Homicide Assistance Payments Scheme

The Ambulance Payment Service provides payment for costs associated with St John Ambulance attendance at the scene of a homicide.

This service applies to deaths that occurred after 1 July 2023.

To eliminate the burden on beavered individuals, St John Ambulance invoice the Office directly via HomicideSupport@justice.wa.gov.au.

This service covers ambulance attendance related to the incident and does not cover costs associated with other patient transport vehicles, including but not limited to coroner’s vehicles, RAC Rescue helicopters, private patient transport vehicles, etc.

Applications may be impacted if the Office are made aware that the deceased victim held an ‘ambulance cover’ insurance policy at the time of their death.

Note: Payments for ambulance services will be made directly to St John Ambulance and not to individual community members.

If you have any further questions about this service, contact HomicideSupport@justice.wa.gov.au or call 1800 214 655 and ask for the Victim Liaison Team.

The Biological and Forensic Cleaning Service (cleaning) is a service that coordinates and funds forensic and biological cleaning after a victim is unlawfully killed in their home.

This service covers the whole property (up to the property line) and includes the cleaning of biological elements, as well as forensic materials (eg fingerprint dust or chemicals used by WA Police Force).

Please note, only applications submitted by WA Police Force will be accepted for this service.

Information for WA Police Force

Applications for this service must be submitted via the Biological and Forensic Cleaning Service online form.

Applications must be submitted before the cleaning can occur. As the Office engages a contracted cleaner for these services, any prior cleaning undertaken or financed by other parties (including the WA Police Force, the bereaved individuals, etc.) will not be reimbursed.

If you have any further questions about this service, contact HomicideSupport@justice.wa.gov.au or call 1800 214 655 and ask for the Victim Liaison Team.

The Funeral Assistance Service (funeral service) provides payment towards costs associated with the funerals of homicide victims.

The funeral service provides a trauma-informed process for the payment of costs associated with the funerals of homicide victims and removes the need for the bereaved individuals to bear the immediate costs associated with funeral deposits.

This service applies only to deaths that occurred after 1 January 2018.

The maximum financial assistance that may be claimed under this policy depends on the date of the deceased’s death:

• Between 1 January 2018 and 30 June 2023 - $8,000
• On or after 1 July 2023 - $10,000

Note: only funeral service providers are able to submit an application for this service.

Information for Funeral Service Providers

It is the service provider’s responsibility to outline the terms of the FAS to the bereaved individuals and to confirm whether there will be an outstanding balance remaining after payment is received.

Applications for funeral assistance must be completed by the contracted funeral service provider via the FAS Online Form.

Alternative Payments

Applications may be impacted if funeral costs could be totally or partially covered by another source, such as if the deceased victim held funeral insurance at the time of their death.

Please note, while crowdfunding was previously listed as an exclusion criterion this has since been removed. Funds raised through these means will not be considered in assessing eligibility unless the funding campaign specifically states the funds will be used for the purpose of the funeral service. For this reason, we encourage bereaved individuals to avoid directly mentioning funeral expenses when creating crowdfunding pages. 

1. Can I apply for these services?

In most cases, community members are not eligible to directly apply for these services. The service provider you are working with should make the application on your behalf.

2. Who can apply?

The applicant will vary depending on the required service:

• Funeral Assistance Service - Applications must be made by funeral service providers via the online form.
• Biological and Forensic Cleaning Service - Applications must be made by WA Police Force via the online form.
• Ambulance Payment Service - Requests for the payment of ambulance bills are to be made by St John Ambulance via email.

3. What are the eligibility criteria?

To qualify for assistance under the Scheme, applications must refer to a death that has been investigated as a homicide (or suspected homicide) by the WA Police Force; or where a charge has been preferred under the Criminal Code Chapter XXVIII;

• section 279 - Murder
• section 280 - Manslaughter or
• section 281 - Unlawful Assault Causing Death

On receipt of application from the relevant agency, the Victim Liaison Team will confirm the cause of death with the police.

4. What can impact eligibility?

Eligibility for assistance under the Scheme, may be impacted by the following:

• If expenses for the relevant service can be claimed through another source, such as the Insurance Commission of WA, the Department of Veterans Affairs, or WorkCover.
• If funding from an insurance policy or benefit fund exists.
• If the deceased victim’s behaviour is reasonably assumed to have contributed to their death.
• If the death of the homicide victim involved a motor vehicle incident or was related to their employment.

5. How are applications assessed?

The Scheme follows an administrative process.

Once your application is received, the Victim Liaison Team will review and request any necessary information related to the deceased’s cause of death. These records may be obtained from agencies such as the WA Police Force or the Office of Criminal Injuries Compensation, as relevant to your case.

The Commissioner for Victims of Crime must be satisfied that all eligibility requirements have been met before approving the application. Once a decision is made, a member of our team will inform the applicant as soon as possible.

6. How long will it take for the application to be processed?

The time required to process your application will vary based on the complexity of determining eligibility. However, we strive to process applications as quickly as possible.

To help expedite the process, please ensure you include as much detailed information as possible in your application form.

Once a determination is made, a member of our team will inform you as soon as possible.

7. I have been left with an outstanding bill; how can I rectify this?

If you receive a full bill but believe you are entitled to funding under this Scheme, please contact the service provider in the first instance to discuss the issue. Should you encounter an issue, please do not hesitate to contact the Victim Liaison Team on 1800 214 655 or HomicideSupport@justice.wa.gov.au

If funding provided under the Scheme has only covered part of your bill, you may be eligible to claim the remaining costs under the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme. Please visit the website or contact the Office of Criminal Injuries Compensation directly for more information on 61 8 9425 3250 or criminal.injuries@justice.wa.gov.au

8. My application has been denied. What can I do?

As the Scheme has specific eligibility criteria, some cases may not meet the requirements for approval. In this case, our Office will do our best to provide alternative support options, if available.

You can also seek a review of the decision from the Director General of the Department of Justice. Your application for review must be lodged within 28 days of receipt of the decision that your application has been denied.