CICA Claims (Criminal Injury Compensation)

If you are the victim of sexual assault, from the most serious rape to inappropriate touching, we can help you get compensation with a CICA claim. The CICA (Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority) is a government-run scheme which compensates victims, but certain criteria have to be met to ensure you are eligible.  

We can speak to you on a free, no obligation basis and quickly inform you if you are likely to succeed in a CICA compensation claim. Get in touch.

A CICA claim may be the only avenue of compensation for a victim of sexual abuse, especially where the perpetrator is not employed and has no money, or works for an organisation who we can’t sue.  Whilst you can make your own compensation claim to the CICA - in fact the scheme encourages this - we recommend that you obtain expert advice to ensure you gain the best outcome and maximum compensation.  

Sexual abuse cases are complex and usually involve psychological injuries; our solicitors work closely with medical experts who can provide the necessary evidence to help maximise your award.

Our solicitors have dealt with countless cases to the CICA, including conducting reviews and attending appeals.  Sam has won the maximum award for a rape victim and gained £500,000 at an appeal hearing.

What is the Criminal Injury (CICA) scheme?

The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) is a government-funded organisation designed to compensate blameless victims of crimes of violence.  For example, if you have suffered traumatic sexual abuse at the hands of a family member, the only realistic avenue of compensation for you is a claim to the CICA.  This is because a family member is unlikely to be insured for their criminality, unless they were employed and abused you as part of that role.  If the perpetrator has little or no money, and no means to meet a claim for damages, the CICA is probably your best chance of gaining compensation.

Making a claim to the CICA

Of course under any government run scheme, there are numerous hurdles which need to be overcome to enable you to make a claim in the first place.  These criteria, including fairly strict time limits, must be complied with to enable you to gain an award.

CICA compensation claim time limits

To be eligible under the current CICA scheme, you must apply within CICA's claim time limit, which is within two years of the incident, or in the case of a childhood victim, by your twentieth birthday.  

Under the 2012 Scheme (which was updated in 2019), if you suffered sexual abuse before you turned 18 and have only recently gained the courage to come forward, the Authority will consider claims made within two years of reporting the matter to the police. 

Often victims delay coming forward on account of psychological issues.  If you are beyond CICA's two year time limit, we can advise you if a claim can still be launched.  We can help you to obtain medical evidence to account for the delay and ensure you can continue with your claim.

Do you need a solicitor to make a claim to the CICA?

The CICA make much of the fact that an applicant can deal with their own claim, and they should not need the services of a specialist solicitor.  However, this can mean that when an award is made, it fails to properly compensate you for all of your losses. The scheme is not overly generous, and due to its strict criteria, the awards are usually far lower than if you were able to be compensated through the civil courts. That's why it can help to have the services of a solicitor, someone with experience of the process, who can help you gain the maximum compensation you are entitled to.  

CICA tariffs - how your criminal injury claim is assessed

The criminal injury scheme does not assess damages in the same way as a claim brought before the civil courts. It uses a tariff to award damages based on set criteria and fixed categories. Often there can be several thousands of pounds at stake between one tariff and another, thus if you fail to bring yourself within the right category, you may lose out financially.

Often in sexual abuse cases, the psychological injury is the most serious aspect of the claim. It may be worth obtaining specialist medical evidence to ensure a victim receives the correct tariff for their injury.  

Claiming other expenses

Many applicants do not realise they can claim for special expenses, such as loss of earnings, travelling expenses, prescriptions and the cost of care.  If a victim has been unable to work, or incapacitated to a similar extent for more than 28 weeks, then these losses can be claimed.  Whilst loss of earnings will only be paid from week 29 and are currently capped at the rate of Statutory Sick Pay, other financial losses, such as damaged clothing, dental treatment and so forth should be paid from the date of the injury.

Re-opening closed CICA cases to reassess the original award

We can also re-open your CICA claim after a final payment has been made.  Occasionally, there may be a significant change in your medical condition and the original award may have been inadequate.  The CICA are reluctant to re-open cases more than two years from the original award, however the CICA will consider making a further award if fresh medical evidence can be obtained to support the deterioration in your health.  Our expert solicitors are happy to talk to you on a free, no obligation basis and talk you through the process of re-opening your CICA claim.

We conduct our CICA compensation claims on a contingency fee basis as the scheme will not cover your legal costs. This means that if your application succeeds, we will only deduct 25% including VAT from your award.  If your application fails, there will be no charge for the work done on your case, irrespective of how many hours we spend.

We are CICA claims solicitors

We are very experienced CICA claims solicitors with many successful outcomes. We can help you submit your claim for compensation and liaise with the Criminal Injury Compensation Authority on your behalf.  If you would like to speak with Sam or Robert about your prospective CICA claim, please call us on 01392 345333, or email Sam direct sam@robsonshaw.uk or Robert at robert@robsonshaw.uk.

You can also contacts using any of the following local rate numbers:

• Birmingham – 01212 278174
• Bristol – 01172 444900
• Cambridge – 01223 632009
• Cardiff – 02921 670259
• Exeter – 01392 345333
• Leeds – 01138 870115
• Liverpool – 01515 569997
• London – 02030 024091
• Manchester – 01613 935062
• Plymouth – 01752 967889
• Portsmouth – 02392 009469