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I need some help with criminal injuries claims

If you have been an innocent victim of a violent crime, you may be entitled to claim compensation from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA).

You can apply for compensation if you or someone you know has been hurt in a violent crime, but you must apply within two years of when the attack happened.

You may have been affected by a violent crime in any one or a number of ways and can ask the CICA to consider a claim for:

  • Mental or physical injury
  • Sexual or physical abuse
  • Loss of earnings: where either you cannot work at all or not as much as before as a direct result of a criminal injury.
  • Special expenses: where you have had certain costs as a direct result of an incident. You can only ask for these to be considered if your injuries mean you have been unable to work for more than 28 weeks or you have no longer been able to look after yourself for the same length of time.
  • A fatality: where you have had to make bereavement or funeral payments or paid for the loss of a parent’s care and financial dependency.

To get compensation, you must be eligible under the Scheme’s rules. Not all claims will be successful.

You make your claim through an online form, which should only take about 15 minutes. Before doing this, though, you will need your unique police reference number and the contact details of any doctor who treated your injury (if you received treatment).

If you need help with your claim or have any questions, you can also contact the CICA Customer Service Centre advisors on 0300 003 3601.

Make a criminal injuries claim

Independent advice may be available from Supporting Victims; please contact us for more information. You do not need a paid representative, such as a solicitor or claims management company, to apply for compensation.

Supporting Victims cannot give you legal advice.

You can also get guidance from your local Citizens Advice Bureau, a law centre or a welfare rights organisation. If you belong to a trade union, it may be able to help too.

The Hardship Fund

If your injuries do not qualify you for criminal injuries compensation, the government has a Hardship Fund. This provides short-term help with financial hardship to very low paid workers who are temporarily unable to work because they have been a victim of a violent crime.

The fund only applies to injuries received in England and Wales. For more information, please contact the Victim Support line on 0845 3030 900.