How Families Of A Murder Victim Could Claim Compensation

By Stephen Kane. Last Updated 13th June 2023. On this page, you will read a guide to the process of making a claim for murder compensation due to the loss of a family member. It covers the reasons that family members may have to make a claim, and how they can potentially pursue victim of crime compensation.

It contains information that includes:

  • An examination of the potential eligibility of a family member or dependent to make a claim for a murder.
  • An explanation of what a person needs to do if they have suffered the loss of a loved one due to murder, in order to make a claim.
  • The process of starting your compensation claim, as well as an introduction to the national claims service we provide.
  • An overview of what the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) is and how it can provide family members of a murder victim a valid route to receiving compensation.
  • An overview of key government legislation related to murder in the UK, including the Criminal Injuries Compensation Act 1995.
  • A table that details many of the different types of compensation that family members might receive and also the typical values of them.
  • A list of the types of damages that a settlement for the loss of a family member could potentially comprise of.
Murder compensation claims guide

Murder compensation claims guide

You will likely have many questions once you have finished reading this guide, and we can help with this. All you need to do to get answers is speak to a member of our claims team on 0161 696 9685 today. They will be able to answer your questions and provide any other help that you need.

Select A Section:

  1. Compensation For the Death Of A Family Member
  2. Murder Compensation And The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority
  3. The Criminal Injuries Compensation Act 1995
  4. Who Can Claim On Behalf Of A Murder Victim?
  5. When Can A Child Claim For The Murder Of A Relative?
  6. When Can Dependents Claim For The Murder Of A Relative
  7. Claiming For The Murder Of A Family Member With No Win No Fee Solicitors
  8. Further Advice After A Loved One Has Been Murdered

Compensation For the Death Of A Family Member

You may be wondering how to get compensation following the murder of a loved one. If you are seeking compensation for the death of a family member after a murder, you may need to claim through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA). They award compensation for criminal injury claims if the perpetrator cannot be claimed against.

You could make a personal injury claim directly against the perpetrator in some cases, but they would need to be identified or found and have the funds to compensate you.

Below is a table based on the CICA tariff of injuries found in the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2012. These are set compensation amounts.

Payment TypePotential Damages
Fatal Criminal Injury£500,000
Bereavement £11,000 (£5,500 if split)
Child paymentfrom £2,000 per year
Funeral up to £5,000
Financial dependency paymentPaid on a pro rata basis

Call our advisors for an estimate of your compensation for the death of a family member.

Murder Compensation And The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority

Part of the answer to the question, “how much compensation do you get for death?” is that it will depend upon whom you pursue for compensation. In the vast majority of cases, the perpetrator of the crime will not have the financial resources to pay compensation themselves. Additionally, when a murder goes unsolved, there is no perpetrator to pursue for compensation. In both of these cases, another option exists. A solicitor can approach the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA).

As mentioned above, the CICA is a special government body, which has been put in place as a vehicle for victims of crime to receive financial recompense in circumstances where there is no third party to claim from. We can help you to make a CICA claim; speak to one of our claim advisors to find out how.

The Criminal Injuries Compensation Act 1995

This is a body of legislation which the UK government introduced that is aimed at ensuring that victims of a violent crime (and their families/dependants in the case of murder) have a legal framework for claiming some form of financial compensation.

Under this legislation, the 1995 Criminal Injuries Compensation Act, standardised amounts of compensation are defined for a full range of both physical injuries and also damage to property. When a solicitor approaches the CICA (as discussed in the section above), it is this legislation that drives a) the decision whether you have a valid claim, and b) how much you will receive in compensation.

Who Can Claim On Behalf Of A Murder Victim?

To claim victim of crime compensation in the UK on behalf of a murder victim, you must be a qualifying relative. The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) lists qualifying relatives as a person, who at the time of the deceased’s death was:

  • The spouse, civil partner or residing in the same household as the deceased.
  • Deceased’s partner, other than a spouse or civil partner, residing in the same household as the deceased for at least two years prior to the date of death.
  • The spouse or civil partner who did not live with the deceased because of ill-health or infirmity of either partner.
  • Financially dependent spouse, civil partner, ex-spouse or former civil partner.
  • Deceased’s parent.
  • Child of the deceased.

Our team of legal advisors can answer any questions you may have about who qualifies to claim criminal injuries compensation on behalf of a murder victim.

When Can A Child Claim For The Murder Of A Relative?

If a claim is made for compensation for a murdered parent, then the child will need to have been under the age of 18 when the murder took place. If this is so, then there are standardised payments provided by the CICA to cover:

  • Loss of affection and love.
  • Loss of supervision and care.
  • Loss of being involved in family activities, holidays and trips.
  • Loss of receiving gifts and treats.

Speak to a member of our claims team to learn more about how the CICA can help you to get compensation as the child of a murder victim.

When Can Dependents Claim For The Murder Of A Relative

Under the CICA victim compensation scheme, dependants are classified into two different types, and these are:

  • Financial dependants – all of the people who relied, even partially, on the income of the murder victim to meet their cost of living.
  • Physical dependants – all of the people who relied, even partially, on the murder victim to help care for them. For example, if the murder victim was the carer for a disabled spouse or child.

Financial dependents can claim for the financial losses they have incurred. The physical dependants would be compensated for the loss of care, and for having to pay care costs in the future. We cover these in more detail below.

Claiming For The Murder Of A Family Member With No Win No Fee Solicitors

Family members who are eligible to claim on behalf of a murder victims could seek support from a criminal compensation solicitor. If you speak to our advisors about reviewing your case, then they may put you in touch with a solicitor on our panel.

A solicitor from our panel may offer to support your compensation claim on a No Win No Fee basis through a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). With this type of agreement in place, you won’t need to pay any upfront or ongoing fees for their services. Also, if your claim is not successful, you won’t need to pay your solicitor for the service they provided.

If your claim is successful, then a success fee will be paid to your solicitor. Usually, this is a small and legally capped percentage deducted from the compensation awarded to you.

To learn more about how to get compensation for the murder of a family member, please get in touch with our advisors today. You can reach them by:

Further Advice After A Loved One Has Been Murdered

These links below, lead to websites that contain relevant information:

Other Criminal Injury Claim Guides