The Federal Government will announce whether it supports a national compensation and support scheme for survivors of institutional child sexual abuse in the coming weeks.

Social Services Minister Christian Porter’s office has confirmed an announcement on the government’s response to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse recommendation for a national redress scheme will be made by the end of January.

The commission proposed a $4.3 billion national scheme funded largely by the institutions where the abuse occurred, including schools, religious groups and organisations, with the scheme administered and underwritten by the federal government. It proposed a minimum individual payment of $10,000 and a maximum of $200,000.

However, clergy sexual abuse survivor, Stephen Woods, said any scheme must consider the ongoing disturbance and pain felt by victims and their families. 

“The scheme outlined by the royal commission is the absolute minimum that needs to be done,” Mr Woods said. “When you factor in how peoples’ lives have been devastated and the impact it has had on overall society, then you’re looking at a devastation of potential, a robbing, a stealing of peoples’ lives and that must be accounted for.”

Survivor, Andrew Collins, called for the government to implement the scheme immediately. He said the scheme was long-awaited and would save lives. 

“We see the proposed scheme as a minimum scheme,” Mr Collins said. “There is still a need for ongoing care and support, but we welcome the introduction of this as a first step in helping to fix the wrongs of the past.”

Adults Surviving Child Abuse president Cathy Kezelman said the government invested heavily into the child abuse royal commission by extending it to 2017 and must take on board its national redress scheme recommendation. If it does not, thousands of people who have waited decades for redress will see it as a further betrayal, Dr Kezelman said.

She said the benefits of the scheme were it allowed for a direct response from institutions, monetary payment and access to counselling and psychological care for survivors. 

The commission's preferred scheme will require complex legal and financial arrangements between the commonwealth, states and territories as well as non-government institutions responsible for abuse.