VICTIMS ARE LEFT OUT IN THE COLD
22 June 2026EXCLUSIVE – SUZAN GIULIANI
Domestic violence victims fleeing abusive relationships are being left in “life or death” situations, with some unable to access a federal government emergency payment for at least three months, delaying their ability to secure safe accommodation.
The Sunday Telegraph can reveal Cumberland Women’s Health Centre has received an average of four to six complaints per week since July last year from victims unable to access the Department of Social Services’ (DSS) Leaving Violence Program emergency assistance payment, administered through Telstra Health.
Under the scheme, women who are fleeing domestic violence can access a one-off $5000 emergency assistance payment, of which $1500 is in cash and $3500 in vouchers for goods and services.
Since 1 July 2025, theLeaving Violence Program has been administered by Telstra Health.
It was previously known as the Escaping Violence Payment (EVP) and was delivered by Wesley Mission.
NSW’s Domestic Violence Death Review Team (DVDRT), who created a dashboard earlier this month, found that almost one-third of all homicides involve a known history of DV.
The team found almost 300 women were killed by their current or former intimate male partner following a history of DV in the past 26 years.
At least four women, who have experienced horrific abuse at the hands of their ex-partners, said these failures in the system had placed them and their children at further risk.
Frontline workers say if the women are unable to access the payments they could be forced to remain in “dangerous” and “life-threatening” situations.
A domestic violence victim, Amanda*, who has been seeking support from the Cumberland Women’s Health Centre since the start of this year, said she had applied for the emergency payment in March after escaping a “violent situation” but was still waiting for her application to be finalised.
“I fled an extremely violent situation and I have four children to look after. The whole ordeal has been extremely traumatic and having to wait for this financial support has just been so stressful,” she said.
Amanda said she experienced ongoing “glitching” while trying to complete her application for the Leaving Violence Program, as well as lengthy phone call delays.
“I’ve also been kept on hold for more than 45 minutes to an hour. The helpline staff also call on a private number and in some cases I’ve been forced to have to retell my whole experience, which traumatises you over and over again.
“These delays need to be urgently fixed. This is a matter of life or death for women in these situations, the system should help them, not make it harder for them.”
Salwa Kaushal, who is the chairwoman at Cumberland Women’s Centre’s domestic violence prevention committee, said it was “deeply concerning” many applicants were encountering substantial barriers in accessing the support that the program was designed to provide.
“We are receiving an average of four to six complaints per week from victim-survivors and service providers reporting excessive wait times when attempting to contact the program by phone,” Ms Kaushal said.
Ms Kaushal said in “most cases” both victim-survivors and service providers had spent considerable time attempting to complete applications to access the program, only to be prevented from submitting them due to “technical failures”.
“These concerns are further compounded by the program’s 12-week eligibility window, which does not adequately reflect the complex realities women face after leaving violence, including safety concerns, trauma, housing instability and financial insecurity.
“For women in crisis, these delays can mean the difference between accessing timely support and abandoning the process altogether.”
DVNSW senior policy and advocacy officer Angie Gehle said Telstra Health and the DSS had been “completely unprepared” for the overwhelming number of referrals since July last year.
Ms Gehle said while efforts had been made to fix some issues, women were still experiencing delays and barr-iers in accessing the payment.
“Victim survivors are still waiting for lengthy periods of time without that payment,” she said.
“These vulnerable women will disengage from those services, and they will have no choice but to remain in very dangerous, life-threatening situations.”
A Telstra spokeswoman said: “We know that victim-survivors reach out to the Leaving Violence Program helpline at some of the toughest moments in their lives, and we take that responsibility very seriously.”
“Answering the call quickly and providing the support they need is our goal every day.
“At times there have been delays in answering some calls and for that we’re sorry. Together with DSS, we’re taking steps to address these delays and make further improvements so that anyone who calls can get the support they need.”
A DSS spokeswoman said “The Australian government is working closely with Telstra Health to ensure victim-survivors are receiving support through the Leaving Violence Program in a safe and timely way”.
“The department tracks performance of all national programs and providers, including Telstra Health’s delivery of the Leave Violence Program,” they said.
“Since the permanent launch of the program … almost 20,000 victim-survivors have been helped with financial assistance and safety planning.
“The department will keep working closely with Telstra Health and the family, domestic and sexual violence sector on continuously improving the program.”
*Not her real name