Supporting clients to apply to the FAS
There is plenty of support available to help with FAS applications. Victims can visit Get help with your FAS application for information on how to nominate an authorised representative, get legal assistance or access other support.
Who can provide services covered by FAS assistance
Victims can attend their choice of service provider, provided the service provider fits any requirements set out in the Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS) Guidelines.
Providing reports and supporting documents to the FAS
Evidence and documents needed to support an application will vary based on an applicant’s situation and what assistance they are asking for.
Applicants may submit documents or records they already have which are relevant to their application.
This could include:
- hospital or medical records
- reports or letters from medical or health professionals
- receipts, quotes and invoices from service providers.
For more information on the evidence and documents needed to support an application, see the the FAS Guidelines and information for primary victims, secondary victims and related victims.
Differences between VOCAT and the FAS
Unlike the Victims of Crime Assistance Tribunal (VOCAT), the FAS does not require a counselling report to support a victim’s initial application unless they need more than 20 counselling sessions.
During the transition period from VOCAT to FAS, if an applicant has obtained a report for a VOCAT application, the FAS may pay for these reports in some circumstances. Further information about this is available in the FAS Guidelines.
FAS requested reports
The FAS will only pay for medical, psychological or counselling reports where it has pre-authorised and requested the report.
The FAS may request and pre-authorise reports where:
- the evidence previously provided in the application does not satisfy the required criteria
- the information cannot be established from other sources
- the report is required to link the injury suffered to the recommended treatment
- the victim is seeking more than 20 counselling sessions
- the FAS requests that the victim arrange to have a mental health report completed.
The FAS will notify the applicant or their authorised representative via the FAS portal that a report has been pre-authorised.
If the FAS has pre-authorised and requested a medical or mental health report, the service provider must use the medical and/or mental health report template below.
If service providers choose to provide a letter or report to a victim in support of their application, they can use their own templates or formats, or use the templates below.
Service providers must provide documents such as letters or reports to the applicant, their lawyer or authorised representative who will then upload them to the FAS portal. This ensures applicants see and understand the information in their application.
Templates for letters and reports from service providers
How long will it take for an application to be processed?
Visit Understanding your Financial Assistance Scheme application outcome for information on application processing times.
Receiving payment for services to victims
The FAS may provide funding to a victim for a service provider, or to the service provider directly.
Payment may be made:
- wholly as a lump sum
- partly as a lump sum and partly by instalments, or
- wholly by instalments.
The FAS may specify terms and conditions to be complied with before any instalment is paid.
Amounts awarded to a victim for expenses not yet incurred (for example, future medical expenses or counselling) are only payable on the submission of an invoice or receipt relating to that expense.
The FAS requires a valid tax invoice from a service provider (e.g. a counsellor, health professional, or supplier) before it can process the payment.
The victim must provide the tax invoice and service provider details in the FAS portal for a service provider to be paid directly by the FAS. Victims will receive a notification to register a service provider and provide their bank details for payment.
The FAS will endeavour to pay invoices as soon as practicable. If there are any details missing from the invoice, this may result in payment being delayed.
Payments for services authorised by VOCAT
The FAS now makes payment to service providers for expenses authorised by VOCAT.
For the FAS to pay service providers directly for expenses authorised by VOCAT, the victim will need to register with the FAS and must provide a valid tax invoice and service provider details.
For more information on how victims can register with the FAS see VOCAT applications and FAS.
Can a victim change service providers for authorised future expenses?
The FAS may be able to pay assistance to a different service provider without varying the previous decision. This may be when the new service provider is suitably qualified, and is providing an equivalent service, treatment or therapy.
If the change will involve a different type of treatment or if more assistance is needed to attend a different provider with higher fees, the victim may need to apply to the FAS for a variation to change who the assistance is paid to.
For more information on applying to vary your FAS assistance, see Apply to change your FAS application outcome.
If you need to make changes to a VOCAT award to attend a different service provider, see Apply to change your VOCAT award.
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