Compensation


 

If you have been a victim of a violent crime you may be able to claim Criminal Injuries Compensation. You can get the claim form from us and fill it in yourself; but, if you want any help in doing so, this is a service we provide, and our advice is free (please note that if you get help from a firm of solicitors they may charge you or take a percentage of any award that you may get).

This Compensation Scheme is managed by a state-run organisation, the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA), and there are a number of rules. We do not attempt here to set out all the rules – please ask us if you want to know more – but the basic requirements, very briefly, are as follows:

 

 
  • You must have been a victim of a crime which has been reported to the police and for which you have a Crime Number. The Scheme does not cover victims of accidents, e.g. road accidents.
 
  • You must submit a claim within 2 years of the report to the police.
 
  • The crime must have been reported to the police immediately afterwards. Any delay in reporting may rule out compensation because it may be said that you did not "co-operate with the police".
 
  • The crime must result in a serious physical or psychological injury. A minor injury, e.g. a scratch, or one bruise, will not result in an award – the minimum payment made under the Scheme is £1000.
 
  • All claims are checked with the police who dealt with the crime, and with any medical authority where you received treatment.
 
  • If you have previous criminal convictions of a serious nature you may be ruled out for an award.

 

Claims take a long time to process. The average wait is a year and some claims – particularly if the injury is very severe – can take a lot longer.

If you think you might qualify for an award or may need help in completeing the form don’t hesitate to contact us – on 020-7272-0784