How to make a CICA Claim

If you have been the victim of a violent crime committed in the UK and you have suffered physical or mental injuries as a result, you can apply for compensation from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA). CICA is a government body responsible for issuing compensation for criminal injury claims in England, Scotland and Wales.

How to make a claim through the CICA

Your compensation claim must be made within two years of the criminal incident, unless there were exceptional circumstances preventing you from applying earlier and you can give evidence that helps claims officers to make a decision without extensive further enquiries. 

If you were under the age of 18 at the time of the incident, the rules are slightly different. While you should still make an application as soon as possible (a person with parental responsibilities can apply on the behalf of someone who is underage), your claim will be subject to the below deadlines:

• If you filed a police report relating to the incident before your 18th birthday, you must submit a CICA application before your 20th birthday
• If you reported the incident to the police at any point on or after your 18th birthday, an application must be received by CICA within two years of the date of that report. 

As with adult claimants, you must provide additional evidence to support your claim if you are applying more than two years after the date of the incident.

Whether you’re the individual who has been injured, a loved one applying on behalf of a deceased victim or someone with parental responsibility applying on behalf of a child, you can do so on the gov.uk website. Below are the necessary steps.

1. Go to the gov.uk website

You’ll need to visit the CICA claim section of the gov.uk website and click ‘Make a Claim’. If you can’t access the application online or you need assistance with completing your application, you can receive help to apply over the phone from CICA’s customer support team. Alternatively, you can ask a friend or loved one to help you make the application online, as long as you are providing the information yourself and have the capacity to do so.

2. Gather the relevant information

When applying online or over the phone, you’ll be asked a series of questions to help CICA gather the information they need to make a decision on your claim. The information you need to provide includes:

• The location and date of the incident
• The name of the police force to whom you reported the incident and your crime reference number
• The name and address of your GP (and your dentist if you received dental treatment as a result of your injuries)
• Details of any unspent criminal convictions
• Details of any previous CICA applications you’ve made
• Information about any other money you’ve applied for relating to this incident (for example, insurance payouts, benefits claims or court cases)
• Evidence proving your eligibility to make a claim (e.g. proof of residency)
• Contact details so that CICA can get in touch about your claim.

If you’re applying on behalf of someone else because they don’t have capacity to do so themselves (e.g. if they’re under the age of 18), you’ll also need to prove you have the legal right to do so. This could mean proving your parental responsibility or, in the case of an incapacitated adult, providing evidence of power of attorney or a court order with a similar impact.

3. Complete the application

Whether you’re making the application online or over the phone, you’ll be guided through the information-gathering process and asked to respond with the relevant information detailed above. Once you have submitted the application, you will receive a reference number. This allows you to get in contact with CICA about your specific case, so keep this number safe.

What happens after you apply for compensation from CICA?

Once you have submitted your application for compensation, CICA will begin to assess your claim. As well as the information you’ve provided in your application, they’ll use details given to them by the police and any medical professionals involved in your treatment. If they need more information from you in order to make their decision, they’ll get in touch using the contact details you have provided.

CICA will also get in touch to let you know the outcome of your claim, typically by post. If you’ve been successful, this will include information on how much compensation you’re due to receive. If not, and you disagree with the decision CICA has made, you can write to them to ask them to review your claim. Whether you wish to accept CICA’s offer of compensation or you want them to review your case, you must write to CICA to inform them of this within 56 days of the original decision.

If you then disagree with the outcome of CICA’s review, you can refer it to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal. It’s worth remembering that this tribunal can overturn or uphold any aspect of CICA’s decision. For example, if CICA has awarded you a certain amount of compensation, but you think you’re owed more, the tribunal’s review has the ability to decide that you’re not entitled to any compensation at all if the evidence and information surrounding your injury supports this. Generally, you have 90 days from the date of CICA’s review decision in which to appeal to the tribunal, though extenuating circumstances such as waiting for medical reports mean you may be able to appeal after this deadline. 

How to check my CICA claim

CICA claims take time to be assessed and for a decision to be made, and since CICA will only contact you if they need more information and have made a decision, you’re unlikely to receive any progress updates to put your mind at rest. It can be easy to start worrying about correspondence getting lost in the post or that your claim has been missed – but there is a way you can find out if this is the case. 

The easiest way to get an update on the status of your claim is to get in touch with CICA, either through the gov.uk website or by calling the organisation directly. Remember to have your reference number to hand so that you can let CICA know which application you want information about.

How long will my CICA claim take?

The nature of criminal injury compensation claims is that they can vary hugely in complexity, meaning that some applications will be easier to make a decision on than others. If your claim could entitle you to a substantial settlement due to more serious injuries, for example, it may take longer for CICA to come to a conclusion than it would if your injuries were less severe. CICA aims to provide a decision on the majority of cases within 12 months, however this may not always be possible. 

In order to speed up the application decision process, it’s important that you provide CICA with as much information as possible. This helps to cut down on delays caused by CICA needing to get in touch with you to request additional details. Beyond that, there is nothing you can do to encourage CICA to make the decision quicker. As an organisation, they deal with a large number of criminal injury claims a year and endeavour to give each and every one proper and sensitive consideration so that they can come to the right decision in each case. 

Making a claim with CICA can help you to access the compensation you’re entitled to following an injury suffered as a result of violent crime in Great Britain. If your claim is complex or substantial or you simply want more information or assistance from an expert criminal injury solicitor, contact us about your criminal injury claim today.