Round 2 of a Survivor Support and Recognition Fund
Round two of a Survivor Support and Recognition Fund
A second round of the Survivor Support and Recognition Fund is now available to non-government organisations and community groups to deliver support and services to survivors of abuse and neglect in care and local authorities to care for unmarked graves.
This fund will be contestable with priority given to those who didn’t receive funding from the first round.
$2 million is available to non-government organisations and community groups to deliver support and services to survivors of abuse in care, with a $50,000 cap per organisation. $700,000 is allocated local authorities to care for unmarked graves.
The fund is administered by Community Operations Hāpai Hapori in partnership with the Crown Response Office and is now open for applications until midnight 27 February 2026.
Survivor Support and Recognition Fund » Community Matters(external link)
About the Redress System for Abuse in Care Bill
On 10 November, we sent out a reminder that the Social Services and Community Select Committee has called for submissions on the Redress System for Abuse in Care Bill.
Key points about the Bill are:
It introduces a presumption against financial redress for survivors who have been convicted of a certain serious violent and/or sexual offence and sentenced to five or more years in prison for that offence.
Examples of qualifying offences include but are not limited to the following offences:
- aggravated robbery
- murder
- manslaughter
- intent to injure or cause grievous bodily harm
- abduction
- kidnapping
- poisoning
- infecting with disease.
The presumption does not apply to survivors who have not been convicted of one of these serious offences and sentenced to five years or more in prison for that offence.
The presumption only applies to financial redress. Survivors who fall in scope of the presumption can still access wellbeing support and receive an apology from a State redress agency.
Survivors in scope of the presumption can apply to an independent decisionmaker to have the presumption overturned. The decision maker can overturn the presumption where they consider granting financial redress would not bring the redress system into disrepute.
In making their decision, the independent officer would take into account a range of matters including the age at offending, any rehabilitation activities undertaken since the offending, and the length of time since the offending took place.
If a survivor applies and is not granted financial redress, they would be able to reapply for financial redress after three years.
Submissions close on 26 November. To make a submission visit the New Zealand Parliament website: Redress System for Abuse in Care Bill - New Zealand Parliament(external link)(external link)