Travel claims for medical and counselling appointments
We may be able to pay for your travel expenses if you need to travel a long way for a medical or counselling appointment because you were injured by violence that happened in Queensland.
Claim travel expenses
We may be able to pay for travel if:
- you need medical treatment or counselling to treat injuries directly caused by the act of violence
- you need to travel at least 20km (one way) or more than 150km a week (7 consecutive days) from your home or workplace for the appointment
- there was no suitable treatment closer to your home or workplace
- you used a reasonable mode of transportation for your circumstances (e.g. a private car, public transport, a taxi or ride share). If you are travelling a very long way, we may pay for airfares and accommodation.
Approved 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.
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.
A support person may travel with you if needed.
Please note you may be able to claim travel for other reasons under exceptional circumstances. See the claim other recovery expenses or claim other recovery expenses after a homicide for more details.
Claiming accommodation
If it’s unreasonable for you to travel on the day of the appointment, we may be able to pay for accommodation close to your appointment.
Example:
Nushi lives in Cloncurry. She needs to see a specialist in Townsville (780km from her home). There is no appropriate specialist closer to her home. Her appointment is at 8am. Nushi is planning to fly but can’t travel on the day of her appointment because the flight won’t arrive in time.
Nushi could ask us to pay for her airfare, overnight accommodation and other travel costs.
How to claim
To claim financial assistance for the first time, you need to:
- report the violence
- complete the application form and attach
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—If 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 cannot cover every expense you may incur because of violence. We cannot pay for:
- travel for appointments you missed or cancelled
- travel for other reasons
- travel for unnecessary treatments
- travel for treatments that could be provided closer to your home or work
- food or other things you buy for your travels
- unnecessary accommodation
- travel for other people (other than a support person)
- travel that would usually be paid for by another government department, scheme or insurer (e.g. Patient travel subsidy scheme, National Disability Insurance Scheme, WorkCover).
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.
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.