Victims of institutional child sexual abuse are one step closer to receiving compensation, after the Catholic Church announced it would sign up to the national redress scheme.

Key points: Catholic Church is the first non-government institution to opt in to the national scheme

Catholic Church is the first non-government institution to opt in to the national scheme All states and territories, except for WA, have signed up to the scheme

All states and territories, except for WA, have signed up to the scheme The royal commission found 62 per cent of victims who reported abuse in a religious institution were from Catholic-managed institutions

In a major step forward, the Church has confirmed it will enter the national scheme, despite its earlier misgivings, becoming the first non-government institution to opt in.

The church's governing bodies, the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference (ACBC) and Catholic Religious Australia, wrote to the Government saying they were keen to participate "to limit future trauma for survivors of abuse in obtaining redress from the Church".

"We support the royal commission's recommendation for a national redress scheme, administered by the Commonwealth, and we are keen to participate in it," ACBC president Archbishop Mark Coleridge said in the statement.

"Survivors deserve justice and healing and many have bravely come forward to tell their stories."

Archbishop Coleridge said given the diverse structure of the Church, it would establish a "simple and cost-effective" agency to respond to all of the compensation claims.

"It's been a long time in the making, and that's one of the reasons we've been a little slower on this than we would've wished to be," he told the ABC's PM program.

Archbishop of Sydney Anthony Fisher said the Church was "expecting to be paying out for survivors for many years to come".

" ...and we stand ready to do that. We are going to back that [with] our insurance and our assets. We are determined to bring justice and full redress, healing if we can, to the victims of this terrible crime."

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse heard evidence from 2,500 people who had been abused in Catholic-run institutions. This was 62 per cent of all survivors who reported abuse in a religious institution.

A graph from the final child sex abuse royal commission report shows the spread of complaints from survivors in each religious institution. ( Supplied: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse executive summary )

Minister expects more organisations to sign up

Social Services Minister Dan Tehan, who is overseeing the scheme's rollout, described Wednesday's announcement as "incredibly significant" and indicated it would pave the way for other non-government institutions to come on board.

"Today shows remorse, it shows [the Catholic Church] are prepared to take responsibility and it shows they want to offer redress to those survivors," he said.

"I expect to announce as early as tomorrow more institutions coming on board.

"There is no doubt now that we are reaching the point where we will have a national redress scheme which the overwhelming majority of survivors will be able to access."

He also applauded the Church's decision to create a single agency for survivors and said it was something he was encouraging other larger institutions, such as the Anglican Church, to consider.

All states and territories, except Western Australia, have signed up to the scheme, which would offer victims up to $150,000 in compensation as well as counselling.

Mr Tehan said he had constructive talks with the WA Government and was confident it would opt into the scheme by its scheduled start date of July 1.

Survivors have mixed reactions, want more than money

Brian and Helen Gitsham, of Adelaide, know the impact trauma can have more than most, with their son David attending a school where he was preyed upon by a paedophile in the 1970s and 80s.

David died of stomach cancer in 2005 and his parents believe the trauma he suffered contributed to his ill health.

David Gitsham was preyed upon by a paedophile while attending school. ( ABC News: Candice Prosser )

His story became part of the royal commission.

"For us, it wasn't about compensation and money, it was about finding out what actually happened," Mr Gitsham said.

Tony Wardley, who was sexually abused at a Catholic primary school run by the Christian Brothers religious order in western Victoria, said he believed the redress scheme would not benefit survivors long-term.

"They're getting ripped off with the redress scheme, having to sign their life away. People are going to be lucky to get a second-hand car out of it.

"I hope they go the private litigation, because financially that's the only way to hurt the church."

Paul Levey said he had been "fighting the church since 1992" over claims he was abused, including during a 6-month period in the 1980s.

Mr Levey plans to continue to pursue civil action, but believes the redress scheme could be a good path for others seeking compensation.

"Others that don't have the evidence or also the willpower to fight the church, the redress system is an idea for them to go down, a track for them to go down," Mr Levey said.

Tony Wardley is encouraging survivors to pursue private litigation. ( ABC News: Charlotte King )

"If the church only has to pay out $150,000 to people that's going to end up a lot cheaper for them in the long run isn't it?"

Activist and abuse survivor Peter Gogarty said he had "mixed views" on the Catholic Church's decision to join the scheme.

"I'm really pleased about their commitment — I think they also need to say that people still have a choice and go and talk to the Church directly if they think the redress scheme won't be offering them enough to help re-establish their lives," Mr Gogarty said.

"I think the Church needs to say that they are still committed to help meet the lifelong needs of all the victims it created.

"I think the downside with this is potentially that the Catholic Church wants to be involved in this because they may see it as simpler and potentially cheaper, and a way for them to effectively wipe their hands of any responsibility for survivors."

He also said there were some parts of the scheme which should be altered before it was rolled out.

"At the moment anyone that's had any association from our criminal justices system would be excluded from the redress scheme."

Mr Gogarty said some survivors experiences may have led to their incarceration.

Leonie Sheedy says many survivors fear they will not live long enough to receive compensation. ( ABC News: Jack Fisher )

Leonie Sheedy became one of the public faces of the commission, confronting the Prime Minister at the final day of hearings

She said some abuse survivors will never have their torment acknowledged.

"There is no justice for the dead ... there are many who fear they won't be alive to see their redress."