This newsletter covers an update on the National Redress Scheme (the Scheme).  It provides details on application processing and participating institutions.

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:

Recent progress and recent institutions to join:

Application progress

As of 28 January 2022, the Scheme:

  • Had received over 13,541 applications.
  • Made 8,520 decisions — including 7,379 payments, totalling over $636.3 million (m), with an average of $86,236.
  • Made over 8,124 offers of redress, and applicants have six months to consider their offer of redress.
    5,432 applications are currently being progressed, with 115 applications on hold because one or more institutions named in the application had not yet joined the scheme.
  • The total number of applications finalised and redress payments in Year 1 was 239 ($19.8m) in Year 2, there were 2,537 ($205.0m) applications. Year 3 saw, 3,283 ($285.0m) applications and 1,612 ($126.6m) have been received to date, in Year 4 of the Scheme.
  • 41 IDMs are currently actively making decisions.

Participating institutions update

All institutions where child sexual abuse has occurred are encouraged to sign up to the National Redress Scheme as soon as possible.

As at Declaration 12, signed by the Minister on 14 December 2021:

  • All Commonwealth and State and Territory government institutions and 562 non-government institutions are now participating in the Scheme.
  • Approximately 69,800 sites across Australia are now covered by the Scheme.
  • To date, 63 institutions have been declared under the Funder of Last Resort (FOLR) arrangements.
  • These institutions are defunct, a government is equally responsible for the abuse and the Commonwealth and/or relevant state governments are the FOLR.

A number of institutions were recently added to the Scheme legislation. This declaration is available on via the Federal Register of Legislation: https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2022N00010(Opens in a new tab/window)

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

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.

For regular updates about the Department of Social Services and the Scheme, you can ‘like’ or ‘follow’ the Australian Families Facebook page: facebook.com/FamiliesInAustralia(Opens in a new tab/window).

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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