Survivors of domestic violence in the UK can recover compensation from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA).
The government’s CICA scheme compensates victims of violent crime. This includes survivors of domestic violence and their children.
To be eligible for CICA compensation you will need to have reported the incident to the police, though it is not necessary for the abuser to have been formally convicted of a criminal offence.
Applications for CICA compensation by adults should generally be made within two years of the crime, though extra time may be allowed if there were significant reasons for the delay, such as mental health issues or the survivor’s fear of their abuser.
The CICA scheme is limited to domestic violence of a physical or sexual nature. Unfortunately, compensation is not available for cases involving stalking or harassment, or where the abuse has been purely financial or emotional.
Because we specialise in dealing with Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority claims, survivors of domestic violence will be in safe hands when they appoint our team to deal with their case.
We are also able to help dv survivors with CICA appeals and reviews, and are immensely proud of our track record of obtaining substantially increased awards for our clients. For example:
- KT – whose offer was increased from £11,000 to £44,755 on review.
- SR – whose offer of £16,500 was increased to £181,236 on appeal.
- SH – whose offer of £2,000 was increased to £79,171 on appeal.
- AW – whose offer of £16,500 was increased to £174,622 on appeal.
- SJ – whose offer of £22,000 was increased to £241,901 on review.
We operate a free CICA helpline that you can contact at any time for an assessment of your case and guidance on what your domestic violence compensation claim could be worth.
Because we work on a No Win, No Fee basis, there is no reason to allow worries about funding legal costs to put you off seeking justice. This means that if you are not awarded CICA compensation then no legal fees are payable.