Support for family members of a homicide victim through the Victims Support Scheme

The Scheme can provide up to 22 hours of free counselling to help your recovery.

Who can apply

• Family victims – homicide.
• Related family members of a homicide victim, who are not family victims.

How long you have to apply

There is no time limit to apply for counselling.

What you need to apply

All applicants must provide a clear copy or image of their current government-issued identification with their completed application for support.  

If the applicant is under the age of 18, a copy of the child applicant’s identification and their parent or guardian’s identification must be provided with the application form. 

If you have authorised a representative who is a family member or friend, a copy of the family member or friend’s identification must also be provided with the application form. 

To learn more about the government identification we accept, see Supporting documents for family members of a homicide victim below.

The Scheme can provide up to $5,000 to help pay for urgent health, safety and wellbeing expenses, such as:

• relocation
• security upgrade
• medical expenses
• crime scene cleaning  (forensic cleaning)
• certain travel expenses incurred as a direct result of the homicide victim's death.

Who can apply

Family victims – homicide.

Note: Forensic cleaners may apply for reimbursement of the cost of services they have provided related to the homicide victim’s death. If payment is approved, this amount will be paid from the amount of financial assistance available to eligible family victims. For more information and to access the form for service providers to apply for forensic cleaning costs, visit Forensic cleaning expenses through the Victims Support Scheme.

How long you have to apply

You must apply:  

• within 2 years from the date the death was established as a homicide, or
• within 2 years of turning 18 if you were a child at the time of the homicide.

What you need to apply

Family victims of homicide applying for financial assistance for immediate needs have to provide the following with your completed application for support:

• a clear copy or image of your current government-issued identification
• your bank account details
• evidence of your relationship to the homicide victim
• copies of itemised tax invoices or receipts for the expenses you are claiming and a description of how they are related to the homicide.
• a completed Family victims travel expense claim form, if you would like to claim certain expenses to attend the homicide victim’s funeral and other urgent and necessary travel undertaken due to the violent crime.

For more information about the supporting documents we need, see Supporting documents for family members of a homicide victim below. 

The Scheme can provide up to $9,500 to help cover the costs of the funeral.

The Victims Support Scheme can cover a range of expenses associated with a funeral. These expenses may include:

• audio visual
• balloons and soft toys (for child victims)
• coffin or casket
• costs that relate to use of facilities
• cremation and burial fees
• embalming
• flowers
• headstone
• memorial expenses
• minister or clergy fees
• printing costs, such as service sheets
• obituary notice
• repatriation
• wake-related expenses.

Who can apply

Family victims – homicide.

Note: Funeral directors may apply directly for reimbursement of funeral costs. For more information about funeral expenses and to access the form for funeral directors to apply, visit Funeral expenses through the Victims Support Scheme.

How long you have to apply

You must apply:

• within 2 years from the date the death was established as a homicide, or
• within 2 years of turning 18 if you were a child at the time of the homicide.

What you need to apply

Family victims applying for funeral expenses need to provide the following with your completed application:

• a clear copy or image of your current government-issued identification
• your bank account details
• evidence of your relationship to the homicide victim
• copies of itemised tax invoices or receipts for the expenses you are claiming, and a description of how the costs are related to the funeral.

For more information about the supporting documents we need, see more about Supporting documents for family members of a homicide victim below.

The Victims Support Scheme can provide up to $5,000 to help pay for some costs of attending court or coronial hearings.

Who can apply

Family victims – homicide.

How long you have to apply

You must apply:

• within 2 years from the date the death was established as a homicide, or
• within 2 years of turning 18 if you were a child at the time of the homicide.

What you need to apply

Family victims applying for financial assistance for justice-related expenses need to provide the following with your completed application:

• a clear copy or image of your current government-issued identification
• your bank account details
• evidence of your relationship to the homicide victim
• copies of itemised tax invoices or receipts for the expenses you are claiming, and a description of how the costs are related to the homicide
• a completed Family victims travel expense claim form, if you would like to claim certain travel expenses to attend criminal or coronial proceedings and other justice-related events.

For more information about the supporting documents we need, see more about Supporting documents for family members of a homicide victim below.

The Victims Support Scheme can provide a recognition payment of either $15,000 or $7,500 to recognise you are a family victim of homicide.

The recognition payment amount will depend on your relationship to the homicide victim.

Who can apply

You can apply for a recognition payment of $15,000 if you are:

• a family victim who was financially dependent on the homicide victim.
• a child of the homicide victim, who was under 18 at the time of the victim’s death.

You can apply for a recognition payment of $7,500 if you are:

• a parent of the homicide victim
• a step-parent of the homicide victim
• a guardian of the homicide victim
• a current spouse of the homicide victim
• a current de facto partner of the homicide victim.

How long you have to apply

You must apply:

• within 2 years from the date the death was established as a homicide, or
• within 2 years of turning 18 if you were a child at the time of the homicide.

What you need to apply

Family victims applying for a recognition payment need to provide the following with your completed application:

• a clear copy or image of your current government-issued identification
• your bank account details
• evidence of your relationship to the homicide victim
• evidence of your financial dependency on the homicide victim if you are applying on that basis. This is not required if you are a child of the homicide victim and were under 18 years of age at the time of the homicide.

For more information about the supporting documents we need, see Supporting documents for family members of a homicide victim below.

If you apply for victims support, all documents must be in English. If the original documents are not in English, you will need to provide copies of the following documents:

• the original language document
• a complete English translation of the original language document.

Translations must be prepared by a certified translator. We accept:

• translations made in Australia by a National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI) para-professional or higher-level translator. To find a translator, use the online directory on the NAATI website.
• translations made internationally by a similarly suitably qualified person. Please contact your nearest Australian embassy, high commission or consulate to find an approved translator in your country.

If you cannot have your documents translated by an approved translation service, please contact us.

Victims Services does not provide reimbursement or pay for the costs of translation services.

All applicants need to provide a copy or image of one form of current government-issued identification with their application.

This could be a:

• birth certificate
• Centrelink card
• change of name certificate
• driver’s license
• marriage certificate
• Medicare card
• MIN card (current inmates only)
• passport
• photo card
• SafeWork licence
• SafeWork white card
• screenshot of your MyGov account or another government account.

Please do not send Victims Services the original document. Please ensure the copy or image:

• is clear and not blurry
• captures all parts of the identification, including the reverse side
• has the same name on the identification document and application form. If your name is different, you must provide evidence such as a change of name certificate.

If the applicant is under the age of 18, a copy of the child applicant’s identification and their parent or guardian’s identification must be provided with the application form.

If you’re unable to provide a copy of your government-issued identification, please contact Victims Services to discuss your options.

If you have authorised a representative who is a family member or friend, a copy of the family member or friend’s identification must also be provided with the application form.

If you are applying for financial assistance or a recognition payment, you need to provide a copy of at least one of the following documents to confirm your relationship to the homicide victim:

• a birth certificate
• a marriage certificate
• a relationship certificate
• a Medicare card
• letters from Centrelink or any other government agency
• evidence of a de-facto relationship.

Additional evidence if you were in a de-facto relationship

If you were in a de-facto relationship with the homicide victim, you must provide evidence that shows you:

• were living with them when they died, and
• had lived with them for at least 2 years.

This can include a copy of at least one of the following documents:

• joint lease agreements
• a letter from your real estate agent which states that you were living together
• documents showing joint ownership or joint loans for major assets (for example, homes and cars)
• household bills in both names (for example, electricity, gas, internet and insurance)
• joint bank account statements showing account holder names and address
• official correspondence showing you and the homicide victim were living at the same address. For example, bank statements, government correspondence, utility bills and mail redirect confirmations.
• car insurance policies or registration papers showing both cars garaged at the same address
• Centrelink and Australian Taxation Office documents showing relationship and dependency through financial benefits paid or received
• a will, life insurance policy, superannuation payment or compensation payment which shows your entitlement to a benefit as a result of the homicide victim’s death.

If you are applying for a recognition payment, you may be approved the higher category of payment if you can show you were financially dependent on the homicide victim when they died.

You are considered financially dependent on someone if they usually pay for your accommodation, food and clothing.

If you are applying as a family member who was financially dependent on the homicide victim, you need to provide documents showing that you relied on them for financial support.

This can include copies of one or more of the following documents:

• bank account statements showing regular or ongoing financial contributions by the homicide victim for your living costs
• a joint lease agreement or a lease agreement in the homicide victim’s name for the address where you live
• loan or ownership documents in the homicide victim’s name for the property you live in or other major assets you shared with the homicide victim
• household bills for the address where you live in the homicide victim’s name or both names. For example, electricity, gas, internet, insurance.
• Centrelink documents showing relationship and dependency on the homicide victim through financial benefits received
• Australian Taxation Office documents showing relationship and dependency on the homicide victim through financial benefits received.

You do not need to provide evidence of financial dependency if you are a child of the homicide victim and were under 18 years of age at the time of the violent crime.

If you’re applying for financial assistance, you can include expenses you are claiming in your application.

You need to provide:

• copies of itemised tax invoices or receipts for the costs you’re claiming
• an explanation of how the costs relate directly to the homicide
• evidence of any Medicare or private health insurance rebates relating to the expenses you are claiming.

If you are a family victim of a homicide, you can claim certain expenses that you have paid to travel to attend the homicide victim’s funeral, criminal or coronial proceedings or a justice-related meeting related to the homicide victim.

This can include costs you incurred for:

• meals, snacks and incidentals at the NSW Crown Employees Meal, Travelling and Other Allowances rate
• use of your own vehicle at the NSW Crown Employees Meal, Travelling and Other Allowances business rate, calculated based on the distance travelled from your starting point
• parking, public transport, taxi and rideshare
• accommodation (if you had to travel a long distance) at the NSW Crown Employees Meal, Travelling and Other Allowances rate
• flights
• rental car hire.

How to claim travel expenses

Download the Family victims travel expense claim form. You need to provide details of your travel, including:

• reason for travel
• dates and times of travel (to and from the event)
• travel addresses (where you’re travelling to and from)
• mode of travel.

You need to provide supporting documents for each expense with your completed claim form, such as:

• parking receipts
• travel and overnight accommodation booking confirmations
• flight itineraries
• rental car hire agreements
• taxi or ride share receipts.