Thousands of survivors of childhood sexual abuse still waiting for redress claims to be processed

More than six thousand redress claims from survivors of childhood sexual abuse are yet to be processed and the average wait has blown out to almost 12 months, which is close to double the intended timeframe, new government data reveals.

Currently, over 600 applicants who have received an offer have not yet made a decision, while 243 applications have been refused since the scheme started because applicants did not meet the criteria.

The average processing time of claims has blown out to 11.9 months, almost double the time intended. The scheme is supposed to issue payments to 80% of applicants within six months.

Simon Bruck is principal lawyer at Knowmore, the legal service set up to help those seeking redress. He said while the timeframe has come down slightly (it was 12.5 months at the start of 2021), it was still way off from where it should be.

Some survivors have been waiting over 12 months for their applications to be processed, he said, and because of a lack of transparency, they never know which stage they are at.

The scheme will accept applications until 2027 and payments to survivors are capped at $150,000, with the average amount of redress being about $80,000.

The Community and Public Sector Union said there are issues retaining staff on the scheme, with a revolving door of contractors and short-term employees. The nature of the work also made it hard to retain staff, it said.

Some lawyers are directing their clients away from redress, saying the civil route can be more straightforward.

Judy Courtin, a Melbourne-based lawyer represents victims of institutional abuse. She said the process of redress was often re-traumatising, with victims allowed limited access to counselling along the way.