You can nominate someone else to help you with your application. You will be able to do this through our online portal.
You can choose someone to act on your behalf and make decisions about your application. This person is called an authorised representative.
If you are not able to make an application because you have diminished capacity, someone can nominate themselves to be your authorised representative.
Authorised representatives
An authorised representative has the same level of access to an application as the applicant. They might be someone the applicant knows or is related to, or a professional providing services (such as a lawyer or case manager).
An authorised representative can:
- make decisions on behalf of the applicant about their application
- provide practical support to gather documents
- start, edit and complete an application for financial assistance
- receive notifications about an application
- speak with FAS about an application (and update their own contact details)
- view a submitted application.
An authorised representative cannot:
- change the authorised representative arrangements
- receive payments (unless they are a parent of a child or are otherwise authorised by law to manage payments on your behalf).
An authorised representative must agree to:
- act in the best interests of the applicant
- respect any cultural considerations that apply to the applicant
- communicate with FAS on important things that are needed to progress an application
- notify FAS of any changes to the applicant’s circumstances that may impact the application
- stop being an authorised representative and disclose to FAS if they are, or are likely to be, subject to criminal and/or civil family violence matter(s)
- support and keep the applicant updated as they go through the application process.
An authorised representative must have access to the internet and be able to send and receive online communication, including emails. They must be able to spend the time and effort to help an applicant fill out their application.
How to nominate an authorised representative
You can nominate an authorised representative by completing the relevant form below for your authorised representative to upload to the FAS portal.
If your authorised representative is a lawyer
If you plan to have a lawyer be your authorised representative, they need to complete a client authorisation form below instead of a statutory declaration.
Learn more about lawyers' responsibilities when assisting with a FAS application.
If your authorised representative is not a lawyer
If your chosen authorised representative is not a lawyer, you will need to fill out a statutory declaration.
You will need to sign it in front of an authorised statutory declaration witness. For more information on who can witness statutory declarations, visit the Department of Justice and Community Safety's website.
A victim may complete this statutory declaration to nominate an authorised representative:
A victim’s parent, guardian or administrator may complete this statutory declaration template to nominate an authorised representative:
Other forms for authorised representatives
Some victims may wish to complete the statutory declarations themselves, in their own words, and have their authorised representative assist them in uploading the completed forms to the FAS portal. Please refer to the FAS templates and forms page for the statutory declarations to be used by victims.
Otherwise, if a victim prefers that their authorised representative complete and upload these forms, please use the templates below.
Authorised representatives may complete this statutory declaration template to explain the reasons why the victim has not reported the incident(s) to the police. Authorised representatives will also have the option of downloading a FAS generated statutory declaration which will include inputs based on the answers they provide in their application.
This statutory declaration template may be completed by an authorised representative in relation to any issue on which you would like to provide evidence to the FAS to support your application:
Examples include:
- to explain why you are submitting an application outside of the FAS’s time limits
- to describe the injury and explain how it was sustained as a direct result of the violent act, together with any photographs of the injuries
- to explain the nature of the violent act/incident
- to support an application for loss of earnings by providing information about past and/or current earnings (including any details about your employment conditions)
- to show that you are a close family member of a deceased primary victim
- to detail your relationship with the deceased primary victim and your reliance on their income
- to evidence clothing expenses
- to detail the clothing worn at the time of the act of violence and the cost of the clothing lost or damaged
- in relation to seeking recovery expenses, to explain your exceptional circumstances and why the recovery expense you are seeking is needed
- in relation to seeking loss of earnings, to explain your exceptional circumstances and why you require assistance for loss of earnings
- for witnesses, family members, friends, colleagues, teachers and religious or cultural leaders to explain an applicant’s delay in applying to the FAS
- for witnesses, family members, friends, colleagues, teachers and religious or cultural leaders to explain the circumstances of the violent act and the reasons for not reporting it to the police
- for family members, friends, colleagues, teachers and religious or cultural leaders to explain the relationship between a related victim and the deceased primary victim.
Identity verification of authorised representatives and applicants
As part of the FAS online application process, the authorised representative and the applicant (if aged 18 or over) will be required to verify their identities.
How an authorised representative can verify their identity
When the authorised representative registers for an account on the FAS portal, the authorised representative will be redirected to the Service Victoria website to verify their identity.
The authorised representative will need two Australian government issued identity documents. The authorised representative can choose to create an ongoing digital ID with Service Victoria so that they can use this saved identity when using Service Victoria’s services for other applications. Alternatively, authorised representatives can verify their ID through Service Victoria for each application.
Further information, including on how Service Victoria handles personal information, will be provided to the authorised representative when they are completing the application through the FAS portal.
Once the authorised representative has completed the identity verification they will be redirected back to the FAS portal to continue the application.
How an authorised representative can verify the applicant’s identity
When the authorised representative starts an application in the FAS portal the authorised representative will be required to ensure that the applicant also verifies their identity.
Once the authorised representative has commenced the application in the portal, the authorised representative will be prompted to provide the applicant’s email address so that they can complete their identity verification check. Upon providing the applicant’s email address, an email containing a link to the Service Victoria website will be automatically sent to the applicant prompting them to verify their identity.
The link that is sent to the applicant expires after 20 minutes, and cannot be resent. If the applicant is unable to verify their identity within 20 minutes, the authorised representative can also verify the applicant’s identity by attaching certified copies of two Australian government issued identity documents to their application.
The authorised representative must submit certified copies of two of the following identity documents on behalf of the applicant:
- Australian passport (current or less than 3 years expired)
- Australian driver licence or learner permit
- Medicare card
- Full Australian birth certificate (not a birth extract or birth card)
- Australian citizenship certificate
- Immicard issued by the Australian government
- Foreign passport with a valid Australian visa.
The applicant should use identity documents where their Given Name and Family Name appear the same on both documents. For some identity documents, the Given Name may consist of the First and Middle Name.
The applicant should try to use identity documents where the name matches the name being used for the application. Authorised representatives should review the applicant’s FAS account details to ensure that the names match the applicant’s identity documents. If the applicant has recently changed their name, they will need to contact the issuing authority and request that the documents be updated into the same name.
If the FAS does not receive confirmation that the applicant’s identity has been verified or certified copies of the applicant’s identity documents are not attached to their application, the FAS will contact the authorised representative to request certified copies of the applicant’s identity documents.
The FAS will deal with the ID documents in accordance with its collection notice and the department’s information privacy policy. The FAS will destroy all ID documents once verification has been confirmed.
The FAS recognises that the current time limit on the identity verification link may be problematic for some clients.
We are working with our partners at Service Victoria to improve this functionality as soon as possible. In the meantime, we thank you for your patience in supporting the transition to the new scheme.
What to do if an authorised representative’s or applicant’s identity verification fails
For more information or support with the application, including in relation to identity verification requirements, please:
- call the FAS helpline on 1800 161 136
- call the Marra Yattakunar helpline on 1800 849 778
- submit an online enquiry.
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