Are you a survivor of a violent crime?

11th August, 2026

3 minute read

Are you a survivor of a violent crime?

If you are the survivor of a violent crime, you may be entitled to compensation via a government funded compensation scheme. This is known as the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme (CICA) which is designed to compensate blameless survivors of violent crime in England, Scotland and Wales.

Whilst nothing can change what has happened in the past, claiming compensation can enable you to move forward, seek any required support and help rebuild your life.

Claim for injury, loss of earnings and expenses
You will not have further contact with the perpetrator/s
Crimes need to have been reported to the Police
Do not wait for criminal proceedings to conclude
Time limits apply

What is a ‘crime of violence’?

A ‘crime of violence’ is defined as either:

A physical attack
An act or omission of a violent nature that causes physical injury to a person
A threat against a person, causing fear of immediate violence in circumstances that would cause a person of reasonable firmness to be put in such fear
Sexual assault
Arson or fire-raising

What can you claim compensation for?

If you have been subjected to a violent crime you may be able to make a claim which may include:

Injury Payments (for the acts of the abuse and psychological injuries)
Loss of Earnings Payments
Special Expenses Payments

Claims do not involve the perpetrator

It is important to note that claims are made to the Government scheme and are not made against the perpetrator. This means that the claim can be made in confidence without having further contact with the perpetrator/s.

Reporting the crime to police

In order to be eligible for a claim you must have made a report to the Police. Whilst it is not essential for there to be a successful prosecution, you are required to have cooperated with the criminal investigation.

You must also have no unspent convictions yourself and the application must be received by the CICA within 2 years of the date of the incident. Further details on eligibility and timescales can be found here.

Do not wait until the criminal trial has concluded

You may have been told to wait until the criminal trial has concluded, however this is incorrect advice.

A CICA claim can be made whilst a criminal trial is ongoing, as a CICA claim should not harm your credibility or undermine the prosecution’s case.

Delaying your CICA claim can have serious consequences – you may miss the deadline and forfeit your opportunity to receive compensation.

What if you are out of time?

An application can still be submitted out of time if it can be shown that there are exceptional circumstances which have caused the delay, such as psychological injuries or trauma caused by the criminal trial – we can advise further on this.

How can Jordans Solicitors help?

Jordans have experience in dealing with a wide range of CICA applications and we have a dedicated national abuse department that specialise in these cases.

Our expert team of lawyers are here to provide support and guidance at a very difficult time. They can explain the legal technicalities of the scheme and maximise the award that you may be entitled to.