National Redress Scheme

CLAN is here to help you, not hurt you. Let us help you with your National Redress Scheme application.

CLAN can help you with your National Redress Scheme application. Call us on 1800 008 774 or email support@clan.org.au. We will always act in your best interest at all times and support you along the way.

We understand you may want to do your application yourself due to the highly personal information you may disclose. If you do want to complete your application yourself, we encourage you to send your application to CLAN to review before submitting it so we can make sure your application is as successful as possible.

You may put CLAN (Care Leavers Australasia Network) as your Redress Nominee. It is important that you inform us if you wish to do so.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL REDRESS SCHEME

The National Redress Scheme has been created in response to recommendations by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse listened to thousands of people about the abuse they experienced as children. The abuse happened in Orphanages, Children’s Homes, Schools, Churches, Sports Clubs, Hospitals, Foster Care and other child welfare institutions.

The National Redress Scheme:

  • acknowledges that many children were sexually abused in Australian institutions
  • recognises the suffering they endured because of this abuse
  • holds institutions accountable for this abuse, and
  • helps people who have experienced institutional child sexual abuse gain access to counseling and psychological services, a direct personal response, and a redress-payment.

The National Redress Scheme involves:

  • people who have experienced institutional child sexual abuse who can apply for redress.
  • the National Redress Scheme team — Commonwealth Government staff who help promote the Scheme and process applications.
  • participating Institutions that have agreed to provide redress to people who experienced institutional child sexual abuse.
  • independent decision makers who will consider applications and make recommendations and conduct reviews.

For more information go to  www.nationalredress.gov.au or call 1800 737 377.

‘Redress is a lottery for Care Leavers’: Submission to the Joint Standing Committee on Implementation of the National Redress Scheme

Earlier this year, CLAN made their submission to the Joint Standing Committee on the Implementation of the National Redress Scheme. You can read the submission in full here.

Latest National Redress Update

For the latest news on the National Redress Scheme, please see the Redress Updates page by clicking here.

As of 30 December 2022, the Scheme:

  • had received 21,674 applications.
  • made 11,915 decisions (through the Scheme’s Independent Decision Makers (IDMs))—including 10,453 payments, totaling approximately $919.4 million, with an average of $87,960.
  • made 1,257 advance payments since their introduction in September 2021.
  • issued 11,631 outcomes, of which 11,306 applicants (representing 97% of all outcomes issued) are eligible for redress and 325 (representing 3% of all outcomes issued) are ineligible.
  • was progressing 10,096 applications.
  • had 2,227 applications that are on hold or paused, including 2,063 where further information is required at the request of the applicant or nominee, or where there are difficulties in contacting the applicant, and 164 due to an institution not yet participating in the Scheme.
  • had finalised 10,893 applications.
  • had 45 IDMs actively making decisions.

Participating Institutions

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

Download the 2021 list of Institutions which have joined the scheme. Published 24 August 2021.

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.
  • 96 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.

 

The website also includes a map where you can find institutions that have joined in via state or territory.

Where can I get support?

Other Redress support services are available to help people understand the Scheme, provide emotional support and guide people through the application process.

A list of support services is available on National Redress website.

If you need immediate assistance, please contact:

Latest News

Inquiry into the operation of the National Redress SchemeSubmissions closed Monday 27 February 2023

🌟$15 million boost for National Redress Scheme Thank you to all Care Leavers for the part they played in the long battle to get justice for all forms of abuse for Victorian Care Leavers.🌟

Victorian Government announces redress scheme for abuse and neglect victims in state care 

Pleas for urgent reset of Australia’s child abuse redress scheme unanswered 18 months after damning review

Survivors call on Tasmanian Government to back redress scheme

Advocates blast review of abuse redress

LEARN MORE

CLAN’s Submission to the Joint Standing Commission

‘Inquiry into the Oversight of the Implementation of Redress related Recommendations of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse’

Lessons Learnt From Redress

Bagdonavicius, Pauline (2009), (Public Advocate Western Australia), ‘Looking Back – Looking Forward: Lessons Learnt from Redress’

Listen to Darren Sugars’s Sleep Well Tonight. It features at the National Museum of Australia in the Forgotten Australians exhibition.