Faith-based entities not included in Government abuse redress move

The minister in charge of the Government’s response to the royal commission on abuse in care, Erica Stanford, said on May 9 that the Government would be receiving advice on claims sitting with faith-based organisations, school boards and other non-state providers later this year.

The decision not to include these claims in the redress changes announced are because of “the complexity of doing so”, Ms Stanford said.

“I will be receiving more advice on it this year and we will be making future decisions . . . Cabinet has to turn its mind now to faith-based institutions.”

Ms Stanford announced that the Government opted against setting up a new compensation scheme for survivors of abuse in state care. Instead, more money was injected into the current system.

A new scheme had been recommended by the royal commission and the Redress Design Group.

The Government is committing $774 million in Budget 2025 to improve the redress system and strengthen the care system to prevent, identify and respond to abuse in the future, Ms Stanford said.

Among the changes are increasing the average redress payments for new claims from $19,180 to $30,000, providing for higher payments for the survivors who experienced the worst abuse and providing “top-up” payments of 50 per cent to survivors who have already settled claims to ensure consistency with increased payments for new claims.

The Government will also establish a Ministerial Advisory Group of survivors and advocates in the coming months to provide relevant ministers with advice on the Government’s response, including implementation of these changes and the next phase of the wider response.

Anyone who has a concern or complaint about abuse in a Catholic setting is encouraged to contact the Police or the Church’s National Office for Professional Standards on 0800 114 622.

FULL STORY

Budget 2025 invests in care system and improving redress for survivors of abuse in state care | Beehive.govt.nz (Beehive)

No new compensation scheme for abuse survivors but more funds for current system (Radio New Zealand)