The Crown response to the Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry is made up of three key components:
The information below describes the Crown response work programme to improve redress for survivors and strengthen the care system.
The redress improvements include an increase in the average redress payment for survivors of abuse in State care from $19,180 to $30,000 and a top-up payment to previously settled claimants to ensure consistency across claims handled by the Ministry of Social Development, Oranga Tamariki, Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health.
Other improvements to the redress system for abuse in State care include:
The Government will conduct an independent review of these changes to the redress system in 2027.
The Government will also establish a Ministerial Advisory Group of survivors and advocates in the coming months to provide relevant Ministers with advice on implementation of the redress improvements and on the wider Government response to the Royal Commission.
Cabinet has also decided a new process will apply for new claims from survivors who are also serious sexual and/or violent offenders who have been sentenced to five years or more in prison. Modelled on similar approaches in Australia and Scotland, an independent decision maker will need to assure themselves that a redress payment would not bring the scheme into disrepute. Legislation establishing this will be introduced later this year.
Survivors with closed claims from the Ministry of Social Development, Oranga Tamariki and Ministry of Education will receive a 50 per cent increase to whatever payment was previously received.
Eligible survivors with closed claims with the Ministry of Health or Crown Health Financing Agency will receive more to bring their payment in line with other redress agencies and then a top-up payment of 50 per cent will be applied.
To find out more and register for a top-up payment visit:
www.abuseincaretopups.govt.nz(external link)
Survivors with current (open) claims from the Ministry of Social Development, Oranga Tamariki and the Ministry of Education will receive an increase of 50 per cent in line to any payment. The average redress payment will increase from approximately $19,180 to $30,000.
Survivors with current (open) claims from the Ministry of Health will be adjusted to bring them into line with other redress agencies and then a standardised top up of 50 per cent will be applied.
Please contact your relevant agency directly.
| 9 May 2025 | Survivors with closed claims can register for a top-up payment |
| 9 May 2025 | New settlement offers will incorporate an increase |
You can find an overview of all the redress improvements here:
Overview of redress improvements
Delivering the Crown response is a multi-agency responsibility. Multiple ministries have operational, policy and statutory responsibilities and knowledge to contribute to the Government’s response to the Royal Commission. The following initiatives are across multiple government agencies:
Build a diverse capable and safe care workforce
The Ministries of Education, Health, Social Development Disability Support Services and Oranga Tamariki will design and implement a phased rollout of care training and ongoing development and joint review and implementation of workforce screening and safety.
Improve mental health inpatient environments
Health New Zealand will make mental health inpatient unit environments safer and improve privacy and dignity for patients.
Prevent, recognise and respond to abuse in care
The Social Investment Agency will manage a social investment approach to evaluate and fund initiatives to prevent the entry of children and vulnerable adults into care.
Reduce abuse and harm to children and young people in remand homes and in the care of individual caregivers
Oranga Tamariki will be responsible for training and development, monitoring and assurance, improved escalation, processes and response times, approvals and accountability processes to reduce abuse and harm to children and young people in community and remand homes and those cared for by individual caregivers.
Oversight of compulsory mental health and addiction care
Bolster oversight of compulsory mental health and addiction care by increasing the capacity, expertise, and availability of independent statutory roles including District Inspectors and Review Tribunals and improving models of care.
Strengthen processes to recognise and response to instances of abuse in care
The Ministry for Social Development Disability Support Services will strengthen processes that recognise and respond to instances of abuse in care, by introducing additional audits on the quality of services delivered by contracted care providers and improving the systems that support the management of critical incidents and complaints.
Recordkeeping to improve quality, quantity, capacity, access and whānau connections
Funding is provided to develop, implement, and monitor new and consistent recordkeeping practices and standards, including new records retention and disposal rules, and targeted support for improved recordkeeping in the state care sector. Funding also provides targeted support to improve record-keeping guidance in the education and disability care sectors. This is a joint initiative between the Ministries of Education, Social Development (Disability Support Services) and the Department of Internal Affairs.
The Government has proactively released:
