By Max Morris. Last Updated 16th May 2022. This guide will look in detail at what a victim compensation scheme is and how you could potentially claim through one. If you’ve been a victim of a crime, you could potentially claim compensation for your injuries.
Victim compensation scheme guide
A criminal injury could be any injury directly resulting from a violent crime. To claim compensation for a criminal injury, it’s possible you could claim from the assailant directly in a personal injury claim. This is only possible if you know their identity and they have the funds to compensate you.
If this is not the case, you could claim through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA). The CICA provides a Criminal Injury Compensation Scheme with a tariff of injuries that cover a variety of injuries that could result from violent crimes. This could also include physical abuse and sexual assault.
The figures outlined in the tariff of injuries are set at flat rates, so all successful applicants receive the same amount for their injuries. However, there are other expenses that you could potentially claim.
Keep reading to find out more about how you could claim through a victim compensation scheme. You can also get in touch with us at any time to speak to an experienced advisor about your case. They could pass you on to a solicitor from our panel to start your claim today.
- Call us on 0800 408 7825
- Use our online contact form
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Select A Section
- What Is The Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme?
- What Payments Could Be Made Through This Victim Compensation Scheme?
- How Do I Apply For A Payment From The Scheme?
- Who Can Apply To The Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme?
- How Are Claims Under This Victim Compensation Scheme Calculated?
- Contact Us To Find Out How To Claim Under This Victim Compensation Scheme
What Is The Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme?
The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority CICA is an executive agency of the UK Government to compensate victims of violent crime. This scheme is applicable in England, Scotland and Wales. The Criminal Injuries Compensation Act 1995 brought about the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme so that those affected by a violent crime have a way of being compensated when there is no other route.
The CICA is the body that handles all applications to the criminal injury victim compensation scheme and ultimately decides who is eligible for compensation.
Get in touch with our advisors today to find out more about how you could claim through a criminal injury victim compensation scheme.
What Payments Could Be Made Through This Victim Compensation Scheme?
This section will look in more detail at what kind of payments you could receive through the criminal injury victim compensation scheme. This could include compensation for:
- Physical injuries
- Mental injuries such as brain damage
- Mental health issues
- Physical or sexual abuse
- Loss of earnings
- Special expenses
- Bereavement damages
Special expense payments are similar to special damages payments you would receive in a personal injury claim. The intention is to reimburse you for specific financial costs associated with your criminal injury. This could include the costs of walking aids or adaptions to the home if your injury has led to a disability.
However, you can only claim special expenses after you have been unable to work for 28 weeks or more from the incident date. You can claim a backdated loss to your injury date for special expenses. Alternatively, to claim loss of earnings, you can only claim for losses occurring from the 29th week.
To find out more about criminal injury payouts and what you could claim for, get in touch with our advisors for information.
Tips on Claiming Victim of Crime Compensation in the UK
If you’re wanting to see if you can receive compensation as the victim of a violent crime, there are several aspects to consider. To claim for compensation using the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme, two important factors are:
- To make sure the crime is reported to the police as soon as possible. There needs to be an official record of the crime having taken place. Furthermore, the CICA need a police crime reference number to process the claim. This means it would need reporting to the police before a claim can begin.
- To make sure you begin the claim within two years. There are, however, exceptions to this rule. For instance, if you’ve been the victim of historic child abuse, you may have experienced difficulties with your mental health meaning you were unable to claim within the time limit. These exceptions are judged on a case-by-case basis.
The CICA will also assess the evidence of the violent crime that led to your injury. Evidence you may be able to use includes photographs of your injury, CCTV footage if available, and the contact details of any witnesses so an official statement can be taken.
Please bear in mind that the CICA only covers England, Scotland and Wales. If you would like to know more about claiming compensation as the victim of a crime, please contact our team for free legal advice using the above details.
Why Claim With A Solicitor?
So why would you need a solicitor to claim through a victim compensation scheme? A solicitor knows the process extensively and can help you make the best decisions for your case.
A criminal injury lawyer will guide you through the application process, aiming to get you the most compensation possible for your injuries and expenses.
If you talk to our advisors, they can pass you on to a solicitor from our panel. They are trained to handle both personal injury claims and criminal injury claims.
Who Can Apply To The Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme?
So who can apply to this victim compensation scheme? Generally, the CICA would class you as eligible to apply if you:
- Sustained an injury as a direct result of a violent crime
- Apprehended a perpetrator and were harmed as a result
- Were preventing a crime and were injured
- Were containing or fixing the consequences of a crime
- Assisted a police officer who was acting the same as the above
- Directly witnessed an incident where a relative was the victim
- Suffered bereavement after a relative died in a fatal crime
To claim for suffering bereavement, you have to be one of the listed qualifying relatives. This includes:
- A spouse or civil partner who was living in the same household as the deceased
- The partner of the deceased who was living in the same household for at least 2 years prior to death
- A person such as the above but who did not live in the same household due to ill-health or infirmity
- The current or former spouse or civil partner who was financially dependent on the deceased
- A parent of the deceased
- A child of the deceased – this can include adult children
Get in touch with our advisors today to find out more about if you could claim.
How Are Claims Under This Victim Compensation Scheme Calculated?
This section includes a table of compensation amounts relating to possible criminal injuries. These figures are taken from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme tariff of injuries.
| Area of the Body | Injury Type | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eye | Fracture of Orbital Bone | £2,400 | There will have been blow outs or fractures of the orbital bone cavity that contains the eyeball. |
| Face | Fracture | £3,500 | The cheekbone will have been fractured and led to a continuous and significant disability. |
| Neck | Strain or Whiplash | £1,000 | The strain or whiplash will be disabling for more than 13 weeks. |
| Shoulder | Dislocated | 6,200 | Significant and lasting disability. |
| Back | Prolapsed Disc | £6,200 | The prolapsed disc will be seriously disabling and permanent. |
| Genitalia | Loss of Fertility | £55,000 | This would be a set amount for the loss of fertility. |
| Pelvis | Fracture | £11,000 | The fracture would lead to a severe and long-lasting disability. |
| Leg | Loss of | £44,000 | This is the loss of one leg above the knee. |
| - | Physical Abuse | £5,500 | This covers severe abuse with a pattern of repetitive violence. |
| Sexual Offence Against a Minor | 3,300 | This covers one incident of one or more non-penile penetrative or oral genital acts. |
Get in touch today to find out more about how much you could claim through the CICA.
Contact Us To Find Out How To Claim Under This Victim Compensation Scheme
If you want to make a claim through a victim compensation scheme, you could be looking to hire a solicitor. But you may be wondering how the fees could work if you do.
The solicitors on our panel may offer you a No Win No Fee agreement to help you fund their work. In this, your lawyer will deduct a success fee from your compensation amount if your claim is successful. The success fee is legally capped, so your solicitor can only deduct up to a certain percentage of your compensation. This means you get to keep the majority of the compensation you are awarded. The success fee is only deducted once your compensation is fully paid.
But you may be wondering what happens if your case does not succeed. In this case, you won’t need to pay your solicitor for their work whatsoever. You also don’t need to be concerned about upfront or ongoing costs associated with your case.
If this sounds appealing to you, get in touch with our team of advisors to find out more. They can pass you on to a solicitor from our panel to start your No Win No Fee criminal injury claim today.
- Call us on 0800 408 7825
- Use our online contact form
- Use the live chat on this page
Support For Victims Of A Crime
Thank you for reading our guide on claiming through a victim compensation scheme. We hope you found it helpful. For further support and related guides, please see below.
Manslaughter and Murder Victim Claim Guide – You may be eligible to claim compensation if a loved one has been the victim of murder or manslaughter. Our guide can tell you how.
Can You Claim Hit and Run Compensation? – If you’ve been in a hit and run accident, you may want to make a claim. This article can explain the process.
Trauma Compensation Claims – If you’ve been left traumatised after an accident, our guide could help you claim compensation.
A Self-Help Guide for Survivors of Rape and Sexual Assault – An NHS self-help guide to managing the after-effects of rape or sexual assault.
Samaritans – A mental health charity with a free, confidential helpline for those struggling with mental health issues and trauma.
Thank you for reading our guide on claiming through a victim compensation scheme.