 2020

As of 4 September 2020, the Scheme:

  • had received 7,935 applications
  • had made 4275 decisions, including 3,498 payments totaling approximately $286.6 million
  • had made 561 offers of redress, which are currently with applicants to consider
  • was processing 3,187 applications.

Find out more

For further information about the Scheme, go to www.nationalredress.gov.au or call 1800 737 377 Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm AET from Australia or +61 2 6222 3455 from overseas.

Subscribe to

The Australian Government acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples throughout Australia and their continuing connection to land, water, culture and community. We pay our respects to the Elders both past and present.

Keep informed of latest news and updates to the National Redress Scheme

Subscribe (Opens in a new tab/window)