Supporting documents for Victims Support Scheme applications

If the incident was reported to NSW police, you do not need to send us a police report.  

You can provide information about your report to NSW police in the application for support form.  

This report can be provided by a representative of:

• a government agency, or
• an organisation that receives funding from the NSW Government or Australian Government to provide welfare, health, counselling or legal assistance to victims of crime.

Please note that Victims Services does not provide reimbursement or pay for the costs of an organisation completing a report.

Requirements for a government or government-funded organisation report

The report needs to:

• be written on the organisation’s letterhead
• be written objectively and factually
• offer specific information and details rather than general references to incidents such as ‘domestic violence’.

The report must include:

• details of the person applying for support, including their:
  • full name
  • date of birth
  • Victims Services application reference number (if known).
• details of the person writing the report, including their:
  • full name
  • contact telephone number
  • contact email address
  • job title and position.
• details of the government or government-funded organisation providing the report, including the:
  • services the organisation provides (welfare, health, counselling or legal assistance)
  • details of funding received from the NSW Government or Australian Government, including the name of the funding or grant package and the purpose of the funding.
  • details of the applicant’s disclosure of the incident, including:
  • when the victim disclosed the incident
  • how the organisation assisted the victim.
• details of the incident disclosed by the applicant, including:
  • what happened
  • where and when it happened
  • how the victim was affected, including any physical or psychological injuries
  • whether it involved a single incident or a series of incidents.

Unfortunately, if information is missing from the report, we may not have enough evidence to determine the application for support.

The completed and signed report should be provided to you (the applicant) and lodged with your application.

To get a medical, dental or counselling report, you can ask your doctor, dentist, counsellor, or other medical or health professional, to provide one of the following:

• a copy of your medical or health records relating to the violent crime
• a completed Certificate of injury
• a report or letter on the organisation’s letterhead that includes:
  • their contact details and qualifications
  • information about the incident and any injuries that resulted from the violent crime or modern slavery.

To learn how to get your health records, and other records the government may hold about you, visit the Information and Privacy Commission’s website.

If you have paid to get copies of your records

Victims Services will reimburse you for the cost of getting copies of existing records if your application is successful. Victims Services will not cover the cost of new reports created for the purposes of supporting your application.

When claiming expenses, you need to provide:

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

You can submit claims for further costs you incur because of the violent crime or modern slavery:

• for a period of 5 years after you lodge your financial assistance application, or
• until the available funds are used.

If the expenses directly relate to the act of violence or act of modern slavery described in your initial application form, you do not need to submit a new Application for Support. You can either:

• download the Claim for expenses form and attach the supporting documents required in the form, or
• send Victims Services an email or letter with the following information and supporting documents:
  • your name
  • Victims Services application reference number
  • a list of the new expenses
  • a description of how each cost was incurred as a direct result of the violent crime or modern slavery
  • copies of itemised tax invoices, receipts or any other proof of expenditure
  • evidence of any Medicare or private health insurance rebates relating to the expenses you are claiming.

If you want to make a claim for costs related to a new act of violence or act of modern slavery, you will need to complete a new application for support to apply for financial assistance.

To claim actual loss of earnings, you need to provide information about how you lost earnings because of the incident.

You need to apply for financial assistance in your application for support and provide:

• a completed Claim for loss of earnings form
• a statement from your employer or accountant (if you’re self-employed). Your employer or accountant (if you’re self-employed) can provide this statement by either:
  • completing the Certificate of earnings form.
  • providing a signed letter on their organisation's letterhead that includes:
    • the type of your employment: full-time, part-time, casual, contractor or self-employed
    • the period(s) you were absent from work because of the violence
    • the types of leave taken for each period of absence.
• your payslips for the month immediately before the violence and for the period(s) you were unable to work due to the violence (not required for self-employed applicants)
• medical certificates or other evidence showing the dates you could not work due to the violence and the reason you could not work
• statements showing other income you received when you could not work, such as Centrelink payments, workers compensation and income protection insurance.

Self-employed applicants need to provide:

• your last notice of assessment from the Australian Taxation Office. If you have not received your notice of assessment, you may not be able to establish loss of earnings.
• bank statements showing your income in the 3-month period immediately before the violent crime.
• bank statements covering any period you could not work because of the violent crime.

Applicants with dependant(s) need to provide:

• at least one document that shows your relationship to your dependant(s), such as:
  • a birth certificate
  • a marriage certificate
  • a relationship certificate
  • a Medicare card
  • a guardianship order
  • a letter from Centrelink or any other government agency
  • evidence a dependant child was a full-time student when you could not work (for children over 16 years and up to 21 years)
  • documents that show you have a de facto partner who has been living with you for the previous 2 years. For example, a joint bank account statement or a joint lease agreement.

To claim actual loss of earnings you need to apply for financial assistance on your Application for Support and:

• download the Claim for loss of earnings form
• submit your completed claim form and supporting documents to us with your completed Application for Support by:
  • upload to your online Application for Support when applying for financial assistance, or
  • by email or post.

If you have already applied for financial assistance relating to the same incident, you can send Victims Services an email or letter with:

• your name
• Victims Services application reference number
• your completed Claim for loss of earnings form
• supporting documents.