The issue

The Royal Commission found an inconsistent approach to redress offerings for survivors. For example there was: 

  • Insufficient financial redress 
  • Inconsistent experiences of redress - survivors with similar experiences of abuse and/or neglect received different settlement offers 
  • Inconsistent offering of support - survivors received different levels of support depending on which redress agency they engaged with 
  • Apologies that failed to meaningfully acknowledge and apologise for the abuse, harm/trauma inflicted and suffered 
  • Apologies were seen as hollow without simultaneous system reform.

Survivors say the limitation on what apologies can say, particularly around explicitly acknowledging the harm they experienced, impacts their experience of redress, and is not genuine to them. 

The improvements

The following five initiatives aim to improve the experience of survivors irrespective of which State agency was responsible for their claim:

1. Improve personal apologies

Work is underway to improve personal apologies for abuse and neglect in care. 

The ability for redress agencies to improve their apologies would significantly improve redress for some survivors. 

In July 2025, Cabinet agreed to introduce legislative protections to support agencies in making personal redress apologies. The Redress System for Abuse in Care Bill (the Bill) includes legislative protections that enable State redress agencies to offer more meaningful apologies to survivors of abuse in State care.

This page will be updated as decisions are made or you can sign up to receive updates by  emailing  contact@abuseinquiryresponse.govt.nz with 'newsletter panui' in the subject line. 

2. Increase settlement payments

State redress includes a financial payment that recognises and acknowledges the harm of abuse and neglect in State care. It is not compensation. 

From 9 May 2025 an increase has been applied in the average redress payment for survivors of abuse in State care from $19,180 to $30,000. 

This is an interim approach until a common payment framework has been developed. 

3. Develop a common payment framework

The Common Payment Framework (the Framework) came into effect on Tuesday 27 January 2026. Find out more.

4. Deliver top-up payments for survivors with closed claims

Survivors who have a closed claim and received a settlement payment for abuse in State care before 9 May 2025 may be eligible for a top-up payment from: 

  • The Ministry of Social Development 
  • The Ministry of Education 
  • Oranga Tamariki 
  • The Ministry of Health. 

Find out how to register for a top-up payment 

5. Consistent support offerings 

The delivery of consistent support offerings is being carried out in two phases. 

Phase one involves an interim approach to improve support from Te Puni Kōkiri, the Department of Corrections and the Ministry of Health. Te Puni Kōkiri and Corrections are working on eligibility criteria and assessment processes. When this is completed eligible survivors from Te Puni Kōkiri, Corrections and the Ministry of Health, will be offered support services.

Phase two will develop an approach to provide consistent support across all agencies in the redress system.