Eligibility criteria

Victims of a violent crime

The Victims Support Scheme is available to anyone who has experienced an act of violence in NSW.​ 

An act of violence is an act or series of related acts that:

• apparently occurred in committing an offence​ 
• involved violent conduct, including sexual assault and/or domestic violence​
• resulted in injury (physical or psychological) or death.

There does not need to be a charge or a conviction. 

Victims support is available to primary, secondary or family victims.

Primary victim

• A person who was injured, physically or psychologically, or dies as a direct result of a violent crime.
• A person who was injured, or dies, while trying to:
  
  • stop someone from being violent towards someone else
    
  • help rescue a victim of a violent crime
    
  • arrest someone who was being violent to someone else.
    

Secondary victim  

• A person who has been injured as a direct result of witnessing a violent crime.
  
• A parent or guardian of a child who has been injured as a direct result of becoming aware of the violent crime.
  

Family victim

A member of the immediate family of a homicide victim, including a:

• spouse
  
• de factor partner who has lived with the victim for at least two years
  
• parent, step-parent or guardian
  
• child, step-child or guardian child
  
• brother, sister, half-brother, half-sister, step-brother or step-sister.

Victims of modern slavery

From 1 January 2022, eligible primary victims of modern slavery that happened in NSW will be able to access support through the Victims Support Scheme. A parent, step-parent or guardian who is caring for a child who is a primary victim may be eligible for financial assistance.

An act of modern slavery is an act, or series of related acts, that:

• apparently occurred during an offence or other conduct constituting modern slavery; and
• involved a form of slavery, servitude or forced labour of a child; and
• resulted in injury (physical or psychological) or death.

There does not need to be a charge or conviction. 

Modern slavery offences are set out in the Modern Slavery Act 2018 and include offences such as forced labour, forced marriage, debt bondage, and human trafficking.

Primary victim of modern slavery

A primary victim of modern slavery is: 

• a person who is injured, physically or psychologically, or dies as a result of an act of modern slavery. 
• A person who was injured, or dies, while trying to: 
  • stop someone committing a modern slavery offence
  • help rescue a victim of modern slavery 
  • arrest someone who was committing a modern slavery offence. 

If an act is both an act of violence and an act of modern slavery, a victim will only be eligible once for support under the Victims Support Scheme in relation to the act. 

Factors affecting eligibility

Further information regarding eligibility for victims support is set out in the Victims Rights and Support Act 2013. The legislation outlines conditions which may affect your eligibility for support, including Sections 25 and 44 of the Act.