What Is The CICA
Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) is a government organization which was set up in 1964 to provide compensation for innocent victims of violent crime. The CICA’s primary role from 1964 onwards was to ensure the proper and continuous administration of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme.
The sole purpose of The Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme was to provide compensation for innocent victims of crime who had sustained some form of physical or psychological injury (or both) as a result of violent crime. The CICA annual budget for compensation totals over £200,000,000 (two hundred million pounds), and they receive around 76,000 applications for compensation per year.
The most recent Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme was introduced on 27th November 2012. The Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2012 applies to all applications made on or after 27th November 2012 (irrespective of the date of the criminal incident).
In accordance with The Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme, blameless victims of violent crime who have suffered either a physical or psychological injury (or both) may be entitled to compensation ranging from £1,000 to £500,000.
Our dedicated team of solicitors will ensure that you get the compensation you are entitled to. If you, a friend or a family member has suffered a physical or psychological injury (or both) as a result of a violent crime, you may be entitled to compensation under the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme.
How can I claim compensation from the CICA?
The CICA, in deciding whether to make an award of compensation, follow a set of rules known as “The Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme”. In accordance with scheme an innocent victim’s eligibility for an award is determined from a set criterion, where minimum conditions are enforced which must be met before a victim can apply for compensation.
You may be eligible for compensation if:
- The criminal incident was reported to the police without any delay and as soon as reasonably possible. Any unreasonable delay may result in rejection of a claim by the CICA.
- Your injuries meet the minimum award of £1,000
- The incident happened within the last two years (There are special circumstances where you may still be able to claim from the CICA if the incident happened more than two years ago. As there are certain circumstances whereby the two years’ time limit can be waived. The most common circumstance of the time limit being waved is in relation to claims involving sexual assault or abuse).
- The incident occurred in England, Scotland or Wales.
How can I start a CICA claim?
To make CICA claim for compensation, the first thing you need to do is get in touch with us for a free consultation. We’ll discuss the circumstances of your injury and advise you on whether or not we think you can claim through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA).
The application will be made online thereafter the CICA will investigate the claim and ensure you are eligible for compensation, following which you will be offered compensation which we will advise you and if within the tariff and consistent with your injuries we will advise to accept the compensation. However, in the event that the compensation made is insufficient and not comparable to the tariff and your injuries then we have the option of submitting an appeal to the CICA.
Our dedicated team of CICA experts are here to ensure that the process of claiming compensation is as simple and efficient as possible for you. With the assistance of our team, you will be able to focus on your recovery process whilst we pursue your claim for the compensation you are entitled to.
How much will a CICA claim cost me?
Unfortunately, the CICA will not pay for your legal fees in relation to your application for compensation under The CICA Scheme. Your application will be dealt with on a ‘no win no fee’ basis, in short if you are unsuccessful there will be absolutely no charge whatsoever to you. If we are successful in obtaining compensation for you then we will deduct no more than 35% (Plus VAT).
Following your instructions, we will write to you in full and explain the fees in more detail. If after receiving our initial paperwork you do not wish to continue with the claim, then you will be under no obligation to do so and there will be no charge for the work we have done up to that point. In short, it will cost you absolutely nothing to at least start off the process and you can then make a decision when it comes to returning our forms.
Can you make a claim under the CICA for psychological injury?
A psychological injury refers to a mental health problem that developed or intensified due to someone’s actions, which inhibits your ability to perform day-to-day tasks. Psychological damage may manifest due to a physical or non-physical injury and can stem from a number of sources:
- A violent attack
- A substantiated threat of violence
- Physical or sexual abuse
- The sudden death of a loved one as a result of a violent crime
A decline in your mental health may consequently trigger a range of side effects and symptoms, including:
- Overwhelming anxiety
- Feeling guilt or shame – particularly if you survived a dangerous situation while a loved one did not
- Intrusive and dark thoughts
- Difficulty sleeping
- Memory loss
- Suicidal thoughts
Under the CICA you can make arrangements for a therapist or a doctor for help, often at your own expense. You can seek compensation for financial losses and a decline in your quality of life.
The scheme awards over £130 million in compensation to innocent victims every year. To qualify, you must have evidence to substantiate your claims. CICA will only accept evidence from a clinical psychologist or psychiatrist.
Alongside evidence, you must be an innocent party that did not provoke the attack, and you must not hold a criminal record. Furthermore, you must have reported the incident to the police as soon as reasonably practicable, so you can provide CICA with a crime reference number.
However, it is worth noting that there is flexibility concerning abuse claims, and it is possible to receive compensation if you delayed reporting the incident to the police. CICA processes abuse accusations on an individual case by case basis by looking at the individual circumstance of the claim.
What will the value of my claim be?
CICA awards compensation based on their extensive tariff system available in their 2012 scheme. You are only entitled to compensation if your specific injury is listed in their tariffs and you qualify for the minimum £1000 award. If you satisfy the criteria for an award of compensation under the CICA Scheme, there is a set tariff of awards that are available depending on the type of injuries you have sustained.
Examples of some awards available under the Scheme are as follows:
- Fractured Jaw – £1,500
- Fractured Skull – £1,000
- Loss of Front Tooth – £1,500
- Serious Scarring to Face – £11,000
- Sexual Assault, Touching Over Clothing – £1,000
- loss of front tooth – £1500
- loss of taste – £3500
- dislocated jaw – £3500
- loss of ear – £11,000
- very serious brain injury – £175,000
It is worth noting that CICA specifies that “temporary mental anxiety and similar temporary conditions” do not qualify for compensation. They also state that your day-to-day activities must have been disrupted by your injury.
Applicable tariffs are in the table below:
Disabling mental injury | Compensation Award (£) |
Lasts between 6 to 28 weeks | 1000 |
Lasts between 28 weeks to 2 years | 2400 |
Lasts between 2 to 5 years | 6200 |
Lasts more than 5 years but is not permanent | 13,500 |
Permanent mental injury | Compensation Award (£) |
Moderately disabling | 19,000 |
Seriously disabling | 27,000 |
CICA will only pay compensation for a maximum of three injuries. You will receive 100% of the tariff for the most serious injury, 30% for the second most serious, and 15% for the third most serious.
Nonetheless, you can claim additional awards from the scheme. If you have unfortunately had to take time off work and, as a result, have lost income, you can make a claim. However, CICA requirement is that you must have been off work for at least 28 weeks.
Additionally, in the tragic circumstance that you suffered the loss of a loved one due to a violent crime, you may be eligible for up to £11,000 compensation.
Lastly, if an abusive situation caused your injury, CICA will only pay one tariff – either the tariff for mental injury or abuse, whichever is highest.
What are the 2019 amendments to the CICA tariffs?
CICA launched their tariff system in 2012 to create a fair and simple compensation application system. However, due to some defects the government amended the scheme in 2019. The latest amendment abolished the rule that dictated domestic abuse victims before 1979 were not entitled to compensation provided they lived in the same house as their abuser.
Victims Minister Edward Argar described the rule as “unfair” and went on to say: “Whilst no amount of compensation can make up for the immense suffering caused by such appalling crimes, by abolishing the rule we are widening access to much-needed support, and continue to review the entire scheme so it better supports victims.” The scheme awarded over £20 million to the 1200 victims that applied for compensation following the amendment.
Can I claim for Compensation from the CICA if I have been a victim of a Terror attack?
The fatal rise of modern terrorism means that extreme acts of violence are a constant danger to our daily lives, with victims and survivors suffering severe impact of rising instances of violence and coercion. For years to follow, victims of terrorist attacks will bear the physical and psychological scars of this overwhelming harm. Their relatives suffer too. It can be incredibly difficult to know where to turn after being involved in such a traumatic incident, particularly if you have been injured or lost a loved one in a terrorist attack. Fortunately, there are procedures that exist to help you get the support you need.
The CICA scheme, developed by the government helps to support victims of violent crime. The CICA can provide compensation for victims of terrorism in the United Kingdom and abroad as long as the incident has been reported to the appropriate authorities and recognised by them as a terrorist attack. Unfortunately, the UK has seen terror attacks taking place in large cities all over England, where many innocent people have become victims of these devastating attacks.
Why choose Advantage Solicitors?
At Advantage Solicitors we have an expert team of solicitors who can help you with your CICA claim. We can pursue your criminal injuries compensation claim on your behalf and provide you with advice and support from the start of your claim. We understand these claims can be emotionally challenging but we do everything we can to make the process as easy and hassle-free as possible for you. If you need help with your CICA claim, whether assault or terror attack contact our firm and speak to one of our CICA expert.