Can I claim under the CICA scheme?

If you are the victim of violent crime, you may be eligible...

The CICA takes a number of factors into account when assessing the level of compensation appropriate for any particular case, including:

• The extent and nature of the injuries suffered. Minor injuries are compensatable but more serious injuries can include substantial claims for loss of future earnings, medical expenses and special equipment.

• When the incident occurred - generally this must be within the last 2 years of the application although there are exceptions to this rule including children’s cases and sexual related crimes.

• Whether a victim may have contributed to the incident in any way for example whether they may have provoked an attack.

• Whether the applicant retaliated or carried out any form of retribution after the incident.

• The CICA use a points based system for deciding whether the criminal history of the applicant should be taken into account.

• Whether the incident was reported to the police. In most cases the crime must have been reported within 48 hours otherwise the claim will fail. There are however many exceptions to this rule, for example it may not have been possible to report the incident due to the serious nature of the injuries.

• Additionally it is possible to claim for the death of a close relative and/or their loss of earnings if the death was as a result of a crime of violence.

If you are unsure as to your eligibility, complete our online claim form and we'll let you know if you may be able to receive compensation under the CICA scheme. Alternatively, call us on 0800 043 7773 and speak to one of our trained consultants.