Feedback and complaints

Contacting the Scheme to provide feedback

You can provide feedback about the National Redress Scheme in the following ways.

For general enquiries or more information about accessing the Scheme, please call 1800 737 377 and select option 1.

If you wish to enquire about the progress of your application, please call 1800 737 377 and select option 2.

For practical and emotional support, legal advice and financial counselling, you can contact a free Redress Support Service. 

Contacting the Scheme about a complaint

You can make a complaint about the National Redress Scheme in the following ways.

Please note: Calls made to the 1800 737 377 number may be recorded to assist in the effective management of the complaint as well as for training purposes. 

Services available to assist you to contact us

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How to apply

Watch the Auslan translation of 'Applying to the National Redress Scheme' on YouTube(Opens in a new tab/window)

Getting started

To apply to the National Redress Scheme, you will need to complete an application form.

To apply you need to: 

  1. decide if you prefer to apply online via myGov or in writing by completing a paper based form
  2. complete all three parts of the application 
  3. confirm your identity. 

Redress Support Services are free and independent. They offer emotional and practical supports to help you complete your application for redress. Further information on what you need to assist your application is available in the Application Guidebook.

Step 1. Applying online or by paper

It's your choice how you apply. You can apply online via myGov or in writing, completing a paper based form. 

Apply online through myGov

Download the application pack for Redress

You can also get the application form sent to you by calling 1800 737 377 or asking a Redress Support Service for one.

You can create a myGov account at any time if you don’t already have one. Read our information on completing the online application form.

Step 2. Filling in the application form 

The Redress Application Guidebook will help you understand the application process, why some questions are asked, and how to access support during the application process. The Guidebook is designed to help you prepare for and complete your application.

  • Part 1: This part asks for information about your current details, such as your name, date of birth and contact details. 
  • Part 2: This part will ask questions about your experience/s of child sexual abuse and how this relates to an institution/s.
  • Part 3: This part will ask you about how the experience of sexual abuse has impacted your life. 

There is a checklist at the back of the application so you can make sure your application is complete.

We understand this information is sensitive and may be difficult to write about. If you need it, please seek support to fill in Part 2 and 3, or you can call us on 1800 737 377 Mon to Fri 8am to 5pm. We have strict rules to follow on how your data is collected, stored, accessed, and shared with others.

Getting help to apply

Under the National Redress Scheme, you can appoint a redress nominee to help you apply and talk to us about your application. 

A redress nominee is a person or an organisation who can act on your behalf when communicating with the National Redress Scheme.

There are two types of redress nominees, an Assistance Nominee or Legal Nominee.

Only an appointed redress legal nominee can apply for redress on your behalf.

If you choose to have a redress nominee, you and your nominee will need to fill in the Redress Nominee Form. Your nominee will also need to confirm their identity with the Scheme before they can be appointed.

Find out more about Nominees

Step 3. Confirming your identity 

Confirming your identity is one way your privacy and information is protected. Once you have submitted your application, you'll be asked to confirm your identity with us. 

How to confirm your identity

Support and resources

Nominees

About nominees

A nominee can be a family member, friend, legal guardian or support service. Your nominee should be someone who you trust and who respects your privacy.

A nominee must act in your best interest at all times, and it is important that you talk to your nominee about how you would like them to act for you.

Download the nominee form here

Types of nominees

There are two types of redress nominees.

  1. Assistance nominees; and
  2. Legal nominees.

Assistance nominees

You can use an assistance nominee by completing the nominee form and returning the form to the Scheme. This form will tell the Scheme that you and your nominee agree to this arrangement.

An assistance nominee can:

  • help you complete your application for redress
  • receive copies of all letters
  • ask questions about your application for redress
  • receive phone calls about your application for redress
  • provide information
  • ask for an offer of redress to be reviewed.

An assistance nominee cannot:

  • apply for redress, or
  • accept or decline an offer on your behalf.

This means that you will still need to sign the declaration in your application and sign your acceptance document yourself.

Legal nominees

A legal nominee does not have to be a lawyer.

A person can be your legal nominee if they already have the power to make decisions for you, under State, Territory or Commonwealth law (for example, if you are under a guardianship order or someone has power of attorney for you).

The Scheme can only appoint a legal nominee with their written consent and considering your wishes regarding the arrangement.

These arrangements are in place to ensure that people who may not have the capacity to apply for and make decisions about redress on their own (for example, if they have an intellectual disability), can still access redress with someone acting on their behalf.

If you have a legal nominee, the Scheme will still take your wishes into account and legal nominees are still bound to always act in your best interests.

A legal nominee can:

  • do anything an assistance nominee can do
  • apply for redress on your behalf
  • accept or decline an offer of redress on your behalf
  • agree to a reassessment of redress.

This also means your legal nominee can sign documents on your behalf.

Changing your nominee

You can change your assistance nominee at any time.

If you no longer wish to use an assistance nominee, you or your nominee can let the Scheme know by calling us or letting us know in writing that they no longer will be acting as a nominee. We cannot appoint a new nominee on the phone, you will need to complete a new Redress Nominee Form. 

A legal nominee can only be changed if your legal arrangements change, or your legal nominee asks.

The Redress Nominee Form is available as a fillable PDF form and a printable PDF form. You may download the fillable form to your desktop to save it.

Support and resources

On

Apply

In this section

Reasons to apply for redress

Watch the Auslan translation of 'Reasons to apply for redress' on YouTube(Opens in a new tab/window)

Support and resources

About the Scheme

What does the National Redress Scheme do? 

The National Redress Scheme:

  • acknowledges the widespread sexual abuse of children in Australian institutions
  • recognises the suffering endured by survivors
  • holds institutions accountable for the abuse
  • helps people who experienced institutional child sexual abuse gain access to counselling, a direct personal response, and a redress payment.

What is the National Redress Scheme

Download the video pack (ZIP 21 MB) including:

  • MP4 video file
  • transcript

Watch the Auslan translation of 'What is the National Redress Scheme' on YouTube(Opens in a new tab/window)

Or you can download the MP4 video file (ZIP 7 MB)

Learn more about applying


Key stakeholders of the Scheme

  • Survivors: Individuals who experienced institutional child sexual abuse and can apply to the National Redress Scheme to receive acknowledgement of the harm caused by the abuse.
  • Redress Support Services: Free, confidential emotional, legal, and financial counselling for survivors.
  • Institutions: Organisations that have agreed to provide redress.
  • Independent Decision Makers: Considers applications, make decisions, and conducts reviews of redress applications.
  • National Redress Scheme staff: Commonwealth Government staff who promote the Scheme and process applications.

Further information

For more details, refer to:

Using this site 

We aim to ensure the site is supportive. Feedback and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

Go to the feedback form

Support and resources

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April update 2024

Support is available to help you if you need it. To find out more, go to www.nationalredress.gov.au/help-support.

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

Amendments to the Redress Act

On Thursday 4 April 2024, most of the measures in the National Redress Scheme for Institutional Child Sexual Abuse Amendment Act 2024(Opens in a new tab/window) came into effect.

The measures:

  • remove the restriction on people applying from gaol;
  • refine the special assessment process for people with serious criminal convictions;
  • allow applicants to provide additional information with a request for review of their Redress offer;
  • provide additional authorisations for sharing protected information, including for the purposes of sharing information about non-participating institutions with applicants, and
  • allow for the option to reassess a finalised application if a relevant non-participating institution subsequently joins the Scheme (to take effect no later than 4 October 2024)

If you have questions on how these changes may impact your application, please contact the Scheme on 1800 737 377.

Strategic success measures reports

The Scheme’s strategic success measures were introduced in 2020 to measure how the Scheme is performing across three priority areas: 

  • survivor experience
  • health of the Scheme 
  • equity of access.

Following a recent review of the measures, new reports have now been published on the Scheme’s website.

We are building a new website

The Scheme is calling on website users to have their say on ways to improve the Scheme’s website.

If you have feedback or ideas and would like to participate, please take two minutes to complete the survey(Opens in a new tab/window).

All survey responses are anonymous. No personal or confidential information will be collected. Your responses will be used to inform improvements to the website and will not be responded to.

For more details on how the Scheme manages your information, read Using and protecting your information.

Scheme Data

As at 19 April 2024, there have been 40,202 applications to the Scheme. Of these: 

  • 17,509 applicants have had their outcomes advised. Of these: 
    • 15,090 payments have been made totalling approximately $1.35 billion dollars
  • 1,599 have been withdrawn by the applicant
  • 21,094 applications are yet to receive an outcome. Of these: 
    • 12,642 applications are actionable by the Scheme.
      • 2,538 applications are being validated with the initial contact being made
      • 7,669 applications are in the information gathering stage
      • 1,699 applications are with an IDM for a determination
      • 736 applications are being prepared for delivery of the outcome
    • 2,343 applications are unable to be actioned by the Scheme. Of these:
      • 1,038 are awaiting the applicant to provide additional information
      • 1,305 are undergoing a special assessment for SCC/AFG
    • 6,109 applications are on hold.

Participating institutions update

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 1 of 2024 (signed by the Minister on 3 April 2024):

  • all Australian Government institutions, state and territory government institutions and 529 non-government institutions are now participating in the Scheme.
  • approximately 70,000 sites across Australia are now covered by the Scheme.
  • approximately 110 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, visit our website.

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. If you are overseas, please call +61 2 6222 3455 and then press 7 to be transferred to the National Redress Scheme. 

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

Homepage

The National Redress Scheme is for people who experienced child sexual abuse while in an institution. The Scheme helps people access redress and can connect them to free confidential Redress Support Services.

National Redress Scheme - Introduction to the National Redress Scheme - Auslan(Opens in a new tab/window).

How redress works

Watercolor illustration of green leaves against an orange circular background

Free support is available to help you apply

Redress Support Services offer free, confidential, and independent practical and emotional support. They can help you fill out an application form to apply for redress and speak with the National Redress Scheme on your behalf.

knowmore(Opens in a new tab/window) is a legal support service that offers free and confidential support and financial counselling. 

You can be heard

Photograph of Derrick

“I found my life very difficult being placed in an institution. We missed out on a lot of things. Contacting a counsellor through my redress application was one of the biggest achievements, I think, of my life.”

Derrick’s story about the National Redress Scheme

Scenic view of a rocky desert canyon with towering red cliffs and a clear blue sky

For First Nations peoples

Resources are available to help support First Nations peoples who experienced child sexual abuse in institutions such as a school, church, mission, orphanage, foster care, hospital, detention centre or a sporting club.

Close-up of a vibrant pink wildflower with spiky petals and green foliage

In your language

Resources translated in 10 languages to support conversations with people in your community.

Slide 1

Protected Information reminder

The protection of applicants’ deeply personal information and institutions’ sensitive information is paramount to the National Redress Scheme. The Scheme takes its responsibility for protected information seriously to reduce the risk of re-traumatisation for survivors and maintain the integrity of, and trust in, Scheme processes and decision making.

To read more, visit What we do with your information.
 

March 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:

The National Redress Scheme Amendment Bill 2023 passes through Parliament

On Wednesday 20 March 2024, the National Redress Scheme for Institutional Child Sexual Abuse Amendment Bill 2023 (the Bill) passed through the Australian Parliament. The Bill will implement outstanding measures from the Australian Government’s response to the Final Report of the Second Year Review of the National Redress Scheme.

The next step required to put these changes into effect is for the Bill to receive Royal Assent(Opens in a new tab/window), which will occur in the coming days. Most of the measures in the National Redress Scheme for Institutional Child Sexual Abuse Amendment Act 2024 will then come into effect 7 days after Royal Assent.

The key changes of the Bill include:

  • applicants will be able to provide additional information when requesting a review
  • the circumstances where applicants must undertake a special assessment process will be reduced
  • finalised applications will be able to be reassessed if a relevant institution later joins the Scheme
  • people who are incarcerated will be able to lodge an application
  • the Scheme’s protected information framework will be amended to enable the disclosure of protected information in select circumstances
  • technical aspects of Funder of Last Resort provisions will be improved.

The Scheme will contact applicants who may be impacted by these amendments and will provide additional information about the amendments once the changes take effect.

Survivor Roundtable in Perth

The National Redress Scheme Survivor Roundtable, hosted by the Minister for Social Services, the Hon Amanda Rishworth, was held in Perth on 6 March 2024. The event was attended by 35 survivors and their support people, as well as Minister Rishworth, Minister Winton representing the Western Australian state government, and the Department’s Secretary Ray Griggs in his role as National Redress Scheme Operator.

The Scheme is grateful for the engagement of all who attended, for those who generously shared their experiences of the Scheme, and to those who bravely spoke about their stories. Roundtable attendees came from many backgrounds including members of the Stolen Generations, former child migrants and care leavers (Forgotten Australians).

Topics of the event included accessibility and awareness of the Scheme, interactions with other government agencies or services, and how a redress outcome had impacted their lives. These valuable contributions were insightful and will be used to inform future operational and processing matters for the Scheme.

The next Roundtable will be held in the second half of this year.

Direct Personal Response Soft Outreach Trial

From Tuesday 12 March 2024, the Scheme has launched a trial aimed at supporting survivors to commence, continue or finalise their Direct Personal Response (DPR).

A DPR is one of the components of an offer of redress where a survivor can choose to receive meaningful and personalised recognition of the abuse they experienced from the institution/s found responsible for their abuse.

The trial is being coordinated by the Direct Personal Response Information and Support Service (the Service) and will run for 6 months. Only a select group of survivors will be contacted as part of this trial, and participation is optional.

If you require more information or assistance with your DPR, please contact the Scheme on 1800 737 377 Monday to Friday 8am – 5pm AET and ask to speak with the Service. If you have questions or feedback about this trial, you can contact the Service directly by emailing dprsupport@dss.gov.au.

Community Workshop in Victoria

A free community workshop about the National Redress Scheme will be held in Traralgon, Victoria on 18 April 2024.

It will be led by Redress Support Services and is open to community organisations that support people who have experienced institutional child sexual abuse. The session will include information about the purpose and function of the Scheme, ways to engage with the Scheme, and how to access further support.

Representatives from the Scheme will be in attendance and will participate in a Question & Answer session, engaging in discussions with attendees. There will also be presentations from various Redress Support Services and from knowmore Legal Service.

Please note, these workshops are intended for staff in community groups, organisations and services. There is limited capacity for each event.

These sessions are part of a series of Redress Support Service-led workshops to raise awareness of the Scheme. The next event will be held in New South Wales, and the Scheme is looking to organise two community-based workshops in the Northern Territory. To register your interest in future workshops, please contact DSSRedressEngagement@dss.gov.au.

Scheme Data

As at 15 March 2024, there have been 38,537 applications to the Scheme. We have contacted 16,962 applicants to advise them of the outcome of their application.

Of all applications:

  • 15,747 have been finalised (determined as either eligible or ineligible, with offers of Redress either accepted or declined)
  • 14,716 payments have been made totalling approximately $1.31 billion dollars
  • 1,522 have been withdrawn by the applicant
  • 21,268 applications are on hand with the Scheme, of which:
    • 1,069 are with applicants, awaiting a decision on their offer of Redress
    • 808 are with institutions, awaiting a response to a Request for Information
    • 5,897 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)
    • 13,494 are in progress with the Scheme, of which:
    • 11,130 are being actioned
    • 2,364 are temporarily unable to be actioned (for reasons such as awaiting contact from the applicant, or awaiting extra information).

Participating institutions update

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

As at March 2024, data regarding participating institutions remains the same as included in January's update.

The Declarations are available on the Federal Register of Legislation:

For the latest information about institutions, visit our website.

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. If you are overseas, please call +61 2 6222 3455 and then press 7 to be transferred to the National Redress Scheme.

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

February update 2024

This is the second National Redress Scheme (the Scheme) update of 2024. It includes information on upcoming Community organisation workshops in New South Wales and Victoria, as well as the Scheme’s data regarding application processing.

This 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:

New South Wales and Victoria Community Workshops

On Wednesday 21 February 2024, half-day community organisation workshops will be held in Nowra, New South Wales and Warrnambool, Victoria.

These workshops are led by Redress Support Services, and are open to community organisations that support people who have experienced institutional child sexual abuse. The events will include more information about the purpose and function of the Scheme, ways to engage with the Scheme, and how to access further support.

Representatives from the Scheme will be attending both events and will participate in Question & Answer sessions, engaging in discussions with attendees. There will also be presentations from various Redress Support Services and from knowmore Legal Service.

Please note, there is limited capacity for each event.

These workshops are part of a series of Redress Support Service-led events to raise awareness of the Scheme. To register your interest in future workshops, please contact DSSRedressEngagement@dss.gov.au.

Scheme data

As at 2 February 2024, there have been 36,424 applications to the Scheme. We have contacted 16,278 applicants to advise them of the outcome of their application.

Of all applications:

  • 15,126 have been finalised (determined as either eligible or ineligible, with offers of Redress either accepted or declined)
  • 14,230 payments have been made totalling approximately $1.267 billion dollars
  • 1,414 have been withdrawn by the applicant
  • 19,884 applications are on hand with the Scheme, of which:
    • 1,001 are with applicants, awaiting a decision on their offer of Redress
    • 1,055 are with institutions, awaiting a response to a Request for Information
    • 5,467 are on hold (for different 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)
    • 12,361 are in progress with the Scheme, of which:
      • 10,035 are being actioned
      • 2,326 are temporarily unable to be actioned (for reasons such as awaiting contact from the applicant, or awaiting extra information).

Participating institutions

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

As at 2 February 2024, data regarding participating institutions remains the same as included in January's update.

The Declarations are available on the Federal Register of Legislation:

For the latest information about institutions, visit our website.

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. If you are overseas, please call +61 2 6222 3455 and then press 7 to be transferred to the National Redress Scheme.

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

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