State of play in national redress scheme
THE NATIONAL REDRESS SCHEME FOR PEOPLE SEXUALLY ABUSED AS CHILDREN IN AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTIONS
WHAT IS IT?
* A $3.8 billion scheme designed to deliver redress for about 60,000 people sexually abused as children in Australian institutions
* It began operating in July 2018 and runs for 10 years
* It involves a monetary payment, access to counselling and a direct personal response, such as an apology, from the responsible institution (if the survivor wants it)
APPLICATIONS AND REDRESS PAYMENTS
* 6605 applications have been received
* 1587 payments have been made totalling more than $128.4 million
* 325 redress offers are currently being considered by survivors, who have six months to make a decision
* About 500 applications are on hold because at least one of the institutions named in the application has yet to join the scheme
* Average payment is about $80,460
THE INSTITUTIONS
* 185 non-government institutions are taking part, plus the commonwealth, state and territory governments
* About 300 institutions that have been named in applications have not yet joined the scheme
* Some institutions that have joined have not had any redress applications
THE DEADLINE
* Institutions have until June 30 to join
* They face potential financial penalties, changes to their charitable status and public shaming if they do not join by June 30. Currently only those institutions named in Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse are listed as not having joined on the national redress scheme's website
* Institutions named in redress applications or in the royal commission can now provide a written commitment to join by June 30 and complete the process by December 31
* After June 30, previously unnamed institutions not already part of the scheme will be given six months to join after being identified in applications, before being outed publicly and facing sanctions
* Survivors can lodge applications until June 30, 2027.
