Criminal Injuries Compensation

(asked on 4th September 2017) - View Source

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department plans to review the period of tie during which valid claims can be made to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority following the reporting of an incident to the police.


Answered by
Phillip Lee Portrait
Phillip Lee
This question was answered on 14th December 2017

The Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2012 (the Scheme) is a government funded scheme which is designed to compensate victims of violent crime in Great Britain.

The rules of the Scheme and the tariff for awards paid under it are approved by Parliament. The current Scheme was introduced in 2012 following consultation and saw reforms to the tariff of injuries and some eligibility criteria but not to the time limits for claims.

The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) administers the Scheme and decides all claims independently of Ministers and Parliament. The Scheme requires that applicants submit a claim so that that it is received as soon as reasonably practicable after the incident, and in any event no later than two years after the date of that incident. There is additional provision in the Scheme for applicants who were aged under 18 at the time of the incident. Further, the CICA can extend the time limits, but only where due to exceptional circumstances an application could not have been made earlier; and the evidence provided in support of the application means that it can be determined without further extensive enquiries by a claims officer.

CICA issued new guidance in October to its staff on compensating young victims of sexual abuse to improve the way that applications involving claims of child sexual abuse are handled and to ensure every victim gets the compensation to which they are entitled. Wider issues about rules of the compensation scheme will be looked at as part of my Department’s work to develop a strategy for victims, and will take into account the findings and recommendations of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.

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