Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander

Identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander

If you are an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person, you may be asked for proof of this when you apply for a job, course, government grant or Centrelink payment.

For more information, see Proof of Aboriginality on the AIATSIS website. 

Stolen Generations Reparations Scheme

Reparations payment

The NSW Stolen Generations Reparations Scheme paid $75,000 to Stolen Generations survivors who were taken from their families and placed in the care of NSW Aborigines Protection or Welfare Boards. The payment recognises the harm that was caused to survivors when they were forcibly removed.

Applications for the Stolen Generations Reparations Scheme closed on 30 June 2023. However, in some situations, Aboriginal Affairs may accept late applications.

For more information see NSW Stolen Generations Reparation Scheme (now closed) on the NSW government website.

Funeral Assistance Fund

The Funeral Assistance Fund gave Stolen Generations survivors $7,000 to help with the cost of their funeral. Eligible Stolen Generations Survivors could choose to receive the money:

• at the same time as their reparations payment, or
• at a later date - and nominate a person to receive the payment when needed.

Victims support and redress

If you or someone in your family is the victim of a crime, you may be able to apply for support from the Victims Support Scheme.

The Scheme offers:

• counselling
• payments of up to $5,000 for immediate needs, like medical bills or moving costs
• payments of up to $30,000 for economic loss, for things like loss of earnings and medical treatment
• a recognition payment
• payments to help with funeral expenses or forensic cleaning.

For more information see Victims Support Scheme.

The National Redress Scheme also gives support to child sexual abuse survivors who were abused while in the care of institutions.

It offers:

• counselling
• a direct personal response (apology) from the institution where the abuse occurred, and
• a recognition payment.

This is different to the Stolen Generations Reparations Scheme and Funeral Assistance Fund.

Even if you got money from the Stolen Generations Reparations Scheme, you can still apply to the National Redress Scheme for a recognition payment. Redress  applications must be lodged before 30 June 2027.

For more information, see National Redress Scheme.

For free legal advice contact Knowmore Legal Service on 1800 605 762.

Government payments and support

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people can apply for all of the general government payments and support, like parenting payment and the disability support payment.

You may also be able to apply for other government payments and support especially for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

For more information, see Payments and support for Indigenous Australians on the Services Australia website.

Land rights and native title

Native title recognises the ongoing traditional ownership of land and waters by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. This comes from the millennia of traditions, laws and customs of traditional owners that existed before Europeans colonised Australia.

Native Title can give Aboriginal and Torres Strait landowners the right to:

• access, camp and live on certain land
• hunt, fish, gather food and firewood
• use water and other resources
• hold meetings and perform ceremonies
• protect cultural sites
• have a say in, and share in money from, any development of the land.

Native title is managed by the federal government.

Land rights are rights given to Aboriginal communities in NSW. They are given to recognise the widespread land theft and cultural damage that happened, as well as to support the social and economic development of Aboriginal communities.

A Local Aboriginal Land Council can make a land rights claim. If the claim is successful, the title of the land is transferred to the Local Aboriginal Land Council.

For more information, see What Are Land Rights in NSW? on the NTS Corp website.

Youpla support program

If you paid for a Youpla Funeral Fund, also called an ACBF Funeral Fund or Plan, from 1 August 2015, you may be eligible for a payment from the Youpla Support Program.

The Youpla Support Program will run for two years from 1 July 2024 until 30 June 2026.

The payment will be either 60% of all the payments you made or the benefit amount on the ACBF certificate, whichever is lower. If the amount is over $1,000, you can choose to put the money into a government approved funeral bond or have it paid into your bank account.

If you are eligible, you will get an SMS and phone call from Services Australia. There is no application form. You should make sure that Services Australia has the right contact details for you.

Your payment won’t count as income for your tax return and Centrelink assessment.

If the member of the fund has passed away, their beneficiary can receive the money. The beneficiary is the person who would have received money from ACBF or Youpla to pay for sorry business.

If you need money for sorry business urgently, you can call Services Australia on 1800 136 380.

For more information, see Youpla Support Program on the National Indigenous Australian Agency website.

You can also get free financial counselling from Mobstrong on 1800 505 488.

Making a will

A will is a legal document that explains:

• what you want to happen to your property after you die
• who you want to care for your children
• how and where you want to be buried.

Making a will is a way to look after the people you care about when you are gone.

If you don't make a will, the law will decide what happens to your property. Your property may not be given to the right people.

If you have received a reparations, funeral assistance or national redress payment, your money may not be given to the right person.

If you are an artist, your rights to your art might not be protected.

It will also be up to your family to decide where you are buried, which might lead to a dispute.

For more information, see Wills.

Last updated: July 2026