Apply for financial assistance for victims of violent crime
Part of the Financial assistance for victims topic
If you are the victim of a violent crime in Queensland, you can apply to Victim Assist Queensland for financial assistance.
On this page
In short
You can use this service to apply for financial assistance and request recovery expenses.
You can submit your completed application form and ID documents online, by post or email. See How to apply for financial assistance for the full application process.
Only primary or related victims can apply online. Parent secondary victims and witnesses, see PDF forms under Apply by post or email.
What you should know
To help you understand what is required to be eligible for financial assistance, see the Guide for victims applying for financial assistance.
If you are applying for financial assistance by post or email, you can find PDF forms in Step 1 of Apply by post or email.
Who can apply
You can apply for financial assistance if you:
- have an injury from an act of violence which occurred in Queensland.
- have, or someone else has, reported the act of violence.
And you are:
- the victim of an act of violence; or
- the parent of a child who was a victim of an act of violence; or
- the witness to an act of violence; or
- a close family member of a person killed by an act of violence.
You can submit the application form if you are:
- one of the above victims of crime; or
- the legal representative, guardian, enduring power of attorney or administrator and applying on behalf of the victim
- acting on behalf of a child over 12 who does not have a parent or legal guardian. You must:
- know the day-to-day needs of the child
- act in the best interest of the child
- support the child throughout the application and assessment process
- apply for permission to act on behalf of the child by contacting Victim Assist Queensland.
- acting on behalf of an adult victim with impaired capacity who does not have a guardian, administrator or enduring power of attorney. You must be:
- a member of the victims support network or someone else approved by the scheme manager, and:
- know the day-to-day needs of the victim
- act in the best interest of the victim
- support the victim throughout the application and assessment process
- apply for permission to act on behalf of the child by contacting Victim Assist Queensland.
- a member of the victims support network or someone else approved by the scheme manager, and:
Who cannot apply
You cannot apply if:
- the act of violence did not happen in Queensland
Instead, apply in the relevant state or territory. - you have already applied for the same act of violence.
How to apply for financial assistance
Choose how to apply and follow the steps.
Step 1: Gather your documents
Proof of identity
Gather proof of identity documents such as your:
- driver licence
- birth certificate
- passport.
See Proof of identity documents in the Help centre.
Supporting documents
If you have information about the crime or your injuries, include a copy with your application.
See Supporting document for victims of crime in the Help centre.
Step 2: Complete the Part A application form
Only primary or related victims can apply online.
All other victims must use the relevant PDF form. Find the PDF forms in Step 1 of Apply by post or email.
Step 3: Upload your documents
Upload your proof of identity documents and your supporting documents to Part A online form.
PDF, PNG or JPG max. 200KB
Step 4: Acknowledgement and consent
You must acknowledge the privacy statement and consent to the terms and conditions for applying for financial assistance for victims.
Step 5: Submit your application
Submit Part A of your application.
You will receive an email with your submission ID to confirm your application has been submitted.
Step 6: Application registered
You will receive an email once your application is registered. It will contain your application number.
Step 1: Download the PDF application form
Choose the relevant form for your victim type and download.
The PDF forms will ask you to provide information related to both financial assistance and recovery expenses. If you are not ready to request recovery expenses, do not complete this part.
Primary victim
A primary victim is the person directly injured by the act of violence or a child who witnessed domestic violence in the home they lived in.
Related victim
A related victim is a close family member or financial dependent of a person who was killed by an act of violence
Parent secondary victim
A parent secondary victim is a parent of a child victim; the child must be under the age of 18 at the time of the act of violence.
Witness secondary victim
A witness secondary victim is a person who saw or heard an act of violence being committed against someone else.
Step 2: Complete the application form
You can complete the PDF application form electronically or by hand. To make sure your application is readable, we recommend you complete it electronically.
If you hand write your banking details, they will need to be confirmed by phone or email.
Step 3: Gather your documents
Proof of identity
Gather proof of identity documents such as your:
- driver licence
- birth certificate
- passport.
See Proof of identity documents in the Help centre.
Supporting documents
If you have information about the crime or your injuries, include a copy with your application.
See Supporting document for victims of crime in the Help centre.
Step 4: Acknowledgement and consent
You must acknowledge the privacy statement and consent to the terms and conditions for applying for financial assistance for victims.
Step 5: Submit your application
Submit your completed application, supporting documents and recovery expense receipts either:
By post
Victim Assist Queensland
GPO Box 1452
BRISBANE QLD 4001
By email
VictimAssist@justice.qld.gov.au
Step 6: Receive confirmation
You will get a confirmation email once your application has been received.
Step 7: Application registered
You will receive an email once your application is registered. It will contain your application number.
How long it takes
It may take many months before Victim Assist Queensland is able to assess your application.
If we need further information, we will contact you directly.
Once you receive an email remittance with the amount that will be paid, it will be deposited into the requested bank account within 5–10 business days.
You can check the status of your application using the application status checker.
From the Help centre
Find answers to frequently asked questions about services, including:
Proof of identity documents for victims
Supporting document for victims of crime
Find more in the Help centre.
Managed by: Department of Youth Justice and Victim Support