This newsletter provides an update on the National Redress Scheme (the Scheme). It includes details on the Scheme’s application processing and participating institutions, our Direct Personal Response Information and Support service, and an update to the Intergovernmental Agreement.

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:

• Beyond Blue (Opens in a new tab/window): 1300 224 636
• MensLine Australia (Opens in a new tab/window): 1300 789 978
• Lifeline (Opens in a new tab/window): 13 11 14

Application progress

• As at 27 January 2023, there have been 22,474 applications to the Scheme. We have contacted 11,932 applicants to advise them of the outcome of their application.
• Of all applications:
  • 11,073 have been finalised (determined as either eligible or ineligible, with offers of Redress either accepted or declined)
  • 10,659 payments have been made totalling approximately $939 million dollars
  • 719 have been withdrawn by the applicant
  • 10,682 applications are on hand with the Scheme, of which:
    • 835 are with applicants, awaiting a decision on their offer of Redress
    • 1,054 are with institutions, awaiting a response to a Request For Information
    • 2,318 are on hold (for reasons such as at the request of the applicant; where further information has been requested from the applicant; where there is difficulty contacting the applicant or due to a non-participating institution)
    • 6,475 are in progress with the Scheme, of which:
      • 4,196 are being actioned
      • 2,279 are temporarily unable to be actioned (for reasons such as awaiting contact from the applicant, or awaiting extra information).

Participating institutions update

The government encourages all institutions who have a history of interacting with children to sign up to the Scheme as soon as possible.

As at Declaration 7, signed by the Minister on 21 December 2022:

• all Commonwealth and State and Territory government institutions and 629 non government institutions are now participating in the Scheme.
• approximately 71,000 sites across Australia are now covered by the Scheme.
• 95 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.
  • A number of institutions were recently added to the Scheme legislation.
  • This declaration is available via the Federal Register of Legislation: 
    https://www.legislation.gov.au/Series/F2019N00080(Opens in a new tab/window).

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

Direct Personal Response

A Direct Personal Response (DPR) is one of three components of redress under the National Redress Scheme (the others being a financial payment and access to counselling).

A DPR is an opportunity to have a survivor’s experience of abuse and its impacts recognised by the responsible institution and to receive an apology from them.

The Scheme can provide survivors with more information about the direct personal response — what it is, what it can involve, and what it might look like for them. Assistance is also available to participating institutions who are delivering a DPR.

Please call the Scheme on 1800 737 377 and ask to speak to DPR Information and Support for further information or assistance.

Update to Intergovernmental Agreement

On 7 October 2022, the Ministers' Redress Scheme Governance Board agreed to implement the Second Year Review recommendation to amend the Intergovernmental Agreement on the National Redress Scheme for Institutional Child Sexual Abuse (IGA).

The Agreement now includes survivors and advocates as part of the formal governance arrangements of the Scheme, as well as other amendments to take into account other recent reforms to the Scheme.

The amended IGA is published on the federation.gov.au website at Intergovernmental Agreement on the National Redress Scheme for Institutional Child Sexual Abuse(Opens in a new tab/window).

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).