Response to the Review of the Social Security Australian Victim of Terrorism Overseas Payment Principle 2013

The Australian Psychological Society (APS) welcomed the invitation by the Department of Home Affairs to respond to the Review of the Social Security Australian Victim of Terrorism Overseas Payment (AVTOP) Principle.

The AVTOP scheme was established under the Social Security Act 1991 (Act) in 2013 to provide non-immediate financial assistance of up to $75,000 capped to Australian residents who are harmed, or whose close family member is killed, in a declared overseas terrorist act.

In this submission, the APS response called for:

• Revising the psychological and psychiatric categories in Schedule 1 to ensure that all victims of overseas terrorist attacks who have experienced psychological or psychiatric harm can access the AVTOP scheme.
• Consideration of the expert assessment costs for psychological and physical injuries when determining the quantum payable to those deemed eligible to access the AVTOP scheme. This includes acknowledging that assessing psychological injuries may present certain complexities compared to physical injuries, and noting the role of psychologists as experts in the comprehensive assessment and treatment of psychological harm.
• Including protocols that require the social security system to guide victims in accessing a range of immediate supports as victims come forward to make enquiries or claims to the AVTOP scheme, for example, providing links to psychological support and assistance.

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