Criminal injuries are those that result from a violent crime. This guide answers common questions regarding making a criminal injury compensation claim through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA). To begin, we discuss the eligibility criteria that need to be met to begin a claim through the CICA.

Our guide also contains information on the time limits in criminal injury claims, as well as explaining how compensation is calculated using a fixed tariff of injury. In addition to the compensation you could receive for your injuries, we take a look at some of the financial losses you could be eligible to be compensated for.

To finish up this guide, we have provided a brief overview of the particular kind of No Win No fee contract provided by our panel of solicitors, with reference to the benefits claimants can experience when starting a potential claim under these terms.

You can get your eligibility to begin a criminal injury claim assessed for free by our experienced and dedicated advisory team. Our advisors can also provide further detail on any of the information given in this guide. Reach our advisors at any time via:

• Call the team on 020 8050 2736.
• Contact us online by filling out this form.
• Use the live chat button at the bottom of the page.

Browse Our Guide

1. What Is The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA)?
2. When Am I Eligible To Make A Criminal Injury Compensation Claim?
3. What Is The Time Limit For A CICA Claim?
4. Can I Claim If Nobody Is Convicted Of The Crime?
5. How Much Could I Receive From A Criminal Injury Compensation Claim?
6. How Quickly Will I Receive My Criminal Injuries Compensation?
7. What Are The Benefits Of Using A No Win No Fee Solicitor To Make A CICA Claim?
8. More Resources About Making CICA Claims

What Is The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA)?

The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority, or “CICA”, is a government-sponsored agency established to give the victims of crimes of violence in Great Britain a means of receiving compensation for their injuries. Crimes of violence can include common assault, domestic violence or sex crimes.

The CICA administers the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2012 which contains a tariff of fixed amounts used to value criminal injuries and, therefore, determine how much compensation a claimant will receive. We will examine this in more detail later in the guide.

To learn about the CICA and the work they do, or to ask any questions about the information contained in this guide, contact our advisors. 

When Am I Eligible To Make A Criminal Injury Compensation Claim?

There are certain eligibility criteria that need to be met in order to begin a criminal injury compensation claim through the CICA which you can see here:

1. You were the victim of a crime of violence the Scheme 2012 compensates for. The Scheme sets its own definition of a crime of violence which can include physical and sexual assault, as well as arson, and the threat of immediate violence.
2. This crime occurred in Great Britain (England, Scotland or Wales) or another relevant place. 
3. A report was made to the police.
4. The claim is submitted within the correct time frame. Read on to learn more about the criminal injury claim time limits.

Our advisory team can provide further guidance on the eligibility criteria to begin a criminal injury claim. They can also provide a free consultation on your eligibility to claim compensation. Contact our team today via the details provided above.

What Is The Time Limit For A CICA Claim? 

There are time limits for criminal injury compensation claims. Generally, the CICA expect you to submit your claim as soon as it’s reasonably practicable for you to do so. If you were an adult at the time of the incident, this is normally expected to have been done within 2 years from when the crime occurred. 

Exceptions to the standard two-year limit can be made, although you will need to show that exceptional circumstances prevented you from bringing a claim in this time period.

An adult with parental responsibility can make a CICA claim on a child’s behalf. Those under the 18 at the time of the incident must submit their claim, either:

• By their 20th birthday, provided the incident was reported before they turned 18;
• Or, within 2 years from when a report was first made to the police, provided the incident was reported to the police on or after they turned 18.

There is a general expectation that a crime be reported to the police as soon as possible, although exceptions to this can be made in cases involving exceptional circumstances.

You can learn more about the time limits for claiming through the CICA, as well as discuss whether any exceptional circumstances apply to your claim by speaking to our advisors. Get in touch with our dedicated team today via the details provided below.

Can I Claim If Nobody Is Convicted Of The Crime?

Yes you can. The CICA does not require the perpetrator to be convicted or even identified for you to make a claim. You should not delay in making your CICA claim as the limitation period is only two years, and criminal trials can take much longer than that.

While a conviction is unnecessary to begin a claim, the crime must have been reported to the police for you to begin a criminal injury claim. The CICA will acquire evidence from the police to check that you have reported the incident and co-operated with the police investigation.

Speak to one of our advisors using the contact details below for more information on how the CICA liaise with the police during the claims process.

How Much Could I Receive From A Criminal Injury Compensation Claim?

Your criminal injury compensation claim will be valued in accordance with the fixed tariff set out in the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2012. The tariff lists a number of injuries that can result from a violent crime, alongside a compensation amount for each. You can see some examples of CICA payouts from the tariff in the table below, with the exception of the first entry.

Compensation Table

Please take note that the Scheme 2012 tariff amounts are fixed.

Injury	Severity	Compensation Amount	Notes
Multiple Serious Injuries With Loss of Earnings and Special Expenses	Serious	Up to £500,000	A payout comprising payment for multiple criminal injuries, plus loss of earnings and special expenses, such as the cost of care in connection with your bodily functions.
Major Paralysis (not from brain damage)	Paraplegia	£175,000	Substantially complete paraplegia; impairment in sensory or motor function in the lower extremities.
Brain Damage	Moderately Severe	£110,000	Serious disablement of mental or physical faculties necessitating substantial care with marked impairment of intellect and personality.
Arm	Paralysis or Equivalent Loss of Function	£44,000	One dominant arm is affected.
Epilepsy	Continuing Disability	£44,000	Uncontrolled seizures despite medication.
Facial Burns	Severe	£27,000	Severe burns causing more than minor disfigurement.
Chest	Extensive	£16,500	Injury requiring thoracotomy with the extensive repair or removal of one or more organs.
Deafness	Permanent and Complete Deafness	£16,500	One ear is affected.
Eye	Serious	£13,500	Permanent double or blurred vision.
Back	Vertebra Fracture	£6,200	Fracture of more than one vertebra resulting in significant continuing disability.

Can I Start a Criminal Injury Compensation Claim For Multiple Injuries?

In cases where more than one injury has been sustained, the multiple injuries formula will be applied. This means you will receive: 100% of the tariff amount for the highest value injury, 30% for the next highest or an equal value injury and then 15% for the third highest or an injury of equal value.

What this means is the Scheme only allows compensation to be awarded for a maximum of 3 injuries. However, there are other payments available not subject to the multiple injuries formula which can be applied in cases where the injured person has lost a foetus, become pregnant, or contracted an STI as a result of the violent crime.

Loss of Earnings And Special Expenses In A Criminal Injury Compensation Claim

You may be eligible to claim compensation for a loss of earnings if your injuries rendered you unable to undertake any paid work.

You may also be eligible to claim for certain financial losses known as special expenses. For example, you could claim compensation for the costs to repair or replace any personal aid equipment damaged in the attack. Other possible costs include domestic care, home adaptations and certain medical costs.

There are eligibility criteria that will need to be met in order to claim for financial losses, including a loss of earnings payment and special expenses payment, as part of your criminal injury claim.

To get a more personalised estimate of what your potential claim could be worth, or for a free consultation regarding your eligibility to begin a claim, contact our advisors. You can reach a team at any time using the information provided below. 

How Quickly Will I Receive My Criminal Injuries Compensation?

There is no set timeframe for a criminal injury compensation claim. However, the CICA aim to assess claims as quickly as possible, usually within 12 months. Once a payout is offered and accepted, they aim to pay the compensation within 20 working days.

However, it’s important to be aware that the compensation the CICA pay out is not intended to meet an immediate need. There are a number of factors that need to be considered that can influence the course of your particular claim, including:

• The nature of the police investigation into the crime. The CICA will liaise with the police to acquire evidence of the crime taking place.
• The extent and severity of your injuries. More serious injuries will necessitate longer hospital treatment. As such, it may not be possible for the CICA to make a final decision while your treatment is ongoing.

Even with the CICA, criminal injury claims can be quite complex as a number of different parties need to provide evidence for your claim, and the actions of these parties, particularly the police investigation, can have a considerable effect on the timescales of your potential claim. With this in mind, seeking legal help can be of notable benefit to you. 

Contact our advisors for a free assessment of your eligibility. If eligible, a solicitor from our panel could take on your case and support you throughout the claims process. 

What Are The Benefits Of Using A No Win No Fee Solicitor To Make A CICA Claim?

Before you can get started with your criminal injury compensation claim, you will need to get your eligibility to claim assessed by our advisors. Once our team has decided you are eligible to claim, they could connect you with one of the specialist criminal injury solicitors from our panel.

Solicitors from our panel can offer services under what is known as a Conditional Fee Agreement or “CFA.” This is a form of No Win No Fee contract that presents potential claimants with notable benefits including:

• No upfront fees for the solicitor to commence work on your case.
• No fees for this work during the claims process itself.
• No fees if the solicitor loses your claim.

You will pay a fee if your claim is a success. Compensation in a successful CICA claim is paid according to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme fixed tariff of injury. The solicitor will take a success fee out of this compensation as a percentage. However, as per the law, the maximum percentage that solicitors are allowed to take as their success fee is restricted, so the most of the compensation will be yours to keep.

You can get your eligibility to begin a criminal injury claim assessed for free by our experienced and dedicated advisory team. Our advisors can also provide further detail on any of the information given in this guide. Reach our advisors at any time via:

• Call the team on 020 8050 2736.
• Contact us online by filling out this form.
• Use the live chat button at the bottom of the page.

More Resources About Making CICA Claims

You can view more of our criminal injury claims guides here:

• Learn more about the eligibility criteria to claim compensation for domestic abuse with this guide.
• Read our guide on claiming compensation for a broken nose during an assault and how a solicitor could help.
• Find out how to claim compensation for facial scarring here.

We have also included these links to some external webpages you may find useful:

• Charity Victim Support offers help and support to anyone who has been affected by a crime.
• You can report a crime to the police using this online portal.
• Learn key information about providing first aid after an incident with this NHS resource.

We’d like to thank you for taking the time to read our guide on starting a criminal injury compensation claim. For further guidance or for a no-cost, zero-obligation consultation regarding your eligibility to start a claim, speak to an advisor today. You can reach our team 24 hours a day using the contact information provided above.