You’ve been through enough. We can help you apply to the Criminal Injury Compensation Authority, to get recognition for the violent crime you suffered, get compensated, and make things right.
Be listened to
Get guidance
Receive compensation
No win, no fee
Be listened to
Get guidance
Receive compensation
No win, no fee
Criminal Injury Claim FAQs:
The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (or CICA for short) is a government-funded compensation scheme for eligible victims of violent crime in Great Britain.
Unlike a traditional Personal Injury claim where compensation is negotiated directly with the party responsible for the injury, CICA claims are often done without actually knowing who the party responsible is. Sometimes they are known, but often they are not.
A CICA claim is simply an application to the authority, that appeals for compensation based on where your specific injuries rank on a set tariff. For example, if your elbow was injured in a criminal incident, you could be entitled to £1,500 – 6,200 (depending on how severe your injury is).
However, compensation is not automatically given to victims. There are eligibility requirements to satisfy, strict rules about reporting and cooperation with the police, time limits, and requirements on how to present the evidence that supports your application. For this reason, it can be extremely helpful to have the support of an experienced legal representative to guide you through the process.
Every case is different, and whether or not a victim is eligible for compensation really depends on their individual circumstances. Generally speaking however, the scheme compensations physical and psychological injuries arising from violent crime.
This is based on a tariff, which currently includes compensation for a wide variety of physical and mental injuries, as well as specific provisions for sexual assault, physical abuse, and bereavement.
- Physical injuries such as broken bones, burns, cuts, blunt force trauma, bruising, scarring, and a wide range of more serious wounds.
- Psychological injuries such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), severe depression, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and other trauma-related conditions.
- Sexual assault and abuse is a very common reason for people claiming, and one of the most mentally challenging to confront. The scheme covers single instances of rape, all the way to sustained patterns of ongoing sexual abuse.
- Bereavement compensation is also available, and can be claimed by the close relatives of someone who has died as a result of violent crime.
- Other losses and expenses are available under the scheme, such as payment for loss of earnings you underwent as a result of the crime, or compensation for any other losses you incurred. These can all be assessed in correspondence over the phone – or via email if you would prefer.
We understand how challenging it can be to make a claim after something terrible has happened to you, so we aim to make the process as simple and supportive as possible.
- Tell us what happened. You contact us via the online enquiry form on this page, or over the phone on 0161 243 7581. You don’t need to give us a perfectly formed legal statement – we just need to know what happened in your own words, and how it affected you.
- We discuss your circumstances. You speak with Hayley Fitzpatrick, our dedicated CICA case handler. She will talk through your incident, your injuries, and anything else that we think may be relevant to your CICA claim. Hayley will assess, and will let you know if you can make a claim. If you can, she’ll tell you what the next steps will be.
- We’ll put your application together. We will liaise with you to put together the information and evidence required for your claim. This will include things like information on the incident, a copy of the police report, and details of any medical treatment you received.
- CICA receives the claim. We submit your application to CICA, who assess it using the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme. If they ask for additional information or evidence, we will help you put this together, and will support your application the whole way.
- CICA makes a decision. CICA will accept or reject the application. If they accept, they will let us know how much compensation you are entitled to. If they reject it, we will discuss any available options to challenge it. Sometimes, CICA’s process CICA’s process includes a review stage and an appeal to an independent tribunal. If this happens, we will explain your options.
Throughout the entire process, it’s our job to make sure you feel supported and informed. We will always be candid and honest with you, and will make sure you understand what is happening throughout the process.
There are strict time limits in place for CICA claims. As a general rule of thumb, your application should be made within two years of the incident occurring. There are exceptions to this rule, such as if the victim was a child at the time of the incident, or if there are circumstances reasonably delaying the application.
The rules surrounding timeframes can be complicated, and we would always advise you to seek professional advice if you’re unsure whether you can claim or not. We are always happy to engage in a no-commitment chat, and let you know if your application may be possible.
No. A CICA claim is different from a conventional Personal Injury claim, and the scheme was specifically designed to provide compensation to eligible victims of violent crime. Identifying the person at fault is not a requirement for an application. In instances where the party responsible can be identified, they often receive a criminal conviction.
Even if the party responsible cannot be identified, victims are still expected to reasonably cooperate with CICA and the police in an effort to bring the offender to justice. All claimants must have reported the crime to the police, as a bear minimum for making a claim.
If you are in any way unsure how this works or how this applies to your circumstances, we would be extremely happy to speak to you about it.
There are no application fees of any kind with CICA claims.
All eligible victims of violent crime can make an application directly to CICA, free of charge. However, it is complicated and anyone without knowledge of how the system works may struggle to have their application accepted. In fact, claimants have a much higher likelihood of having their claim accepted if they utilise the services of a solicitor.
Most solicitors offering CICA claim services (including ourselves) are willing to represent claimants on a No Win, No Fee basis. This means if we aren’t successful – you pay nothing. If your claim is successful, then we retain a fixed percentage of your compensation (plus VAT), to cover the costs of our services. This ensures that you will always receive the majority of your compensation, and will not be left out of pocket for making a claim.
We are always happy to discuss No Win, No Fee funding arrangements with you, and answer any questions you have about how they work.