How to apply for Victims Services NSW support

Victims Services NSW is a NSW Government scheme that provides financial assistance and free counselling to people who have been affected by a violent crime committed in New South Wales. This guide walks through who can apply, what you need to prepare, and how the process works.

Which crimes are covered

The scheme covers violent acts against a person. This includes physical assault, sexual assault, domestic and family violence, child abuse, and modern slavery. Non-violent offences such as theft, fraud, and property damage are generally not covered.

You do not need to have reported the crime to police, and you do not need there to be a criminal charge or conviction, in order to apply. Many applicants have never made a formal report, and this on its own is not a barrier to receiving support.

Who can apply for counselling

Eligibility for counselling depends on your relationship to the incident. The main categories are:

Primary victim — a person who was injured as a direct result of a violent crime, or who was injured while trying to prevent a violent crime or help someone else who was being harmed.

Secondary victim — a person injured as a result of witnessing a violent crime, or a parent or guardian who has been injured (including psychologically) after learning that their child under 18 was harmed by a violent crime.

Family victim — an immediate family member of a person who died as a result of a homicide.

This guide focuses on applying as a primary victim. Information about applying as a secondary or family victim is available on the Victims Services NSW website.

Before you start your application

Two practical things to prepare before you begin:

1. Confirm the crime occurred in NSW. Victims Services NSW only covers incidents that took place in New South Wales. If the incident occurred in another state or territory, that jurisdiction will have its own equivalent scheme.

2. Have a clear photo or scan of one form of identification ready. Acceptable ID includes a driver licence, passport, Medicare card, or Centrelink concession card. You will need to upload this with your application.

If at any point you have questions or want to check something before you submit, you can call the Victims Access Line on 1800 633 063. The line is staffed by people trained to help with the application process.

Submitting the application

The Application for Support form is completed through the Victims Support Scheme online portal on the NSW Government website. If completing an online form is not workable for you, a PDF version of the form can be downloaded and returned by email or post — the Victims Services NSW website explains where to send it.

When you complete the form, you will be asked to provide:

- your contact details - the name and date of birth of the person who harmed you, if known - the type of violence involved (for example, domestic violence or sexual assault) - the date or dates of the incident — if you are not sure of exact dates, the month and year is enough - whether you were injured physically, psychologically, or both - a short description of what happened — one or two sentences is sufficient, you do not need to go into detail - the address or location where the incident occurred

You are not expected to write a full account of what happened. The form is designed to collect the minimum information needed to assess eligibility.

After you submit

Victims Services NSW will send confirmation that your application has been received, and then contact you again when a decision has been made. Processing times can vary.

If your application is declined and you believe you are eligible, you can reapply. It is worth calling the Victims Access Line first to talk through the reasons and check what additional information may help.

If your application is approved, you will be given access to a list of counsellors, psychologists, and social workers in private practice who are registered with the scheme. Counselling through the scheme is free for you — Victims Services NSW pays the practitioner directly for each session.

Choosing an approved counsellor

Approved counsellors are located across NSW, and many offer sessions online, by phone, or in person. The Victims Services NSW directory includes a search tool, but the profiles on the government site are brief. Most people find it helpful to look up a counsellor’s own website or professional profile to read about their background, areas of focus, and how they work before making contact.

To book, you contact the counsellor directly and provide the reference number listed on your approval letter. That number is used for billing only — the counsellor does not have access to the details of your application, so you do not need to worry about them reading anything you wrote on the form.

You can only see one Victims Services counsellor at a time under the scheme. If you decide to change counsellors, you will need to let Victims Services NSW know so that the billing arrangement with your previous counsellor is closed off before a new one begins.

Where to get help with the application

If you would like help completing the application itself, a number of community and legal support services in NSW can assist. Options include Victims Services NSW directly (via the Victims Access Line on 1800 633 063), community legal centres, and specialist services such as sexual assault services and domestic violence services, many of which have staff experienced in supporting clients through the application process.