Changes to financial assistance payments
Victim Assist Queensland provides financial assistance to eligible victims of violent crime, including domestic and family violence, under the Victims of Crime Assistance Act 2009.
The government has amended the Act to increase special assistance payments and the maximum financial assistance available to victims.
These changes started on 8 December 2023.
New financial assistance limits
Changes to the Act include increases to lump sum payments and the maximum financial assistance available to victims through Victim Assist. The amount of financial assistance available depends on the act of violence.
The increase to financial assistance relates to special assistance payments, distress payments and funeral expenses. The maximum financial assistance limits have also increased.
Important information
The new financial assistance limits only apply to applications that are decided on or after 8 December 2023. An application has been decided when Victim Assist sends a ‘notice of decision’ about the outcome. The date the application was submitted does not matter.
This means that if the application was decided:
- on or after 8 December 2023, the new financial assistance limits apply
- before 8 December 2023, the new financial assistance limits do not apply.
Older applications
If the application has not yet been decided, the new financial assistance limits will apply, regardless of how long ago it was submitted.
New lump sum payment amounts
Special assistance payments
A primary victim (someone who experienced the violence) can apply for a special assistance payment and reasonable recovery expenses through Victim Assist.
Special assistance is a one-off lump sum recognition payment to help you recover.
Category | Previous financial assistance payment | New financial assistance payment |
|---|---|---|
Category A | $10,000 | $15,000 |
Category B | $3,500 | $9,000 |
Category C | $2,000 | $6,000 |
Category D | $1,000 | $3,000 |
Distress and funeral payments
A related victim can claim a one-off distress payment and funeral expenses among other recovery expenses. A related victim is a close family member or dependant of someone who has died as a direct result of an act of violence.
Funeral expenses can be claimed by the person responsible for paying the funeral costs of:
- someone who has died as a direct result of an act of violence
- an unborn child that was lost as a direct result of an act of violence committed against a pregnant person.
Category | Previous financial assistance payment | New financial assistance payment |
|---|---|---|
Distress payment | $10,000 | $15,000 |
Funeral expenses | Up to $8,000 | Up to $15,000 |
New maximum financial assistance limits
The maximum financial assistance available to victims has also increased. The total amount available depends on the victim type, and what they need to recover.
Victim type | Previous maximum limit | New maximum limit |
|---|---|---|
Primary victim | $75,000 | $120,000 |
Related victim | $50,000 | $75,000 |
Parent secondary victim | $50,000 | $75,000 |
Witness (less serious act of violence) | $10,000 | $20,000 |
Witness (more serious act of violence) | $50,000 | $75,000 |
More information
- Who can apply for financial assistance
- Request victim of crime information
- Support services for victims of crime
- Apply for financial assistance