The Government of Saskatchewan is enhancing the Victims Compensation Program to better respond to the needs of victims of violence.
The Victims Compensation Program assists victims primarily with immediate expenses after a violent crime and during the criminal justice process. The changes, which will apply to incidents occurring on or after October 1, 2014, will be made through amendments to The Victims of Crime Regulations, 1997, and related policies.
They include:
increasing the maximum compensation for victims from $25,000 to $100,000;
increasing the maximum compensation for funeral expenses from $3,500 to $5,000;
adding offences involving motor vehicle-related deaths to the list of offences for which immediate family members may receive compensation for counselling;
introducing two new categories of compensation to provide counselling to homicide witnesses and child witnesses of domestic violence; and
compensation for wages lost by a parent or other person accompanying a child victim, or an adult victim with a disability, to medical or counselling appointments related to their victimization.
"These enhancements are the direct result of feedback from clients and consultation with our partners in the victims services community on how our compensation program could be improved," Justice Minister and Attorney General Gordon Wyant said. "We've taken this feedback to heart, and are pleased to offer significantly improved supports for victims of violent crime in this province."
This is the largest enhancement of the Victims Compensation Program since its inception in 1992.
