Who can apply
You can apply if:
- you experienced institutional sexual abuse before turning 18, and
- the abuse occurred before 1 July 2018, and
- you were born before 30 June 2010, and
- you are an Australian citizen or permanent residentThis means someone who is legally a citizen of Australia or holds a permanent resident visa. when you apply, unless an exception applies to you as a former child migrant who:
- was sent to Australia from the United Kingdom or Malta prior to 1984,
- arrived in Australia without a parent or guardian, and
- were made ward of the state.
What is institutional child sexual abuse?
Not sure if you can apply?
If you're not sure you can apply or you have questions about the process, please call us on 1800 737 377 Mon to Fri 8am to 5pm. If you are overseas, please call +61 3 6222 3455 and press 7 to be transferred to the National Redress Scheme.
Circumstances that might affect how your application is processed
Your application may progress differently if you:
- are currently under 18 years of age
- have been sentenced to serve 5 years or more in gaol for a single offence either in Australia or overseas.
Are you currently aged under 18 years?
If you are under 18 years old, but will turn 18 on or before 30 June 2028, you can still apply for the National Redress Scheme.
After you have applied, the National Redress Scheme will contact you (and nominee if one is appointed) in writing to let you know that your application was safely received. This letter will include information about next steps which may help you decide whether you want to wait for a redress outcome when you turn 18, or pursue other options.
You need to be aged 18 years or older to accept an offer from the National Redress Scheme.
You can get help to understand your legal options through National Redress Support Services and legal support service knowmore(Opens in a new tab/window). Applicants under 18 years of age can access specialised services and support through Bravehearts(Opens in a new tab/window).
Have you been sentenced to imprisonment for 5 years or more?
If you have been convicted of a crime and been sentenced to 5 or more years in gaol for a single offence (defined as a Serious Criminal Conviction), you can still apply for redress but you will need to go through a special assessment process to determine if you are entitled to redress.
If this is the case for you, you will be asked to provide some additional information about your offences. The National Redress Scheme will then request advice about your entitlement to redress from:
- the Specified Advisor in the state or territory where you were abused
- the Specified Advisor in the state or territory where your offence occurred (if it is different), and/or
- the Commonwealth Specified Advisor (only if your offence was a federal criminal offence or occurred overseas).
When deciding about your entitlement to redress, the National Redress Scheme Operator (the Operator) considers advice received from the relevant Specified Advisor. The Operator will take into account the following:
- the nature of your offence
- how long you were sentenced to imprisonment
- your criminal history
- how long it’s been since you committed the offence
- how long it’s been since you were in gaol (if you’ve been released)
- your rehabilitation efforts since the offence and
- any other relevant information that would help the Operator make a decision about your entitlement to redress.
Your application for redress will only progress if you are entitled to redress after the special assessment process has been completed.
For more information on applying with Serious Criminal Convictions
Applying for someone who has died
You can not apply to the National Redress Scheme on behalf of a person who has died.
If someone dies after the Scheme receives their application, it will progress to the Independent Decision Maker for a decision. If they are found eligible, their estate can receive the redress payment. The counselling and direct personal response components of redress are no longer available.
If you are an executor or beneficiary of an estate, you can contact the Scheme to discuss the process.
