Claiming other recovery expenses after a homicide

Families affected by homicide often incur a range of out-of-the-ordinary expenses because of the homicide.

We are sorry for your loss and want to be able to help. Close family members can claim a range of recovery expenses.

Specialist support services
Conditions
Types of expenses
How to claim
Payment process
Limitations
Timeframe
More information

Specialist support services

Queensland Homicide Victims Support Group provides statewide specialist support to people who have experienced a homicide in their family. They can also provide information about the what to expect during the investigation and subsequent trial and handling media enquiries.

You can ask the funeral director to help you apply for funeral assistance. We provide optional training for funeral directors about helping families after a homicide.

Conditions

You can claim a range of special expenses if, because of your circumstances or the nature of the crime, the violence has had an unusual, special or out of the ordinary effect on you. We call these ‘exceptional circumstance’ expenses.

You will need to tell us:

what you need
why you need it
how much it will cost.

We can consider things that:

are needed because of the violence
will significantly help you recover
are reasonably priced.

Types of expenses

Additional costs

We may be able to pay for some additional costs associated with funerals and memorials. We may be able to pay for:

the cost of repatriating the deceased person for funeral, cremation or burial purposes
the purchase of an urn, wall memorial, plaque and tombstone.

Emergency accommodation

We may be able to pay the cost of up to 3 months emergency accommodation (up to $200/night) if it is not safe for you to live in your usual home because of the violence.

Relocation expenses

If you need to move because of the violence, we may be able to repay up to $5,000 for the cost of:

removalist expenses (e.g. hiring professional removalists or hiring vehicles)
travel costs (e.g. a cents-per-kilometre amount if driving, airfares, pet transport)
up to 6 months’ storage.

If you’re a parent or carer, and your claim is approved, we will also cover costs of relocating children and dependants who live with you.

Security expenses

If you need to upgrade security in your home or business because of the violence, we may be able to repay up to $5,000 for the cost of:

motion sensor lights
security screens and doors
security alarm systems and cameras
repairs to re-establish the security of your home (e.g. new locks, repairing doors or windows).

If upgrading home or business security, it is your responsibility to ensure you have approval to do so from the property owner.

Essential furniture, appliances, and household items

If you needed to move to a new house because of the violence, and it is not safe for you to go back for your belongings, we may be able to pay to replace certain household items. We may be able to pay for new home necessities for you and your children/dependants who live with you, up to the values below.

If a violent offence happened in your home, we may be able to replace soft furnishings that were damaged by body fluids or other hazardous liquids and cannot be safely cleaned, up to the values below.

Values are maximum amounts per household, unless otherwise stated. Delivery costs can also be considered for any of these items.

Item	Maximum amount
Fridge	$1,000
Washing machine	$1,000 (1 person); $1,300 (family)
Television	$1,000
Vacuum cleaner	$250
Toaster and kettle	$250
Microwave	$250
Lounge suite or sofa	$1,500
Bed and mattress (1 per person)	$2,700 (queen); $1,000 (single); $1,650 (bunks); $500 (cot)
Dining table and chairs	$1,500
Desk and chair	$400
Furniture to store clothing and belongings	$350 (per adult); $250 (per child)
Linen (bedding and towels)	$400 (per adult); $250 (per child)
Equipment for cooking and serving food (e.g. pots and pans; dinner sets, glassware, cutlery)	$600

Damage to property

We may pay for professional forensic cleaning—a special type of cleaning for crime scenes. A forensic cleaner will restore a property to a safe and hygienic condition. Forensic cleaning involves:

getting rid of odours, stains, and fingerprint dust
disinfecting and sanitising the property
removing and safely disposing of bio-hazardous material
removing and safely disposing of furniture, flooring, and other items that are difficult to clean.

We cannot pay for:

costs that are covered by insurance
general home or business repairs
costs to repair vandalism or arson
replacement property.

Travel expenses

We may be able to pay for reasonable travel costs if you need to travel to:

help with the police investigation (to give a statement)
attend court on trial days.

Approved travel costs—if you travelled in a private car:

we will pay costs per kilometre travelled
we will pay the Australian Taxation Office cents-per-kilometre rate
you don’t need to provide petrol receipts
we will pay for parking if required
we cannot pay toll charges.

Approved travel costs—if you travelled another way (e.g. public transport, taxi, ride share, plane):

we will reimburse the cost of the ticket, fare or fee
you need to provide the receipt, public transport statement (GoCard history) or flight itinerary.

Approved accommodation for court related travel—if it’s unreasonable for you to travel on each trial day:

we may be able to pay for accommodation close to the court
we may be able to pay for accommodation one day either side of the trial if it is not reasonable for you to travel home on the day(s) of the trial.

Regardless of whether you are travelling for police or court reasons, we may be able to pay for a support person to travel with you if needed.

Travel to attend medical or counselling appointments may be covered under that expense category.

may be covered under that category.

School expenses

If the applicant is a school-aged child (under 18) we may be able to pay for their first set of new school uniforms and a new stationary pack if:

the offender, or people associated with the offender, are students or staff of the school the applicant usually attends

and

the child wants to or needs to change schools.

We cannot pay for school fees.

How to claim

To claim financial assistance for the first time, you need to:

complete the application form (Part A and B) and attach your identity documents
attach receipts or invoices for each expense you are claiming if you have them.

You can include funeral expenses and other expenses in Part B.

If you need to add a new expense to an application you have already submitted, use our expenses form.

Payment process

If your claim is approved, we will send you a ‘notice of decision’. This notice will list what we have agreed to pay for, who we will be paying and the conditions on the payment. Please don’t tell someone that we will pay for something before you get the notice of decision. The notice of decision will say if we will pay the cost or not.

Once you receive your notice of decision and your claim is approved, electronic payments will be deposited into your nominated bank account within 10 business days.

Common payment conditions

Paid expenses

We must reimburse the person that paid the cost. This may have been you or it may have been a family member, friend, or agency. If someone else paid the cost for you, we need to pay them back. Please provide their name, phone number or email and banking information.

Unpaid expenses

In some cases, the cost hasn’t been paid yet. Please provide an invoice so we can pay the service provider directly. If it is a medical or counselling expense, we must deduct any Medicare and private health rebates first. It is important that the invoice is made out to your name. This is because you received the service or goods. The invoice should not be made out to Victim Assist.

Other conditions (if any) will be noted in your notice of decision.

Limitations

We are unable to help with:

funeral expenses above $15,000
expenses related to holding a wake; administering the deceased person’s estate; the purchase and/or installation of memorial ornaments
financial losses
everyday living expenses such as food, rent, bond, gym, and school fees
holidays and retreats
legal fees for matters not related to applying for financial assistance (see guideline)
the purchase, training or upkeep of guard dogs, companion animals or pets
medical treatments not included in the Victim Assist table of costs or covered by a Director-General guideline.

Timeframe

Due to the high number of claims already queued, it may be many months before we’re able to assess your application and pay approved expenses.

If you have an urgent expense, and meet the conditions for claiming urgent expenses, we may prioritise the assessment of these expenses. If we decide the expenses don’t meet these conditions, we’ll let you know. Non urgent expenses will be queued for general assessment within normal timeframes.