Compensation
If you are a victim of crime, you may be able to get financial compensation in a number of ways.
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If you are a victim of crime, you may be able to get financial compensation in a number of ways.
If someone is convicted of a crime against you, the court may order them to pay you compensation. You can be compensated for a range of things, such as:
If you want the court to consider awarding you compensation, you need to tell the police. You will need to give them details about the loss or damage you’ve suffered. The police will give this information to the Crown Prosecution Service, who will then make the request in court.
For example, the court will not usually order an offender to pay compensation if they’re being sent to prison. The compensation may not cover the full cost of your damage or loss and often the offender will be able to pay it in instalments. The offender makes the payments to the court, which will then pass the money on to you.
The court has to make sure that the offender pays the compensation. If you have any questions about this, you should speak to the clerk of the court or the court manager – you shouldn’t discuss this with the offender.
If you’ve been injured by a violent crime, you can apply for compensation from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA).
You will be eligible if the crime has been committed in the past two years, and if it was reported to the police as soon as possible.
It doesn’t matter whether the offender has been caught, but there are other rules which affect your chances of getting any money. The process can be complicated and take a long time, but we can direct you to information that explains the system, send you links to CICA’s online application form or put you in contact with their telephone contact centre. If you want to make a claim, remember that you will have to go over the details of the crime again. You might find this upsetting, but we can talk with you about the impact of the crime. You can claim for both physical and mental injury but will need to provide medical evidence to support your claim.
You can get more information and application forms directly from Gov.uk: compensation for victims or by calling their helpline on 0300 003 3601.
Our service is completely free and confidential.
For more information contact your local Victim Support office.
For people on very low incomes, temporary relief is available from the Hardship Fund.
Registered charity number: 298028
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