Who can apply for redress?

You can apply for redress under this Scheme:

• if you experienced sexual abuse when you were a child (under 18 years),
• the abuse happened before 1 July 2018 and an institution was responsible for bringing you into contact with the person who abused you,
• you can apply if you were born before 30 June 2010, and
• you are an Australian citizen or permanent resident.

You cannot apply if you:

• did not suffer sexual abuse,
• are in jail (you can apply once you are released or earlier if there are exceptional circumstances),
• have already received a court-ordered payment from the institution, or
• have already applied for redress through the National Redress Scheme.

Are prior payments taken into account?

If you have received a redress payment from the Queensland Redress Scheme (Forde 2008 - 2010) or from a Scheme in another State, this payment may be taken into account.

Are other forms of child abuse included in the Scheme?

To be eligible for the National Redress Scheme, a person must have experienced child sexual abuse and a participating institution must be responsible for that abuse.

Options for children and young people in care

You need to be aged 18 years or older to accept an offer of redress. This rule avoids children having to make legal decisions before they are old enough to understand all of their options.

If you are aged under 18 years, you can apply for redress if you will turn 18 before 30 June 2028. After you have applied, the National Redress Scheme will conduct a preliminary assessment of your application, which may help you decide whether you want to wait for redress or pursue other options. The National Redress Scheme team will contact you about what you may be able to access through the Scheme, but it is not a formal offer.

After you turn 18, the National Redress Scheme team will contact you again to ask if you want to go ahead with your application or withdraw it. If you choose to proceed, your application will then be assessed. Offers may differ from the preliminary assessment as individual circumstances may change.

In the meantime, you can access Redress Support Services. These include legal support services, which can help you understand the legal rights of children.