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Canberra Today 15°/17° | Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

Broader assistance for victims of domestic violence

Simon Corbell

SIMON Corbell says more victims of violence, including of domestic violence, will receive financial support under proposed changes to the Victims of Crime Financial Assistance Scheme.

Simon says he will prepare a Bill to provide a modern scheme that is more widely available to victims and more user-friendly for those applying for assistance.

“The reforms are a response to concerns about the number of people who were missing out on the scheme including many victims of domestic violence, witnesses of violent crimes and victims who suffer extremely serious but not necessarily permanent injuries,” Simon said.

“The new scheme will respond to these concerns by extending eligibility to a broader range of vulnerable victims.

“For example, victims of property crime in a domestic violence context will be able to apply for up to $10,000 for the cost of safety measures, relocation costs, counselling, expenses incurred in making the application and other expenses in exceptional circumstances.

“Victims of sexual assault will retain eligibility for expenses, loss of wages and lump sum recognition payments based on the type of offence the injury was caused by and any aggravating factors.

“The new scheme will be more accessible and will now provide support for urgent needs.

“There will be an avenue to pay service providers directly, removing the need for victims of crime to find the money to pay providers upfront and seek reimbursement.

“More detailed descriptions of eligibility and decision-making guidelines will also be available to ensure applicants have increased certainty and predictability about what they are eligible for.

“Special assistance payments under the current scheme are relatively large in comparison to modern victims assistance schemes in other jurisdictions.

“To ensure the scheme is sustainable, and able to provide assistance to a wider range of victims, the large amounts of special assistance payments, which are currently only available to a small number of victims, will be replaced with lower amounts in recognition payments.

“The new recognition payments are broken down into five categories with payments ranging from $20,000 to $1,000, depending on the severity of the crime.

“The new amounts for recognition payments are significantly higher than similar payments in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland, where the maximum amounts available are $15,000 or $10,000, compared with $20,000 in the ACT,” Mr Corbell said.

“By making this change, this will allow for a more equitable distribution of funds within the scheme.”

The current maximum total payment of $50,000 for any one applicant will be retained under the new scheme.

The Bill is expected to be introduced into the Legislative Assembly in early 2016.

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Thank you,

Ian Meikle, editor

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