ACT Victims of Crime Financial Assistance: What Bereaved Families Can Claim

When a person dies as the result of a crime in the ACT—a homicide, a fatal assault, a death caused by a serious criminal act—the family is left to cope with grief and, often, with a funeral bill they never anticipated paying. The ACT Government operates a Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS) specifically for this situation. It can cover funeral costs up to $19,627, subject to the scheme's eligibility and evidence rules.

Most families do not know this program exists. And because it has its own eligibility rules and evidence requirements, many who do qualify fail to apply correctly.

What the Financial Assistance Scheme Covers

The FAS is administered under the current Victims of Crime (Financial Assistance) Act 2016 by Victim Support ACT. For families who have lost a loved one to a violent crime, the scheme provides:

Funeral and burial expenses: Up to $19,627 (verify current indexed amount) for reasonable funeral costs, including burial or cremation fees, a coffin or urn, death notices, transport of the body, and the cost of a funeral service. This is a direct payment to cover actual costs incurred—not a lump sum paid to the family to spend freely.

Application and support assistance: Victim Support ACT can provide information, support, and help completing the application. Ask the scheme team which support-related expenses can be claimed in your circumstances.

Related-victim assistance: Family members or dependants of a person who died because of a crime may qualify for payments under the scheme, with the amount depending on the relationship and circumstances.

The FAS has different eligibility and evidence rules from the ACT Funeral Assistance Program, which targets families in financial hardship. Do not assume that eligibility for one program establishes eligibility for the other.

Who Qualifies

To access the FAS, the death must have resulted directly from a qualifying violent crime committed in the ACT. The range of circumstances that may qualify includes:

• Homicide (murder or manslaughter)
• Assault causing death
• Dangerous driving causing death
• Sexual assault causing death
• Other serious acts of violence that directly resulted in the person's death

A criminal conviction is not required to start an application, but reporting and evidence requirements still apply. Ask Victim Support ACT what evidence is needed if a police investigation is ongoing, charges have not been laid, or the perpetrator is unidentified.

Eligible applicants include:

• Immediate family members, including a spouse or intimate partner, parents, children, and siblings
• Dependants recognised by the scheme
• Close family members who have incurred funeral expenses

How to Apply

Applications are made through Victim Support ACT's Financial Assistance Scheme. The process:

1. Contact Victim Support ACT at 1800 822 272 (free call) or use the Victim Support ACT Financial Assistance Scheme application page.
2. Submit an application form identifying yourself as a close family member or financial dependant of the victim.
3. Provide evidence of the criminal act: A police report is usually required, although exceptions can apply. Ask the scheme team what evidence is appropriate for your case.
4. Provide evidence of expenses: Itemised funeral invoices or receipts for costs already incurred.
5. Provide evidence of relationship: Your marriage certificate, death certificate, or statutory declarations confirming your relationship to the deceased.

There are statutory time limits. Apply within three years of the crime; if the crime occurred when you were a child, the period runs from the day you turn 18. An extension can be requested.

What the FAS Does Not Cover

The Financial Assistance Scheme is not a compensation claim against the perpetrator. It does not cover:

• Property damaged during the crime
• It is not a general replacement for future earnings or other losses outside the scheme's approved payments
• General damages for grief or suffering

For larger damages claims—particularly where the perpetrator has identifiable assets—a civil action in the ACT Supreme Court may be more appropriate. Victim Support ACT can advise on referrals to legal aid or private solicitors specialising in compensation claims.

The Difference Between FAS and the ACT Funeral Assistance Program

These are two completely different programs that serve different circumstances:

Do not assume the two programs can be combined. If another source pays the same expense, the FAS may need to be adjusted or repaid, so ask both administrators before claiming the same funeral costs.

Other Support After a Violent Death

Families dealing with a sudden, violent death in the ACT also have access to:

Centrelink bereavement payments: An eligible surviving partner may receive a Bereavement Payment calculated over 14 weeks. A single pensioner's estate receives the regular payment covering the fortnight of death, not an extra 14-week payment. Notify Services Australia as soon as possible.

DVA support: If the deceased was a veteran, DVA may provide a separate funeral benefit and potentially an ongoing War Widow(er)'s Pension, subject to service-related and other eligibility rules.

Workers compensation: If the death occurred at work or as a result of work activities, a separate and much larger statutory death benefit applies under the Workers Compensation Act 1951—historically exceeding $617,000 in lump-sum benefits. It may run in parallel to the FAS, but related payments should be disclosed because they can affect or require repayment of financial assistance.

The ACT Survivor Benefits Navigator maps all these overlapping benefit schemes—including the FAS, Centrelink, DVA, and workers compensation—with the forms, contacts, and step-by-step process for each.

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