The Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS) has made important updates to the portal and website to introduce new online functionality for FAS applicants, authorised representatives and service providers.
Updates to the FAS portal
Applicants are now able to use the FAS portal to apply:
- to vary their Victims of Crime Assistance Tribunal (VOCAT) award
- to vary their FAS assistance
- for an internal review both via the portal or via a link on the website
- to transfer their account to a new authorised representative, remove their current authorised representative to self-manage their application or add an authorised representative if they previously represented themselves.
Applicants can also see more information in the portal in the ‘manage application’ view of their finalised application:
- When selecting ‘View detailed payment summary’ they are able to see more information about the assistance they have been granted
- When selecting ‘Claim an Authorised Future Expense’ applicants can see more detailed information about the approved expenses. They are also able to select the expense that they are requesting to be paid and provide an invoice or receipt for that expense.
See below for more detail on these updates to the portal.
We have worked hard to ensure that the changes to the 'manage application' view in the portal are seamless and enhance the user experience.
However, if you have any questions about the way this looks, or the new information is unclear or doesn’t match your notice of decision, please take a screenshot and email it to the FAS at financialassistancescheme@justice.vic.gov.au.
How these updates impact VOCAT and FAS variations
Applicants with a VOCAT award who have transitioned to the FAS and applicants with FAS assistance are now able to apply for a variation through the online portal.
Since 9 September 2025, the FAS has stopped accepting offline VOCAT and FAS variation applications via email.
Applicants should use the portal for variation requests to VOCAT awards or FAS assistance.
Variation applications that have already been submitted via email on or before 8 September 2025
The FAS will continue to process variation applications that have already been submitted via email on or before 8 September 2025. These applicants will not need to take any further action. They should continue to apply for authorised future expenses and communicate with the FAS about their application via email until further notification is provided.
The FAS will undergo a process to digitise applications submitted via email and will contact applicants once the process is complete. Once digitised, applicants will be able to apply for payment of authorised future expenses via the online portal.
Submitting a legal costs application under the new functionality
Lawyer authorised representatives will be able to apply for legal costs in relation to any new variation applications through the FAS portal. Legal costs for variations submitted via email will continue to be managed along with the offline submission.
How these updates impact authorised future expenses
The updated portal allows applicants requesting payment for authorised future expenses to see more information about assistance that has been approved by the FAS. Applicants are able to match invoices and receipts to awards and grants of assistance. Applicants are also able to view the outstanding amounts available under their VOCAT award or FAS assistance.
Applicants with a VOCAT award will still need to transition to the FAS to claim any authorised future expenses awarded by VOCAT.
How these updates impact authorised representative transfers
Applicants and authorised representatives are now able to make a request via the portal or through the enquiry form on the FAS website to:
- transfer the application to a different authorised representative
- remove the authorised representative from the account so that the applicant can represent themselves
- add an authorised representative where the applicant previously represented themselves.
Where an application is being transferred to the applicant or a new authorised representative, they will need to have set up a FAS portal account and meet the FAS’s verification requirements.
For more information, see Nominate someone to help with your Financial Assistance Scheme application.
How these updates impact internal reviews
Applicants and authorised representatives are now able to apply for an internal review via a new digital webform available on the website and in the FAS portal.
Since 9 September 2025, the FAS has stopped accepting the internal review PDF application form via email.
All internal review applications submitted to the FAS via email on or before 8 September 2025 will continue to be processed by the FAS and do not require any further action from the applicant.
For more information, see Request a review of a Financial Assistance Scheme outcome decision.
Updates to the FAS website
The FAS website has been updated with new functionality:
- Service providers are able to submit invoices directly through a new digital webform instead of emailing invoices to the FAS.
- Applicants are able to apply for an internal review via a webform instead of emailing a form to the FAS. Applicants can also apply for an internal review through the portal.
- Applicants and authorised representatives are able to request to transfer the application to a new authorised representative or to self-manage their application via the online enquiry form. This request can also be made through the portal.
For more information on the service provider payment requests, see below.
How these updates impact service provider payments requests
Service providers that are submitting invoices to the FAS must now use the digital webform to upload invoices for payment. The FAS will give applicants without legal representation notice that they have 5 days to object to the payment being made to the service provider. If the FAS does not hear from the applicant within 5 days, the FAS will assume that they consent to the payment and the invoice will be paid.
The FAS will continue to process service provider payment requests that were submitted via email on or before 11 August 2025.
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