The newly introduced Financial Assistance Scheme by the Victorian government aims to provide more efficient and effective financial aid to victims of violent crimes, replacing the current Victims of Crime Assistance Tribunal (VOCAT). The scheme covers various expenses such as medical costs, loss of earnings, counselling, and other recovery-related expenses, and introduces several significant changes compared to VOCAT.
The Financial Assistance Scheme also acknowledges family relationships, including Aboriginal kinship and LGBTIQ+ relationships, and covers more sexual offences such as upskirting. Victims will no longer have to prove that they have a mental illness resulting from the violent crime, which should make the process less complicated. Children exposed to violence will be treated as primary victims in their own right.
The new scheme provides more special financial assistance, with up to $20,000 or $25,000 available to eligible victims. The harm caused by violence will be acknowledged through victim recognition statements and meetings. Decisions will be made without conducting oral hearings, with a written submission required to have the decision internally reviewed and, if upheld, this decision may in turn be challenged at VCAT.
Overall, the Financial Assistance Scheme is expected to positively impact the recovery of victims of violent crimes, providing them with greater support and financial aid than the current VOCAT program.
Since 2014, YourLawyer has been providing assistance to victims of crime. As we approach our ten-year anniversary, we look to the future in a series exploring the new Victims of Crime Financial Assistance Scheme that is set to commence in Victoria early in 2024.
Other articles in this series:
Victims of Crime – New Financial Assistance Scheme
Victims of Crime – Why a new scheme
Victims of Crime – Models considered
Victims of Crime – New scheme coverage
Victims of Crime – FAS application process
Victims of Crime – FAS application requirements
Victims of Crime – Victim recognition
Victims of Crime – The importance of validation
Victims of Crime – Victims’ diverse needs
Victims of Crime – Meeting victims’ needs
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