Photo: VNP/ Louis Collins
Survivors of abuse in state and faith-based care are sceptical a $32 million funding boost for the current redress system will be enough to help them.
The money was announced as the government made its formal apology on Tuesday for the horrific suffering endured by thousands.
Both the Ministry of Social Development's chief executive and the prime minister have admitted the repayment systems so far have been slow and inadequate.
Abuse survivors sceptical over funding boost to redress system
Isabelle Apulu said she was physically, sexually and psychologically abused by her foster father at different times between the ages of seven and 18.
She said the system for claiming compensation through the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) had been exhausting and difficult, including accessing her own files.
"I had about 2000 pages worth of notes that I read, a lot of it was redacted and a lot of it was just so incorrect. And that in itself was a travesty," Apulu said.
MSD chief executive Debbie Power admitted on Tuesday that the claims process has often failed.
"I accept the Royal Commission's finding, that for some it has been slow, re-traumatising and litigious. None of us wanted that and I apologise."
The government would put up $32 million to help speed up the current redress system, while survivors waited for a new one to be put in place next year.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said there were about 3500 claimants.
The $32m will go to processing 196 more claims in 2024 to 2025, and 550 more claims over 2025 and 2026.
The majority of those claims were through MSD, but some are through the Ministry of Education, Oranga Tamariki and Ministry of Health.
"This funding will increase resources and ensure the system is more responsive to your needs now," Luxon said.
Survivors had been paid an average $20,000 through the MSD claims systems.
Apulu said it took her over three years to get any progress at all.
She first lodged her claim with MSD in November 2019 and got an offer to proceed with either a rapid payment or an individual claims process in September 2023.
She said she has opted for an individual claims process to ensure the facts of the claim are absolutely correct and said trying to find lawyers to help had been difficult.
The announcement of extra funding was long overdue, she said.
"It's about time because it's taken circa three and a half years to get to the point where I'm at, and that was to share my story, for them to hold it for three and a half years and address it after that amount of time.
"So there's obviously something missing in that process."
Another survivor Terry Kingi did not trust the system to deliver the extra money.
"I've got no faith in it because it will be gobbled up by bureaucrats and they will get the first dibs on it, it's not the survivors that get it it's the bureaucrats."
A spokesperson for Minister Erica Stanford said most of the funding announced would go to claimants, though some would be used for staffing, records and legal support.
Apulu wanted to see more funding for support systems to help survivors get through the claims process.
"We've been pushed down for so long, and to go through this process where it's so triggering and it's so raw, there's got to be that support system in place."
She said many people like herself were still waiting on redress and watching what happened next.
MSD general manager for historic claims Linda Hrstich-Meyer said the agency was committed to improving it claims processes for survivors.
"We know we haven't always got it right. We introduced rapid payments as an early response to the Royal Commission's report into redress."
Hrstich-Meyer said the ministry had a significant number of people contacting Historic Claims over recent times and was working to respond to a large backlog of claims, while newer claimants were having to wait to have theirs allocated and worked on.
The rapid payment option was introduced in late 2022 to help cut down on the back log. It initially prioritised those who were ill and aged 70 years or older, and that was expanded to include those who were waiting longest early in 2023, Hrstich-Meyer said in a statement.
Rapid payments were full and final under the current settings, whether survivors of abuse in care can re-submit for further redress was a decision of the government which hasn't been made yet.
Hrstich-Meyer said the agency made "redactions on files when the details include information about third parties or another ground under the Privacy Act".
Where to get help:
Sexual Violence
Victim Support 0800 842 846
Rape Crisis 0800 88 33 00
HELP Call 24/7 (Auckland): 09 623 1700, (Wellington): 04 801 6655 - push 0 at the menu
Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) 022 344 0496
If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111.
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