The Queensland government is investigating potential fraud in Victim Assist Queensland, its scheme that pays for expenses linked to recovering from crime, after outlays reached almost $244 million in the last financial year, and youth justice minister Laura Gerber has not ruled out tightening the scheme's criteria.
Victim Assist Queensland (VAQ) offers payouts for expenses relating to recovery from crime, including counselling and legal fees, moving costs, or one-off lump sums to primary victims of violent crime. Its spending has climbed steeply: almost $244 million in 2024-25, up from $100 million the previous financial year and just under $40 million in 2022-23. As of December 31, VAQ had already paid out more than $125 million this financial year.
Amid reports of rorts in the scheme, Ms Gerber put fraudsters on notice. "Our priority is supporting victims, including domestic and family violence victims, and any financial assistance fraud is not only a crime but takes support away from victims in their time of need," she said. "We strongly urge anyone with allegations of fraud to come forward with information." She would not rule out tightening the scheme's criteria to clamp down on dodgy claims, or answer questions about any internal investigations to assess its effectiveness.
In some cases, victims can access compensation through VAQ without having reported to police, including through a doctor or psychologist, and advocates urged care with any changes. Gillian O'Brien, director of the Sexual Violence Prevention Association, said that "if there were any changes to assessment processes, the last thing I would want to see is going backwards to requiring police reporting for all matters." She added that sexual assault and domestic violence are "traumatic enough, and highly under-reported, often committed by someone the victim knows and trusts, and this would be a significant barrier for many victims to apply to the scheme."
Mel Arnost, chief executive of the Queensland Domestic and Family Violence Alliance, echoed those concerns, noting that not every victim survivor wants to report abuse to police, and that many police stations have embedded specialist domestic and family violence workers because survivors do not always feel comfortable or safe reporting. "So in those situations, they might approach a specialist domestic and family violence service or a worker in a station before they even make a report to police, if at all."
Ms O'Brien said VAQ made a significant difference to many people's lives and had many safeguards in place to prevent fraud. "There are always going to be risks and unethical people with any financial assistance scheme. While checks and balances need to be in place, we need to ensure we don't place undue burden on victim survivors to prove they are worthy."
Analysis
Why This Matters
- Fraud in the scheme would divert money away from victims of crime who rely on VAQ for counselling, legal fees, moving costs and other recovery expenses.
- Payouts have more than tripled in two years, reaching almost half a billion dollars across three financial years, so the scale of public money involved is large and growing.
- Any tightening of criteria, such as requiring police reports, could change who can access support at all, not just how claims are checked.
Background
Victim Assist Queensland is a state government scheme that funds expenses related to recovering from a crime, including one-off lump sums for primary victims of violent crime. It has seen a dramatic rise in applications and payouts in recent years, which is what has drawn the government's fraud review. The minister has not said what, if anything, triggered the investigation or its findings to date.
Key Perspectives
- Laura Gerber (youth justice minister): says any financial assistance fraud is a crime and takes support away from victims in their time of need, and urges anyone with allegations to come forward; she has not ruled out tightening the scheme's criteria.
- Gillian O'Brien (Sexual Violence Prevention Association): urges the government to avoid changes that require police reporting for all matters, calling that a significant barrier for many victims of sexual assault and domestic violence.
- Mel Arnost (Queensland Domestic and Family Violence Alliance): says not every victim survivor wants to report abuse to police, and that many approach specialist domestic and family violence services before making a report, if they make one at all.
What to Watch
- Whether Ms Gerber announces any changes to VAQ's assessment criteria, and whether police reporting becomes a requirement for access.
- Whether the government discloses the findings of any internal investigations into the scheme's effectiveness.
- Whether payouts for the current financial year, already past $125 million by December 31, continue at the elevated rate.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 11 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedThe Queensland government is investigating potential fraud in Victim Assist Queensland.Just In: “The Queensland government is investigating potential fraud within the Victim Assist Queensland scheme.”
- Partly supportedThe scheme paid out almost $244 million in the last financial year, and the investigation followed those outlays.Just In: “The Queensland government is investigating potential fraud within the Victim Assist Queensland scheme. The scheme offers payouts for expenses related to recovery from crime and paid out almost $244 million in the 2024-25 financial year.”
- SupportedYouth justice minister Laura Gerber has not ruled out tightening the scheme’s criteria.Just In: “Youth justice minister Laura Gerber has not ruled out tightening the scheme's criteria to clamp down on possible fraud.”
- SupportedThe advocate says changes should not require police reports for all matters.Just In: ““If there were any changes to assessment processes, the last thing I would want to see is going backwards to requiring police reporting for all matters,” she said.”
- SupportedSpending was almost $244 million in 2024-25, up from $100 million in the previous financial year and just under $40 million in 2022-23.Just In: “In the 2024-25 financial year, it paid out almost $244 million, up from $100 million the previous financial year, and just under $40 million in 2022-23.”
- SupportedAs of December 31, VAQ had paid out more than $125 million that financial year.Just In: “As of December 31, VAQ had already paid out more than $125 million this financial year.”
- SupportedGerber said, “Our priority is supporting victims, including domestic and family violence victims, and any financial assistance fraud is not only a crime but takes support away from victims in their time of need.”Just In: ““Our priority is supporting victims, including domestic and family violence victims, and any financial assistance fraud is not only a crime but takes support away from victims in their time of need,” she said.”
- SupportedGerber said, “We strongly urge anyone with allegations of fraud to come forward with information.”Just In: ““We strongly urge anyone with allegations of fraud to come forward with information.””
- SupportedVictims can sometimes access VAQ compensation without reporting to police, including through a doctor or psychologist.Just In: “In some cases, victims can access compensation through VAQ without having reported to police, including through a doctor or psychologist.”
- SupportedO’Brien said changes should not return to requiring police reports for every matter, calling sexual assault and domestic violence traumatic and highly under-reported.Just In: ““Sexual assault and domestic violence are traumatic enough, and highly under-reported, often committed by someone the victim knows and trusts, and this would be a significant barrier for many victims to apply to the scheme.””
- SupportedArnost said some survivors do not feel comfortable or safe reporting to police and may approach a specialist service or station worker before reporting, if at all.Just In: ““So in those situations, they might approach a specialist domestic and family violence service or a worker in a station before they even make a report to police, if at all.””
- SupportedO’Brien said VAQ makes a significant difference to many people’s lives and has safeguards against fraud, while checks should not place undue burden on victim survivors.Just In: ““There are always going to be risks and unethical people with any financial assistance scheme. “While checks and balances need to be in place, we need to ensure we don't place undue burden on victim survivors to prove they are worthy.””