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What to expect

An Independent Decision Maker Independent Decision makers will consider applications for redress. They are highly experienced people from a range of backgrounds. will determine if you are eligible to receive redress. The whole process can take between 12 – 18 months to receive an outcome. Times can vary for each person who applies. This is because each person’s experience is different. 

If you would like to talk to someone about the application process, you can 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.

Waiting while your application is considered by an Independent Decision Maker

An Independent Decision Maker will consider your application. They are highly experienced people from a range of backgrounds.

The Independent Decision Maker is the person that decides if a person can access redress under the National Redress Scheme, and if so, what redress the institution/s will make to that person. To do this, the Independent Decision Maker considers all the information provided in your application and by the institution/s. If they find you eligible, and an institution responsible for the abuse you experienced, you then an offer of redress can be made.

Learn more about Independent Decision Makers

The National Redress Scheme provides support to the Independent Decision Maker by:

• keeping your information safe
• asking you for more information when needed
• sending some information from your application to the institution. The application and Redress Application Guidebook explain what information will be shared with the institution. The Scheme will send your name, date of birth and the description of the abuse and with your consent, its impact
• asking the institution/s relevant to your application for more information, including their records of the time you were there or if you have received a prior payment. Institution/s have 8 weeks to provide this information to the National Redress Scheme. If you are ill or elderly they will have 4 weeks to respond
• contacting the Police or child protection authorities if the Scheme believes there is a risk of ongoing abuse, based on the information in your application. Someone from the National Redress Scheme will contact you to let you know if there is a need to report the abuse.

The time to assess each application will be different, depending on the circumstances. If you are terminally ill or elderly, your application can be actioned quickly so you can receive redress as soon as possible. The National Redress Scheme may offer an advance payment of redress for some elderly or terminally ill applicants. You do not need to ask for this payment, you will be contacted by the Scheme if you are eligible.

While your application is being considered, please call us on 1800 737 377 Mon to Fri 8am to 5pm if:

• your contact details change
• you want to add more information or change your application — you can do this at any time up until the Independent Decision Maker makes a determination on your application.

You can withdraw your application any time up until a determination on your application is made.

Receiving your outcome

The National Redress Scheme will contact you about the outcome of your application. If your application for redress is approved, you will receive an offer letter. The offer letter will:

• explain the 3 components of redress: counselling, a redress payment and a direct personal response
• specify the amount of redress payment
• explain your offer to access to counselling and psychological care, or a payment to allow you to access those services privately (and if so, the amount of that payment)
• specify the participating institution/s found responsible for providing redress
• specify if any responsible institution/s is part of a participating group, and if so, who the associate institutions are
• explain how the direct personal response from the institution/s can be arranged (if you wish to do this). When you are ready you can contact the institution/s to begin the direct personal response process. You can request this at any time during the life of the Scheme after you accepted this component
• explain the effect of accepting an offer, that is, that you will be releasing the responsible institution/s, associate institutions and their officials from civil liability
• explain that as a decision has been made, you cannot make another application to the Scheme
• provide the date when you need to tell the National Redress Scheme about your decision to accept, decline or ask for a review the offer
• explain how to accept or decline the offer, ask for an extension to the acceptance period, or apply for a review of the decision
• give information about how to access free and confidential legal and financial services that can help you consider the offer.

If your application is not approved, you will receive a letter explaining the reasons for this decision and information on how to apply for a review of the decision.

You can discuss your outcome with your chosen nominee or a Redress Support Service, who can provide advice and guidance throughout your engagement with the National Redress Scheme. It's never too early or late to talk to a support service. 

Click here for information on the offer of redress

Accepting an offer

To accept an offer of redress, you or your legal nominee need to sign, date and return the acceptance document and send this to the National Redress Scheme within 6 months of the date of the offer letter. You can ask for more time to decide by calling us on 1800 737 377 Mon to Fri 8am to 5pm. If you do ask for more time, the review period will also be extended.

The acceptance document will:

• say which parts of the offer you want, and
• have a legally binding agreement saying that you will take no further civil action against the responsible institution, its officials and any institutions it is associated with. This does not include the person or people that abused you.

When you return the completed and signed accepted document you will be telling the Scheme which part of redress you want. By accepting, you will be agreeing to release the responsible institution/s, their associated institutions and officials (other than the abuser/s) from any current or future civil claims.

You will also be agreeing to allow the participating institution/s or official/s to reveal the acceptance of the redress offer in the event that a relevant civil claim is made.

It is recommended that you get free and confidential legal advice from knowmore(Opens in a new tab/window) before signing the acceptance document. This service will help you understand the options available to you. You can contact knowmore on 1800 605 762 or by visiting the knowmore website(Opens in a new tab/window).

When you accept the offer of a redress payment, you will also be asked to complete a ‘Redress Payment Choice form’ that is sent with your offer letter. You will be asked to provide details of a bank account in your name. You can choose to be paid your redress payment to your nominated bank account either as:

• a single lump sum
• by instalments, or
• a combination of both - an upfront lump sum with the remainder paid by instalments.

When the National Redress Scheme receives the signed and dated Acceptance Document, it will write to you to confirm your redress payment is made into the nominated bank account. This letter will also include:

• contact information for counselling and psychological care if you accept this redress component
• contact information for each relevant responsible institution who will deliver your direct personal response. You will need to contact the institution when you are ready to start the process or contact us on 1800 737 377 Mon to Fri 8am to 5pm, asking to speak to Direct Personal Response Information and Support. 

If you chose to receive redress payments by instalments, the letter will also include a schedule of when redress payments will be made to you.

How do I get an extension for the acceptance period?

You need to call us on 1800 737 377, to ask for more time to decide.

Asking for a review

If you do not agree with your redress outcome, you can ask for a review. You can only ask for a review once, by filling in the Application for Review of Determination form sent to you with your outcome letter. You can also download a copy of the Application for Review of Determination form below. The Scheme cannot accept a request for a review made over the phone.

As part of your Application for Review of Determination form you can provide additional information and documents to the Scheme.

A different Independent Decision Maker from the one who made the original decision will do the review. The new Independent Decision Maker is called a reviewer. The reviewer may keep the original decision or make a new decision.

A redress offer cannot be reduced where the reviewer has the same information and documents that were available to the original Independent Decision Maker. A review determination can still be adjusted to account for additional information and documents that were not available at the time of the original decision. A review may also result in a different decision about your eligibility. If you were previously ineligible, the review may also find you eligible.

The National Redress Scheme will call you to let you know the outcome of your review before it is finalised in writing. During this call, or at any time before you accept or decline your review offer, you can withdraw your request for a review. If you choose to withdraw, the review determination is taken never to have been made, and you will still be able to accept or decline your original offer.

When the National Redress Scheme writes to you with your review outcome:

• if your offer stays the same, you will have 2 months to accept or decline the offer
• if your offer changes, you will have 6 months to either accept or decline your offer and the previous offer will be withdrawn
• if you need more time, you can ask for an extension.

Institutions cannot request a review of redress decisions.

What is a reassessment of redress?

A reassessment of redress is only available to some applicants with a finalised application. The Scheme will try and contact you if you are eligible for a reassessment.

The reassessment may provide you with access to redress from those institutions named in your application or identified by the Scheme, which joined the Scheme after your application for redress was finalised.

The Independent Decision Maker (IDM) will reassess your application and make their decision for redress. The IDM may make you a new redress offer that is the same, or may offer you an increase to your redress payment amount, access to Counselling and Psychological Care, and a Direct Personal Response from all relevant responsible institution/s.

Note: We cannot guarantee the IDM’s reassessment decision will result in you receiving a new redress payment offer that is more than your current offer. Your new reassessed offer of redress will not be less than your original redress offer and may introduce a further institution through which you can receive a Direct Personal Response.

If you think your finalised application can be reassessed, please first speak with our free independent legal support service knowmore or one of our free Redress Support Services to find out if a reassessment would affect your current circumstances.

Who is eligible for a reassessment?

A reassessment of a finalised application is only available to some applicants. To be eligible for reassessment of your application for redress, the following criteria must be met:

• you must have either accepted or declined your redress outcome, and
• after your application was finalised, one or more non-participating institutions named in your application or identified by the Scheme during your application process, have joined the Scheme, and
• the Scheme receives your completed and signed Reassessment Agreement Form on or before 30 June 2027.

The Scheme will try to notify you if you are eligible for a reassessment of your finalised application. A reassessment of your application will only start when the Scheme receives the completed and signed Reassessment Agreement Form. If you cannot sign the form, or have recently changed your contact details, please call us on 1800 737 377.

Note: We cannot accept phone requests to start a reassessment.

The Scheme may need to ask you and the institutions for more information to assist the Independent Decision Maker (IDM) to make their reassessment decision. It is important to keep the Scheme updated with your contact information.

Withdrawing from a reassessment

If you agreed to a reassessment of your finalised application and later wish to withdraw your agreement, you will need to call us or write to us using the Scheme’s withdrawal form. If you withdraw from the reassessment, your current determination for redress remains in place.

Reassessment outcome

We will contact you when a reassessment outcome decision is made.

You can choose to accept, decline or ask for a review of the reassessment outcome.

If you accept the reassessment offer, it will replace your previous accepted offer. If you decline, your original offer will remain in place.

A reassessed redress payment offer cannot be less than what you previously accepted.

Note: If you ask for a review of the reassessment decision, you will not be able to provide additional information as part of this process. The review will be undertaken based only on the information that was available to the Independent Decision Maker who made the reassessment decision.

Declining the offer

You can decline the offer by filling in and returning to the National Redress Scheme, the declining the offer of redress form, or you can do nothing.

If the National Redress Scheme does not hear from you within the 6-month acceptance period, it will assume that you have declined your offer.

If you decline your offer, you will not be able to apply to the National Redress Scheme again. 

If you decline your offer and received an advance payment, that amount will have to be paid back to the Government.