Last Updated 10th April 2025. If you have been injured in a violent crime, you may be able to claim compensation through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA). In this guide, we will provide examples of CICA payouts and explain when you could be eligible to make a claim through them.
We will also cover the evidence you’ll need to provide to seek criminal injury compensation. We have also included some brief examples of what constitutes a crime of violence, the CICA compensation amounts attached to these injuries under the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2012, and a brief explanation of relevant time limits in criminal injury claims.
A short section on the No Win No Fee services offered by our panel of expert criminal injury solicitors is included at the bottom of the guide. You are welcome to get in touch if you have any questions about any aspect of this guide or anything else related to criminal compensation payouts. You can also contact our advisors for a free assessment of your eligibility:
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Select A Section
- Who Could Make A CICA Claim?
- What Are CICA Claims?
- Examples Of CICA CPayouts – How Is Compensation Calculated?
- Examples Of When You Could Claim A CICA Payout
- What Evidence Do You Need To Make A Criminal Injury Claim?
- Get No Win No Fee Legal Help With Your CICA Claim
- Learn More About CICA Compensation Amounts And Making A Claim
Who Could Make A CICA Claim?
Now that we have provided you with some examples of CICA payouts for different injuries following a successful criminal injury claim, you may be wondering when you could claim through the CICA.
In order to be eligible to claim criminal injury compensation through the CICA, you must be able to meet the following criteria:
- You must have reported the incident to the police.
- The incident must have occurred in England, Scotland, Wales or another relevant place, such as a ship registered with Great Britain.
- You must have been injured in a crime of violence. The CICA Scheme provides some examples of incidents classed as a crime of violence. Examples include assault, arson, threat of an attack, sexual assault or other forms of sexual abuse.
- You must submit your claim within the relevant time limits. This guide will provide more information later.
You can contact our advisors to check the validity of your case or ask any further questions about CICA payouts.
What Are CICA Claims?
The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) is a governmental body that operates under the Ministry of Justice. It was established to provide a platform for victims of violent crimes and abuse to claim compensation for their suffering.
The CICA compensates those who were physically or psychologically injured following a violent act in England, Wales, Scotland or from an act of terror abroad. However, you must meet the claims eligibility criteria that is discussed further down this guide.
Under the CICA, you may claim compensation if you suffered from the following:
- Assault including ABH and GBH
- Psychological abuse such as threats
- Domestic abuse, child abuse and sexual violence
- A relative died at the hands of another
- You witnessed a crime towards your loved one
- If you were injured taking justified steps to stop a crime
Understandably, the nature of the crimes against you may have had a catastrophic impact on your life. However, if you are eligible to start a claim through the CICA, you may receive criminal compensation payouts and begin to move on with your life. We also have a helpful team of advisors and an excellent panel of solicitors at Public Interest Lawyers who can help you every step of the way.
If you have any questions about CICA claims, please do not hesitate to contact our friendly advisors. They may also explain the claims process and give you examples of CICA payouts with no obligation to start a claim.
Examples Of CICA Payouts – How Is Compensation Calculated?
Criminal compensation payouts that are awarded through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority are set out in the CICA Tariff of Injuries, which can be found in the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2012. If your criminal injury claim is successful, you are awarded the amount that correlates to your injury.
| Category | Injury | CICA Tariff Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple Serious Injuries Plus Financial Expenses | Serious | Up to £500,000 |
| Brain Damage | Moderate | £82,000 |
| Hand | Loss or Loss of Function (dominant hand) | £55,000 |
| Mental Injury | Permanent and Seriously Disabling | £22,000 |
| Eye Injuries | Loss of Sight (One Eye) | £22,000 |
| Head and Neck | Severe Head Burns | £16,500 |
| Brain Damage | Minor | £16,500 |
| Face Injuries | Multiple Jawbone Fractures | £11,000 |
| Torso | Burns - Severe Symptoms | £11,000 |
It’s also worth noting that CICA payouts can cover up to three injuries. For the highest-valued injury, you will recover 100% of the compensation amount. However, for the second and third highest-valued injuries, you will receive 30% and 15%, respectively.
Examples of CICA payouts for domestic violence or assault injuries can be found in the table below. Take note that the first entry in this table is an estimated figure that is not based on the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme.
Please also note that there are other types of compensation that you can claim through the CICA. Continue reading to find out more. Alternatively, speak to our advisors to be connected with a specialist criminal injury solicitor from our panel.
What Is The Criminal Injury Compensation Tariff?
The examples of CICA payouts from the table you see come from the Compensation Scheme 2012 and are set amounts. Criminal injury compensation amounts are always based on the tariff found in this scheme if you go through the CICA.
However, if the offender can be identified and has the financial means to compensate you, you can pursue a personal injury claim against them.
As well as being reliant on the Compensation Scheme 2012, criminal compensation payouts can vary significantly based on the factors of the case. If you want to know more about how a solicitor from our panel could help, all you need to do is call us today.
What Else Do CICA Compensation Amounts Include?
CICA compensation amounts can be made up of more than just the figures above that relate to the physical or mental effects of the injury sustained. When making a criminal injury claim, you can also potentially receive compensation for special expenses. These relate to certain financial losses that you’ve incurred because of the injury:
- Treatment costs through the NHS
- Equipment required to help with your injury. This can include physical aids, such as crutches or wheelchairs.
- Home adaptations. This can include a stairlift or ramp being installed.
To claim for this, you would need evidence (such as receipts or invoices) that clearly shows the cost of the expenses. Furthermore, you would also need to prove that the costs were required and the services were unable to be found for free or at a lower price.
To claim for loss of earnings, the criminal injury must be serious enough for you to have prevented you from working for at least 28 weeks. The Scheme does not cover that initial period either – there are Government benefits you can claim during this time.
To learn more about this, contact us using the above details. Our advisors offer free legal advice on criminal injury claims.
Examples Of When You Could Claim A CICA Payout
In order to claim compensation, you need to have been injured as a result of a crime of violence. This doesn’t just include physical injuries; mental injuries can be compensated for, too.
According to the CICA Scheme, a “crime of violence” could include:
- A physical attack;
- An act or omission of a violent nature that causes someone to be physically injured;
- A threat against someone that leads them to become fearful of immediate violence;
- Sexual assault, rape or other forms of sexual abuse;
- Arson
In order to claim compensation through the CICA, you need to have reported the incident to the police. This should be done as soon as possible after the incident. Usually, it would be expected that you do so immediately, but if exceptional circumstances have stopped this from happening, then this can be considered.
Below, we’ve included some offences outlined by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) that you may be able to claim the CICA:
- Assault- Where someone intentionally acts in a way that causes another person to suffer or apprehend immediate unlawful violence. This can include being assaulted by battery, where someone administers intentional or reckless unlawful force on another person.
- Actual Bodily Harm (ABH) – Where someone has caused harm to a person’s body through the intentional application of unlawful force.
- Grievous Bodily Harm (GBH) – As above, this occurs when someone has caused harm to a person’s body through the intentional application of unlawful force. However, the criminal injuries will usually be more severe than in cases of ABH.
What Evidence Do You Need To Make A Criminal Injury Claim?
Claimants seeking CICA payouts should be aware that certain evidence will be needed to support their case. When starting your own CICA claim for criminal injuries, you’ll usually be asked to provide the following evidence:
- A police reference number. This is a requirement for making a CICA claim. It confirms to the CICA that you have reported the crime that injured you to the police. It also allows the CICA to gain information they may require for your case while communicating with the police.
- Evidence that you meet the residency requirements.
- Medical evidence that confirms the criminal injuries you’re claiming compensation for.
If you contact our advisors about your CICA claim, they may connect you with a lawyer from our panel who could help you with gathering evidence. Contact our team today to learn more about how we could assist with your claim. Our advisors can also discuss other matters, such as the criminal injuries compensation tariff or examples of CICA payouts.
Assault Compensation Payouts – Claim Time Limits
If you’ve been injured by an act that is deemed to be criminal, compensation payouts are generally awarded by the CICA. However, it may be possible in some cases to claim directly against your attacker. But you need to know who they are, and they need to have the funds to compensate you for this to be possible. Due to this, this can be less common than making a CICA claim.
The way you make your claim affects how long you have to do so. When claiming the CICA, you typically have 2 years from the date of the incident. However, certain exceptions may be made in extenuating circumstances.
Criminal injury claims made against a specific individual must typically be initiated within 3 years. However, as with CICA criminal injury claims, this time limit can be frozen for some groups.
Contact our advisors today to learn more about time limits and the criminal injury compensation tariff.
Get No Win No Fee Legal Help With Your CICA Claim
If you have found our article on examples of CICA payouts helpful, you might be ready to take action and begin a CICA claim, in which case, you could contact us.
After a free consultation with our team, you won’t be obligated to continue using our services. However, if you want to be connected to an expert criminal injury solicitor from our panel, our advisors could arrange this. With years of experience, the solicitors on our panel can cover all bases of your claim. Additionally, they could offer you a type of No Win No Fee contract called a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA)
Under this arrangement, you won’t have to pay your solicitor for their work:
- Before the claims process.
- During the claims process.
- If your claim is unsuccessful.
Instead, if your claim succeeds, you need only pay them a success fee. This comes directly from the compensation that has been awarded to you and is legally capped.
To find out more about working with our panel of No Win No Fee solicitors, speak to our advisors for free via the following methods:
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- Call our 24/7 line on 0800 408 7825.
- Visit our Contact Us page to request a callback.
- Use the live chat service on your screen.
Learn More About CICA Compensation Amounts And Making A Claim
Thank you for reading this guide on examples of CICA compensation amounts and payouts. We hope it has offered support and clarity in your search for compensation. In addition to serious assault claims, our team at Public Interest Lawyers can provide assistance and resources on other aspects of criminal injury claims:
- How to sue someone for assault
- Domestic abuse– CPS
- Statutory Sick Pay (SSP)– a government guide
- Reporting a crime to the police
We also have some other guides you may find useful:
Thank you for reading our guide, which looks at examples of CICA payouts and compensation amounts.
