2. Learn what expenses the program covers

The Victim Quick Response Program+ (VQRP+) pays for 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 are rules for each of these expenses. For example:

• crime scene clean up is limited to biological substances and harmful materials
• home safety expenses do not include replacing screen doors or garage doors
• private counsellors must have a criminal reference check issued within the last 5 years and have a certain amount of professional insurance

And, there are different rules if you’re asking for 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 VQRP+ does not pay victims for:

• pain and suffering, or
• income they can’t earn because they can’t work as a result of the crime

Amount of financial help

The VQRP+ has limits on how much it pays victims. For example, it pays:

• funeral expenses up to $5,000
• crime scene cleanup up to $1,500
• emergency safety expenses up to $1,000
• counselling fees up to $1,000, which covers about 10 sessions

You must keep all receipts to prove how much you paid.