Victorian Redress Scheme

Redress for historical institutional abuse

The Victorian Government will offer Redress to people who were physically, emotionally or psychologically abused and neglected as children in institutional settings in Victoria before 1990.

Redress will include:
• a payment of up to $20,000
• a personal apology – in person or written
• up to 20 counselling sessions

Eligible people will be able to choose to accept any or all the above.
It is anticipated that Redress will open for applications in December 2024 and run for 18 months. Further information on how to apply will be provided at this time.

Eligibility
To apply, you must have:
• lived in Victorian institutions for at least 6 months (total) before 1 January 1990
• experienced physical, psychological, or emotional abuse or neglect as a child (less than 18 years old) while living in institutions before 1990.
When applying, you will need to agree to share your information with other non-government and government institutions.

Advance Redress Payments
Until the Victorian Redress Scheme starts, an Advance Redress Payment of $10,000 is available to people who were physically, emotionally or psychologically abused or neglected as children in institutional settings in Victoria before 1990 and are terminally or critically ill.
If you have received an Advance Redress Payment, you can still apply for redress.
If you meet the eligibility criteria for Redress and have received $10,000 for the Advance Redress Payment, this amount will be deducted from the Redress payment.
Each application will be considered in accordance with the eligibility criteria.
Advance Redress Payments will be available until the Victorian Redress Scheme starts.

Payment from other schemes
You can apply for the Victorian Redress Scheme even if you have received Redress from another scheme, institution or civil claim. However, if you have already received payment through another scheme or institution, you may not receive the full $20,000.

Counselling
A counselling service will be offered to applicants who accept an offer (and their family members):
• for the duration of Redress
• and within the financial year that applications for Redress close.

The counselling service will be aligned with the Department’s existing National Redress Scheme Counselling and Psychological Care Service Victoria and will:
• be delivered by suitably qualified professionals (i.e. psychologists, mental health practitioners) working as individuals or part of organisations. This should include a person’s existing practitioner wherever possible.
• include counselling, group work, alternative therapies (limited), and cultural healing for First Nations peoples.
• include up to 20 counselling sessions.

Personal apology
Restorative engagement for abuse or neglect and harm will be offered to all applicants found eligible for Redress and will be delivered by senior representatives of responsible institutions (i.e. government and/or non-government).
Personal apologies will:
• offer applicants opportunities for a facilitated restorative conversation, apologies and/or acknowledgements of impact of abuse and harm (if disclosed) in a face-to-face or written format.
• give applicants an opportunity to speak to their experience and its impact.
• seek to be responsive to applicants’ requests to include senior institutional representative/s, an independent facilitator and support person/s.

You can visit the Victorian Government’s website for more information http://services.dffh.vic.gov.au/people-institutional-settings-pre-1990