About this website

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

For some people, these responses can be overwhelming. If you need immediate help or counselling, 24/7 support is available. Redress Support Services are also available to provide advice or support before, during and after you apply for redress.

Language

This website tries to use inclusive, restorative and non-derogatory language. Many of the commonly used words and phrases have shortcomings and we hope that no one feels excluded, misrepresented or offended. Please tell us your feedback about the website and how to improve it.

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June update 2024

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:

Community information sessions in NT

Free service provider workshops and community information sessions will be held in Alice Springs and Darwin later this month.

The service provider workshops will provide community organisations and frontline service providers information about the National Redress Scheme and the Territories Stolen Generations Redress Scheme. The sessions will discuss the different purposes and functions of the two Schemes, as well as how to engage with them and access free, confidential and culturally safe support.

The community information sessions will provide a space for members of the community who may be Stolen Generations members or people who have experienced institutional child sexual abuse to ask questions about both Schemes and to connect with support services.

The sessions will be held on 21 June in Alice Springs, and on 24 June in Darwin; facilitated by the National Redress Scheme, in partnership with the National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA), NT Government, the Healing Foundation, Northern Territory Stolen Generation Aboriginal Corporation, knowmore Legal Service, Relationships Australia NT and Bravehearts.

Government representatives from both Schemes will be participating to share information and answer questions. There will also be presentations from various non-government organisations, Redress Support Services and knowmore Legal Service.

Capacity is limited for each event, so register your attendance early to secure a place.

The Alice Springs workshop will be held at the Alice Springs Convention Centre from, 9.30am-5.00pm ACST, 21 June. Register your organisation’s attendance through the online registration form.(Opens in a new tab/window)

The Darwin workshop will be held at the Novotel Darwin CBD, 9.30am-5.00pm ACST, 24 June 2024. Register your organisation’s attendance through the online registration form.(Opens in a new tab/window)

These events are part of a series of workshops to raise awareness of the Schemes, with planning is underway for the Hunter Valley region, NSW on 8 August 2024. More information on this workshop will be available shortly.

To register your interest in future workshops, email DSSRedressEngagement@dss.gov.au

Scheme Data

As at 7 June 2024, there have been 42,791 applications to the Scheme. Of these:

  • 18,057 applicants have had their outcomes advised. Of these:
    • 15,657 payments have been made totalling approximately $1.4 billion dollars
  • 1,718 have been withdrawn by the applicant
  • 23,016 applications are yet to receive an outcome. Of these:
    • 14,114 applications are actionable by the Scheme.
      • 2,280 applications are being validated with the initial contact being made
      • 8,897 applications are in the information gathering stage
      • 2,396 applications are with an IDM for a determination
      • 541 applications are being prepared for delivery of the outcome
    • 2,375 applications are unable to be actioned by the Scheme. Of these:
      • 1,250 are awaiting the applicant to provide additional information
      • 1,125 are undergoing a special assessment for serious criminal conviction/applying from gaol
    • 6,527 applications are on hold.

New institutions join the Scheme

The Minister's Declaration is an official list of all participating institutions. It is updated when a new institution joins the Scheme or the status of a participating institution changes.

As of Declaration No.2 of 2024 (signed by the Minister on 6 June 2024):

  • all Australian Government institutions, state and territory government institutions and 540 non-government institutions are now participating in the Scheme
  • approximately 70,000 sites across Australia are now covered by the Scheme
  • approximately 133 unique institutions have been declared under the Funder of Last Resort (FOLR) arrangements
    • These institutions are defunct and the Commonwealth and/or relevant state governments are the FOLR.

The Declarations are available on the Federal Register of Legislation:

For the latest information about institutions, including a searchable list of institutions participating in the Scheme, visit the institutions section of the website.

Accepting a direct personal response

If you apply to the Scheme and receive an offer of redress, a direct personal response will generally be offered for each institution found responsible. To accept all components of your redress offer, you just need to sign and date your acceptance document.

When you sign and date your acceptance document, you will be accepting a direct personal response from all institutions found responsible.

It is always your choice to receive a direct personal response from the institution. Even if you accept the offer of a direct personal response, you can pause or cancel the process at any time.

You can choose not to accept the offer of a direct personal response from any institution, or just from particular institutions. However, if you choose not to accept a direct personal response from one or more institutions, and you later change your mind, please call the Direct Personal Response (DPR) Information and Support service on 1800 737 377 Mon to Fri 8am to 5pm to discuss your options. 

Contacting the institution/s

If you accept the offer of a direct personal response, you will receive the details for the contact person who is trained to facilitate and arrange your direct personal response from the responsible institution/s. If you are not able to make contact, please call us.

When you are ready, you will need to contact this person to start arranging your direct personal response. The process to start your direct personal response can begin any time before the end of the Scheme on 30 June 2028.  You can pause or cancel the process at any time. 

If you would like support contacting the institution, you can ask someone you trust to help you. You can:

  • speak to a support person, such as a friend, family member, counsellor
  • talk to a Redress Support Service to help you decide
  • contact the Scheme’s DPR Information and Support service by calling us on 1800 737 377 Mon to Fri 8am to 5pm, and asking to talk to the DPR Information and Support service.

The institution will need to ensure that the person contacting them has your permission to do so. You may have to provide something or be present in this first contact. This is to state your consent for them to talk to the institution on your behalf about your direct personal response.  

Arranging the direct personal response

After contact has been made with the institution/s, you and/or your support person will discuss how your direct personal response can be arranged and what you would like it to include. It will also provide the opportunity to let the institution know if you have any specific needs or considerations throughout this process. 

Depending on your needs and what the institution is able to provide, arranging your direct personal response may take some time. 

The institution responsible for your direct personal response must pay for reasonable costs involved in the direct personal response. 

Delaying or stopping a direct personal response

Participating in a direct personal response is entirely your choice.

If you have started arranging your direct personal response but then change your mind or need more time to consider what you want, you can ask your contact person at the institution to delay the process or stop it altogether. The Direct Personal Response Information and Support team can also help with this.

The process to start your direct personal response can begin any time before the end of the Scheme on 30 June 2028. You can pause or cancel the process at any time. 

DPR Information and support service

The Scheme's Direct Personal Response (DPR) Information and Support service can help you to contact the institution or connect you with a Redress Support Service to support you with your DPR. 

Contact us on 1800 737 377 Mon to Fri 8am to 5pm, and ask to speak to the DPR Information and Support team to talk to someone about your direct personal response.

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

Everything that occurs in a direct personal response must remain confidential, unless:

  • all participants agree, or
  • information is raised that suggests a threat to someone’s health and safety.

If any information relating to a direct personal response needs to be disclosed by the institution, this must be agreed upon with you first.

Learn more about privacy under the Scheme
 

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About

The Scheme:

  • acknowledges that many children were sexually abused in Australian institutions
  • holds institutions accountable for this abuse
  • helps people who have experienced institutional child sexual abuse gain access to counselling, a direct personal response, and a redress payment.

The Scheme started on 1 July 2018 and will run for 10 years. Applications to the Scheme can be made until 30 June 2027.

In this section

Support and resources

Help and support

In this section

Support and resources

National Redress Scheme videos

Overview of the National Redress Scheme

This video is 9 minutes long and covers:

  • What the National Redress Scheme is
  • What it offers
  • Who can apply
  • Things to consider before applying.


Overview of the Scheme - video transcript

This document provides a transcript of the Overview of the Scheme video.

Downloads

Applying to the National Redress Scheme

This video is 4 and a half minutes long and covers:

  • How to apply
  • Things to keep in mind when applying
  • What happens after you apply.


Applying to the Scheme - video transcript

This document provides a transcript of the Applying to the Scheme video.

Downloads

Direct Personal Responses

This video is 6 and a half minutes long and provides information on Direct Personal Responses, including:

  • What a Direct Personal Response is
  • How you can arrange one.

Direct Personal Responses - video transcript

This document provides a transcript of the Direct Personal Responses video.

Downloads

Help and support

If you need support, Redress Support Services are available to provide free and confidential practical and emotional, legal and financial counselling. Redress Support Services are available in all states and territories. 

Contact a Redress Support Service near you

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Easy Read guides

Easy read factsheetDescription

Information for people applying

Information for people applying to the National Redress Scheme.

What is the National Redress Scheme

Information about the National Redress Scheme.

What does the Scheme offer

Information about the counselling, payment and direct personal response offers available as part of the National Redress Scheme.

Who can apply for the Scheme

Information about who can apply for the National Redress Scheme.

Applying for the Scheme

Information about how to apply to the National Redress Scheme.

What happens when you apply for the Scheme

Information about what happens when you apply for the National Redress Scheme.

Free Support Services

Information about the free support services available to people applying for the National Redress Scheme.
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First Nations specific support services

Redress Support Services respect culture, know about trauma, and put survivors first. Services are free and can help before, during and after you apply.

All Redress Support Services provide culturally safe and respectful support. A number of Redress Support Services also provide specialised support for First Nations survivors. You can choose to talk to one of these specialised services, or talk to another Redress Support Service for advice and support. 

RSS offer face-to-face, online and telephone support, noting operating hours are local time.

New South Wales

Queensland

South Australia

Tasmania

Victoria 

Western Australia

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June update 2019

The National Redress Scheme – one year on

The first anniversary of the National Redress Scheme is an opportunity to think about what is working well and to consider what needs improvement.

In the first 12 months of operation, the commonwealth and every state and territory joined the Scheme, and forty-seven non-government institutions, representing more than 40,000 individual sites, are participating.

Application Update

As of 21 June 2019

  • The Scheme has received over 4,100 applications
  • 229 Redress payments have been made
  • In addition, 85 offers have been made. Applicants have six months to consider an offer
  • The average Redress payment is around $83,000.00
  • The National Redress Scheme has answered more than 40,000 phone calls

The National Redress Scheme website has had over 877,000 page views. There is still, however, much to do to ensure the Scheme can support individuals while providing the Redress as quickly as possible.

Support Services

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.

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

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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.

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