Guidelines for the Victim Assistance Scheme

Crime scene funding

You can apply for crime scene funding of up to $2,000 if you cannot go home because a police cordon is in place. It can help cover costs such as accommodation, professional cleaning, pet boarding, and replacing essential items you cannot access such as medication and toiletries. 

Homicide Lump Sum Grant 

Family and whānau of the person who died can claim the Homicide Lump Sum Grant of $7,500. This can help with the immediate costs following the death and may also contribute to supporting family and whānau to pay for the funeral. One grant can be paid for each person who died because of the crime.

If you have already received the Homicide Lump Sum Grant, you can keep the grant even if the original homicide charge changes. You will not need to pay it back. 

Travel and accommodation

Travel and accommodation can be covered for up to six people to attend justice proceedings, like a court trial or sentencing. This can apply for family, whānau and support people of the person who has died. Manaaki Tāngata | Victim Support will make all travel bookings.

Court attendance allowance

Court attendance allowance can be covered for up to 5 people who have lost earnings through attending court. This can apply for family, whānau and support people of the person who died. If you're a support person, you must be 18 years or older to receive this grant.
 
Each person can receive:

• $150 for a full day
• $75 for a half day.

This can still apply even if the original homicide charge changes. 

Counselling or rongoā  

Counselling or rongoā support of up to 30 hours is available for family, whānau, friends, witnesses to the crime or those first on scene. This can still apply even if the original homicide charge changes and you have already started counselling.  

Lump Sum Grant

Family and whānau of the person who died can claim a Lump Sum Grant of $7,500. This can help with the immediate costs following the death and may also contribute to supporting family and whānau to pay for the funeral. One grant can be paid for each person who died because of the crime.  

Travel and accommodation

Travel and accommodation for up to six people to attend justice proceedings, like a court trial or sentencing. This can apply for family, whānau and support people. Manaaki Tāngata | Victim Support will make all travel bookings. 

Court attendance allowance 

Court attendance allowance can be covered for up to 5 people who have lost earnings through attending court. This can apply for family, whānau and support people of the person who died. If you're a support person, you must be 18 years or older to receive this grant. Manaaki Tāngata | Victim Support will arrange all travel bookings.
 
Each person can receive:

• $150 for a full day
• $75 for a half day. 

Counselling or rongoā

Counselling or rongoā support of up to 30 hours is available for family, whānau, friends, witnesses to the crime or those first on scene.  

Lump Sum Grant

You may be able to get $1,000 for costs from reporting the crime to police and the financial costs of dealing with the aftermath of the crime. For example, you may have lost income because you took time off work to give police statements or, for medical appointments related to the crime.

This grant is available for incidents reported to police on or after 1 July 2023.

Crime Scene Funding

Crime scene funding of up to $2,000 may be available if you cannot go home because a police cordon is in place. It can help cover costs such as accommodation, professional cleaning, pet boarding, and replacing essential items you cannot access such as medication and toiletries.

Supplementary funding

You may be able to get up to $2,500 if you have safety or other costs that cannot be covered by the Lump Sum Grant. It may also help pay for up to 10 hours counselling when ACC counselling is delayed. 

This grant is available for incidents on or after 1 July 2023.

It may help pay for:

• alarms and other safety equipment
• essential repairs or replacement items that are not covered by insurance, such as fixing a broken lock or window
• a rental car, if police need to hold your car
• income lost from time off work that is not covered by ACC
• travel to give a statement, attend a police interview or go to a medical appointment related to the crime
• a set of self-defence classes, but not an ongoing gym or sports membership.

Supplementary funding may also help pay for up to 10 hours counselling when ACC counselling is delayed.

Find Support | ACC(external link)

Travel and accommodation

Under the Victim Assistance Scheme, funding for travel and accommodation is available for a primary victim plus up to 3 people, such as whānau, family and other support people to attend justice proceedings, like a court trial or sentencing. Manaaki Tāngata | Victim Support will make all travel bookings.

Court attendance allowance

If you’re a victim-survivor of sexual violence who have lost earnings through attending court, you may be able to get court attendance allowance. Court attendance allowance can cover a primary victim plus up to 3 support people, including family, whānau, or other support people. If you're a support person, you must be 18 years or older to receive this grant. Manaaki Tāngata | Victim Support will arrange all travel bookings.

Each person may be able to receive:

• $150 for a full day
• $75 for a half day.

Supplementary funding

If you’re a victim-survivor of sexual violence, supplementary funding can help pay for counselling or rongoā support of up to 10 hours if there are delays to receiving this support from ACC. This applies if the incident took place after 1 July 2023.

For more information, visit: 

Find Support | ACC(external link)

Counselling or rongoā 

You may be able to get up to 30 hours of counselling or rongoā support if you are:

• a family or whānau member, or close friend, of the person who died
• a witness to the crime.

Travel and accommodation

Support for travel and accommodation for up to 6 people (family, whānau of the person who has died, or their support people) to attend justice proceedings, like a court trial or sentencing. Manaaki Tāngata | Victim Support will make all travel bookings.

Someone who is close to the person who died because of a crime may be eligible for assistance from Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC). 

Find out about financial support if someone has died from an injury on the ACC website. 

Financial support after a fatal injury | ACC(external link)

Counselling or rongoā 

You can get up to 15 hours of counselling or rongoā support covered if you are a primary victim of a serious injury or, if you are a witness to the crime (saw it happen).

Travel and accommodation

You can get travel and accommodation covered if you’re a primary victim plus up to one support person to attend justice proceedings, like a court trial or sentencing. Manaaki Tāngata | Victim Support will make all travel bookings.

Someone who suffers an injury because of a crime may be eligible for assistance from Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC). 

Financial support for a permanent injury | ACC(external link)

Crime scene funding

Crime scene funding of up to $2,000 may be available if you cannot go home because a police cordon is in place. It can help cover costs such as emergency accommodation, professional cleaning, pet boarding, and replacing essential items you cannot access such as medication and toiletries.

Discretionary funding

Discretionary funding of up to $2,500 is available for a primary victim of serious crime. This can help with costs related to safety and immediate financial needs. This funding should be claimed within six months of the date of the crime.  

If you have been affected by serious crime, you can apply to claim for costs such as:

• installing alarms and other safety features
• emergency costs, if you are not eligible for Crime Scene Funding
• overnight accommodation, if the crime happened in your home and you are not eligible for Crime Scene Funding
• replacing items stolen, lost or damaged during the crime that are not covered by insurance and where replacing the items is likely to help with your safety such as, repairing locks or a broken window
• car rental if the police need to hold your car
• income lost for time off work that is not covered by ACC
• costs of travelling to give statements to or be interviewed by Police or for medical appointments related to the assault or crime
• self-defence classes such as blocks of classes but it does not apply to an ongoing membership to a gym or sport group.

Someone who suffers an injury because of a crime may be eligible for assistance from Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC). 

Financial support for a permanent injury | ACC(external link) 

Travel and accommodation

You can get travel and accommodation covered if you’re the primary victim plus up to 3 people to attend justice proceedings, like a court trial or sentencing. This can apply for family, whānau and support people. Manaaki Tāngata | Victim Support will make all travel bookings.

Court attendance allowance

You can get court attendance allowance if you're a primary victim or if you're family, whānau or a support person. If you're a support person, you must be 18 years or older to receive this grant. Court attendance allowance can cover the primary victim and up to 3 people who have lost earnings through attending court.

Each person may be able to receive:

• $150 for a full day
• $75 for a half day.

Counselling or rongoā 

Counselling or rongoā support of up to 15 hours is available for a primary victim of serious crime that took place on or after 1 July 2023.