In this guide, we aim to answer the question, ‘What is the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme?” and when you could be eligible to begin a claim through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA). The CICA is an executive agency which the Ministry of Justice sponsors. They are responsible for administering the Scheme and making payments to those who have been the victim of a violent crime in Great Britain.
What Is The Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme And When Can You Claim?
As you move through this guide, you will find information on the eligibility criteria and time limits for CICA claims. Additionally, we will share the evidence you will need to present when making a claim through the CICA, and how compensation payouts are calculated.
To conclude, we will discuss how a criminal injury solicitor from our panel could help you with making your claim.
If you would like to receive free advice for your case, you can contact our advisory team. They can help with your questions 24 hours a day, and can be reached by:
- Calling 0161 696 9685.
- Filling out our web form to contact us.
- Using the live chat tab below.
Select A Section
- What Is The Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme And When Can You Claim?
- Is There A Time Limit To Claiming CICA Compensation?
- What Do You Need To Claim Through The CICA?
- Calculating Criminal Injuries Compensation
- Make A No Win No Fee Criminal Injury Claim
- More Resources On Claiming Through The Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme
What Is The Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme And When Can You Claim?
To answer your question, ‘What is the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme?’, the Scheme was created to compensate those who have been injured due to a violent crime in Great Britain and is funded by the government. The CICA decide who is eligible to make a claim and administers the Scheme.
When making a claim through the CICA for criminal injuries compensation, the following eligibility criteria must be met:
- You must have been injured in a crime of violence. The Scheme provides their own definition of a crime of violence. This includes assault, sexual abuse, and historical sexual abuse.
- The incident needs to have been reported to the police.
- The incident must have occurred in Great Britain (England, Scotland or Wales). Or it needs to have occurred in another relevant place, such as a boat registered in Great Britain.
- Your claim must be started with the correct time limit. We will discuss this further in the next section.
A solicitor from our panel could help you claim through the CICA and guide you through the process. Get in touch with us today to find out whether you may have a valid case.
Is There A Time Limit To Claiming CICA Compensation?
If you are eligible to start a claim through the CICA, generally, you must submit your case as soon as it is reasonably practicable for you to do so. The CICA state that this should not normally be later than two years from when the incident occurred if you were an adult at the time.
The time limits for those under the age of 18 are as follows:
- If the incident was reported to the police before they turned 18, they will have two years to start a criminal injury claim from their 20th birthday.
- If the incident was reported to the police on or after their 18th birthday, they will have 2 years to start a claim from the date it is reported.
You are also expected to have made a report to the police as soon as it is reasonably possible to do so. If you did not, you will need to prove that you were unable to report the incident due to exceptional circumstances. Exceptions may also be made to this 2-year time frame in which you have to begin your claim if you can prove that exceptional circumstances prevented you from doing so.
To discuss the criminal injury claim time limits with regard to your specific case, you can contact our advisors.
What Do You Need To Claim Through The CICA?
Regardless of whether you are making a claim through the CICA for a stab injury or another type of criminal injury, you will need to present the same evidence. This is:
- Proof that you meet the residency requirements.
- A crime reference number that confirms the incident was reported to the police.
- Medical evidence highlighting you suffered injuries that the Scheme can compensate for.
While working through your claim, the CICA may liaise with the police and gather information related to the incident and your case.
For further information on how to make a criminal injury claim through the CICA, you can contact a member of our advisory team.
Calculating Criminal Injuries Compensation
As well as wondering, ‘What is the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme?’, you may also be asking yourself, ‘How much compensation could I receive for a successful criminal injury claim?’.
If you make a successful criminal injury claim, such as an assault claim, your injuries will be valued in accordance with the tariff of injuries found in the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2012. The amounts in the tariff are fixed.
You will be able to make a claim for up to three injuries. However, when claiming for more than one injury, the multiple injuries formula will apply. This means you will receive the following percentage of the compensation award listed:
- The highest valued injury – 100%.
- The second highest – 30%.
- The third highest – 15%.
Additionally, other payments can be made to those who have contracted an STI, lost a foetus or became pregnant due to a violent crime. These payments are not subject the multiple injuries formula.
Compensation Table
| INJURY | Severity | AWARD | NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multiple injuries with additional damages | Serious | Up to £500,000 | Compensation can be awarded to cover lost earnings, special expenses and other injuries. |
| Major Paralysis | Not resulting from brain damage | £250,000 | Quadriplegia, featuring substantially complete paralysis in upper and lower limbs. |
| Brain Damage | Very serious | £175,000 | Severe physical limitation with a significant effect on the senses and reduction in life expectancy. |
| Arm | Total loss | £110,000 | The total loss of both arms. |
| Non-consensual penile penetration of the vagina, anus, and/or mouth | Severe | £44,000 | Resulting in a serious internal bodily injury and a severe and permanent disabling mental illness. |
| Sexual Assault | Severe | £27,000 | Resulting in a permanent and severely disabling mental illness as confirmed by a psychiatric prognosis. |
| Kidney | Serious and permanent | £55,000 | The loss of, or permanent and serious damage to, both kidneys or the only functioning kidney. |
| Ankle | Fracture or dislocation | £16,500 | Both ankles are dislocated or fractured with continuous and significant disability following. |
| Wrist | Fracture | £11,000 | Both wrists are fractured and there is an ongoing significant disability. |
| Back | Fracture | £6,200 | Fracture of more than one vertebra with the injured person facing continuing disability to a significant level. |
Financial Expenses In A Criminal Injury Claim
Following a successful claim made through the CICA, you may also be awarded a payment for special expenses. Under this, you could receive payment for:
- The cost of replacing physicals that were damaged in the incident, such as your glasses.
- Home adaptations, such as the installation of a ramp.
- Care costs that relate to meal preparation or bodily functions.
- Equipment that is needed to help cope with your injuries, such as wheelchairs.
All of these expenses need to have been directly resulted from your injury, necessary, reasonable and unavailable for free elsewhere. There are also other criteria that apply.
You may also be able to receive a payment for a loss of earnings if you were unable to work because of your criminal injury. Similar to special expenses payments, there are criteria that need to be met in order to qualify for a loss of earnings payment.
To receive a free valuation of your case, or to learn more about the criteria to receive payment for special expenses and loss of earnings, you can contact a friendly member of our team.
Make A No Win No Fee Criminal Injury Claim
Calling upon an experienced criminal injury solicitor from our panel could help ensure your CICA claim is filed in full and within the correct time limit. They can also help guide you through the claiming process.
Solicitors from our panel offer their services on a No Win No Fee basis under the terms of a Conditional Fee Agreement. As such, they typically won’t charge for their services at the following times:
- Upfront;
- During the claim process.
- If the claim fails and you are not awarded compensation.
If your case wins, your solicitor will collect a success fee from you. This is a small percentage of the compensation you receive and is subjected to a legal cap. This helps to ensure that you keep the majority of the compensation.
One of our advisors can assess your case for free, and if it seems like you have an eligible criminal injury claim, they could connect you with a solicitor from our panel. To find out more about how our panel of solicitors can assist those who have been criminally injured, you can:
- Call 0161 696 9685.
- Contact us online.
- Speak to us on live chat.
More Resources On Claiming Through The Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme
We have several guides designed to help readers understand how to claim for criminal injuries, such as the following:
- Explaining how the family of a murder victim could claim compensation through the CICA.
- Information on making a criminal injuries claim with a criminal record through the CICA.
- Advice on how to make a claim for sexual abuse by a family friend through the CICA.
These external resources could be helpful:
- Victim Support – Information on coping with crime.
- Police.UK – Report a crime incident.
- NHS – When to call 999.
Thank you for reading our guide, answering the question, ‘What is the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme?’. If you require any further guidance on when you could seek compensation for a criminal injury, please get in touch with an advisor on the number above.