Frontline police officers did not consistently refer victims eligible for financial aid
An evaluation of New Zealand’s Victim Assistance Scheme (VAS) in 2025 has found the programme effectively eases the financial burdens of crime victims, although gaps in police referrals mean some eligible people miss out.
Conducted by Allen + Clarke for the Ministry of Justice and released in August 2025, the evaluation assessed the scheme, which provides financial assistance to victims and witnesses of serious crime and their support people.
The report found 67% of survey respondents agreed the VAS reduced some of their financial burden, while 59% said it helped them participate in criminal justice proceedings. However, inconsistencies remain in how people access the scheme.
While direct referrals through Victim Support and sexual violence agencies worked well, frontline police officers did not consistently refer eligible victims. Court victim advisors reported frequently encountering victims who had engaged with police but received no VAS referral, sometimes learning about the available support months or even years into the justice process.
The evaluation noted that male victims accessed the VAS for serious crimes at lower rates than victimisation data would indicate, suggesting inequities in access. The six-month reporting requirement for family violence incidents also created barriers, as many victims take longer to come forward.
Stakeholders raised concerns that current settings did not always align with the needs of Māori and Pacific peoples, particularly restrictions limiting the number of support people who could attend court proceedings.
Changes to the scheme between 2022 and 2024, which included the removal of proof-of-expense requirements for sexual violence victims and expanding eligibility to regulatory offences, were largely seen as positive. The number of people accessing sexual violence grants increased substantially following 2022 amendments, which gave victims greater autonomy over how they spent support funding.
The evaluation recommended strengthening referral pathways from police, potentially through an automated system, and expanding counselling options to include therapies aligned with victims’ cultural and spiritual beliefs.
Victim Support receives approximately $12m annually to administer the scheme.
