Criminal Injuries Compensation

If you are the victim of a crime of violence including historic abuse we are ready to help you get back on track. We will assist you to make a claim for criminal injury compensation and can add real value to your claim.

Achieving a successful award of compensation from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority is not straightforward and from our experience valid claims are often defeated and rejected purely due to the way they are presented. Make sure you talk to us before you make a claim so we can get it right, from the start.

You might be able to claim compensation if you were the victim of a violent crime. This includes if:

you were injured
a close relative died
you saw the crime happen to a loved one (or were there immediately afterwards)
you paid for the funeral of a person who died

You usually have to claim within 2 years of the crime. The crime must be reported to the police before you apply.

You might also be able to claim compensation if you were taking a ‘justified and exceptional’ risk trying to stop a crime. For example somebody was in danger and it was not a situation that you were trained to deal with.

Eligibility

The crime must have happened in England, Wales or Scotland. It must be reported to the police.

When you can claim

In most cases you must apply within 2 years of the crime happening.

You may be able to claim for a crime that happened more than 2 years ago if both of the following apply:

the crime happened on or after 1 August 1964
you’re claiming because of childhood sexual or physical abuse or you can prove you could not claim earlier, for example because your mental or physical health stopped you

What you can get compensation for

You can get compensation for:

physical injuries
disabling mental injuries
sexual or physical abuse
the death of a close relative
paying for someone’s funeral
loss of earnings and expenses