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 to provide confirmation or evidence when you apply for a job, course, government grant or Centrelink payment.

For more information, see Proof of Aboriginality on the AIATSIS website and AHO Confirmation of Aboriginality on the Aboriginal Housing Office website. 

Stolen Generations Reparations Scheme

Reparations payment

The NSW Stolen Generations Reparations Scheme provided payments of $75,000 to Stolen Generations survivors who were removed 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.

Aboriginal Affairs have a discretion to accept late applications in certain circumstances.

For more information see Stolen Generations reparations - Unfinished Business on the Aboriginal Affairs NSW website. 

Funeral Assistance Fund

The Funeral Assistance Fund provided one-off payments of $7,000 to Stolen Generations survivors to assist with the cost of funeral expenses. Eligible Stolen Generations Survivors can choose to receive the Funeral Assistance payment at the same time as their reparations payment or to defer the payment and nominate a person to receive the payment when needed.

If your application is rejected, you can ask for a review of the decision before 31 December 2023.

You can get legal advice from Legal Aid NSW by calling the Civil Law Service for Aboriginal Communities on 1300 888 529.

For more information see Stolen Generations reparations - Unfinished Business on the Aboriginal Affairs NSW website. 

Government payments and support

You can access payments and support depending on your circumstances.

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

Land Rights and Native Title

Native Title is recognition of the ongoing traditional ownership of land and waters by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people according to their traditions, laws and customs that existed before Europeans colonised Australia.

Native Title gives Aboriginal and Torres Strait landowners varying rights, including 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.

Land Rights are rights granted to Aboriginal communities in NSW as compensation for historic dispossession of land, and to support the social and economic development of Aboriginal communities.

A claim for Land Rights is made by the Local Aboriginal Land Council. Where a claim is successful, the freehold title to the land in the claim is transferred to the Local Aboriginal Land Council.

For more information, see the factsheet Comparison of Land Rights and Native Title in NSW on the Aboriginal Affairs NSW website.

Youpla Support Program

If you paid for a Youpla Funeral Fund, also known as an ACBF Funeral Fund or Plan, on or after 1 August 2015, and have not received money from the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA), 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 an amount that is either 60% of all the payments you made or the benefit amount on the ACBF certificate, whichever is lower. If the amount is more than $1,000 you can decide to put the money into a government approved funeral bond or paid into your bank account.

If you are eligible, you will receive an SMS and phone call from Services Australia. There is no application form. You should make sure your contact details are updated with Services Australia.

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. This is the person who would have received money from ACBF/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.