CICA Abuse Claims

The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) is a UK government body that provides financial compensation to victims of violent crime, including sexual and physical abuse. Compensation is funded by the government, not by the perpetrator, and is calculated using a tariff system based on the nature and severity of injuries. Awards range from £1,000 to over £500,000, with additional payments potentially available for loss of earnings and care costs.

Yes. We handle CICA abuse claims on a no win, no fee basis, which means you won’t pay our legal fees unless your claim succeeds. We’ll explain the full terms clearly and in plain English before you agree to anything.

The standard time limit for a CICA claim is two years from the date of the incident, or, in cases of childhood abuse, from the applicant’s 18th birthday. The CICA does have discretion to accept applications outside this time limit where there are exceptional circumstances.

Our team has extensive experience in preparing detailed representations and supporting evidence to demonstrate why a claim should be allowed to proceed out of time, ensuring it is given full consideration. It is crucial that this issue is addressed properly, and seeking specialist legal advice at an early stage can make a significant difference to the outcome of your application

Compensation is determined by a tariff system based on the nature and severity of the injuries you have suffered. Awards start at £1,000 and can exceed £500,000 in the most serious cases.

The Scheme appears relatively straightforward in relation to psychiatric injury but when working with the Scheme on a practical level, you find that the CICA invariably offer less than a claim is genuinely worth. There is an insistence that psychiatric evidence be produced if an award is to be made for psychiatric injury. This often leaves the victims with a difficulty where they do not have a treating psychiatrist and have spent many years avoiding talking about their difficulties.

We have a specialist panel of psychiatrists which we use to prepare reports in support of CICA claims for victims in this position. These reports are not only helpful in establishing the existence of a psychiatric injury but also in explaining to the CICA the delay in bringing a claim.

It is also important to address the extent of any psychiatric injury, whether it is permanent and whether it is moderately or severely disabling. The experts we use are all skilled in assessing these questions which are essential in applying the correct tariff to any award.

Sexual abuse can have a profound and lasting impact on an individual’s ability to work. Where the abuse occurred during childhood, it may also have affected the applicant’s education and long-term development. We frequently see clients who have faced ongoing difficulties in maintaining employment as a result.

It is important that the full extent of this impact is properly assessed and evidenced when presenting your claim to the CICA. Our specialist solicitors can obtain the appropriate expert evidence and ensure that your claim fully reflects the effect the abuse has had on your ability to work

Under the CICA Scheme, it is possible to claim for “special expenses”, which can include the cost of treatment, therapy, and other forms of support.

It is important to consider at an early stage whether a survivor may be entitled to claim these expenses, including the cost of ongoing care, counselling or therapy, as well as any assistance required in managing a compensation award, which can often be substantial. Our specialist team can advise on what may be recoverable and ensure that these elements are properly included within your claim.

In certain circumstances, yes. Where an earlier award didn’t reflect the long-term psychiatric impact of the abuse, or the effect on your ability to work, it may be possible to apply to re-open your case. We have done this successfully for many clients, including one where over £200,000 was recovered after reopening. The rules that apply depend on which version of the Scheme was in force at the time of your original award, which is why specialist advice matters.

A refusal is not the end of the process. You have the right to request a review of the decision and, if necessary, to appeal to the First-tier Tribunal (Criminal Injuries Compensation). We have a strong track record of successfully challenging CICA refusals through both the review and appeal stages. This aspect of the claim requires careful consideration and specialist legal expertise, which we are well equipped to provide.