I’m a crime victim. Can I get money for expenses related to the crime?
The Victim Quick Response Program+ (VQRP+) is an Ontario government program that may pay for certain expenses you have if you’ve been a victim of a crime. These include the cost of:
- a funeral
- cleaning up the crime scene
- emergency expenses related to home and personal safety, for example, replacing broken windows or locks, and adding dead bolts or window alarms
- getting counselling or traditional Indigenous healing that gives immediate, short-term support, and travel costs to get there
There is more support available if you:
- suffered a serious injury because of the crime
- are the immediate family member of a homicide victim
- are a victim of human trafficking
The rules about who can qualify for help are very strict. For example, you must first report the crime to the police or to a community victim support agency within a certain time. And, in most cases, you must show that you:
- have no money to pay for the expenses, and
- there are no publicly-funded programs that can meet your needs.
The VQRP+ decides if you qualify and how much money you get. You will not have a court or tribunal .
Time lines
In general, the deadlines to apply to the VQRP+ are:
- 45 days from the date of the crime to help pay for your immediate needs, such as cleaning up the crime scene or adding emergency safety features to your home
- 6 months from the date of the crime to help to pay for any short-term counselling or traditional Indigenous health services
- one year from the date of the crime to help pay for expenses related to a serious injury, or as an immediate family member of a homicide victim, or as a victim of human trafficking
The rules for children are different.
Because the VQRP+ is a new program that started on October 1, 2019, some of the details about how it works are not yet clear.
Get help
For more information or to apply to the VQRP+, contact your local VQRP+ service delivery organization.
