How Does The Tariff For Criminal Injury Compensation Claims Work?

In this guide, we will discuss the purpose of the criminal injury compensation tariff used by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA). The CICA is responsible for administering a Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme that aims to provide compensation for victims of violent crime in line with a tariff. This is a viable option where a claim cannot be made via a different avenue.

Tariff For Criminal Injury Compensation Claims

A Guide To The Tariff For Criminal Injury Compensation Claims

There are two other potential avenues through which a criminal injury claim could be made:

  • Against the person directly. 
  • Against a vicariously liable third party, which owed you a duty of care. 

For the purposes of this guide, we will focus on claims made through the CICA, as we will discuss how the tariff of injuries can be used to value a claim. Furthermore, we will provide a table of potential compensation amounts as a guide to criminal injury payouts. 

You can also contact our team of advisors to receive confidential legal advice at no cost. They are available 24/7 and can provide an assessment of your claim. From this, they can offer insight into liability, eligibility and compensation. Should they find that you may have a valid claim, they could put you in correspondence with one of our criminal injury solicitors.  

To get in touch, please:

  • Call our helpline on 0800 073 8805
  • Make a claim by filling out our online form
  • Write to an advisor using the live chat feature below

Choose A Section

  1. A Guide To Using The Criminal Injury Compensation Tariff
  2. What Could You Receive From The Criminal Injury Compensation Tariff?
  3. When Are You Eligible To Claim For Compensation Through The CICA?
  4. What Do You Need When Seeking Criminal Injuries Compensation?
  5. Why Use Our No Win No Fee Solicitors When Seeking Compensation For A Criminal Injury?
  6. Learn More About How To Make A Compensation Claim For Criminal Injuries

A Guide To Using The Criminal Injury Compensation Tariff

Various violent crimes could result in injuries, such as common assault, actual or grievous bodily harm, sexual abuse and sexual assault. For example, if an attacker punches you, it could cause injuries to the face, such as a broken jaw that requires surgery and leaves you with facial scarring. For these injuries, you could be eligible to claim via the CICA and receive a payout in line with the criminal injury compensation tariff.

An award via the Scheme can include compensation for up to three individually qualifying injuries. The amount stated in the tariff for each injury would be affected in the following way:

  • 100% of the tariff amount would be awarded to the injury with the highest tariff amount.
  • 30% of the tariff amount would be awarded for the injury valued as equal or the second highest.
  • 15% of the tariff amount would be awarded for the injury valued as equal or the third highest.

You could be awarded an additional tariff payment in certain instances. Please contact our advisors to learn more about awards valued using the criminal injury compensation tariff.

What Could You Receive From The Criminal Injury Compensation Tariff?

The CICA could award up to two potential types of criminal injuries compensation for a successful claim. Firstly, you can receive compensation for the mental and physical injuries resulting from the crime of violence. This would be valued in line with the CICA’s criminal injury compensation tariff, which we have used to create the table below. You can also use our compensation calculator to value your claim. 

[table id=46 /]

The figures in this table might not represent the full amount you receive in your claim, as there are other payments that might be appropriate.

Special Expenses When Making Claims Through The CICA

As per the Scheme, you could also receive an award reimbursing you for financial losses deemed necessary and not available elsewhere. These must result from the crime of violence.  

In the Scheme, the following costs can be covered by a special expenses payment: 

  • Property or equipment you relied upon as a physical aid that was damaged or lost due to the incident that led to your injury.
  • Costs arising in connection to your meal preparations or bodily functions. 

To be considered eligible for a special expenses or loss of earnings payment, your injuries must have had an effect on your capacity to earn an income for longer than 28 weeks. After week 29, the CICA could reimburse your loss of income. However, special expenses can be paid from the actual injury date. 

Please contact our advisors to learn more about using the criminal injury compensation tariff to understand criminal injuries compensation amounts for 2022. 

When Are You Eligible To Claim For Compensation Through The CICA?

The eligibility criteria you must meet will differ depending on how you bring forward your criminal injury claim. To claim via the CICA, this criteria includes the following:  

  • The incident must have been reported to the police. If not, you will be unable to claim through the CICA. Also, the CICA expects the report to have been made immediately, and if it was not, you must be able to prove that exceptional circumstances prevented you from doing so. 
  • You must have sustained an injury or injuries in a crime of violence, as defined in the Scheme. 
  • The incident of violent crime must have occurred in England, Wales or Scotland. The CICA also states that claims could be made for incidents that happen in another “relevant place”, as per their definition.
  • Your claim must be within the relevant time limits laid out in the Scheme. 

To learn more about the time limits applicable to claims made through the CICA, please speak to one of our advisors. Our team can offer insight into whether you may be eligible to pursue compensation. 

What Do You Need When Seeking Criminal Injuries Compensation?

It is important that you can prove the eligibility criteria laid out in the previous section. Also, you must prove the effect that the crime of violence has had on your quality of life. To do this, you will need the following evidence: 

  • Your police reference number, which proves the crime was reported. 
  • Proof that you meet the residency requirements set out by the CICA.
  • Medical evidence. You might be able to get financial help for obtaining this if you cannot cover the cost. 
  • Proof of any financial losses that were incurred as a result of the violent crime. 

When you claim through the CICA, the CICA will be able to liaise with the police for information relating to the incident. Please get in touch if you have any questions about the evidence you will need to support your claim.

Why Use Our No Win No Fee Solicitors When Seeking Compensation For A Criminal Injury?

Using a solicitor when pursuing compensation for a criminal injury through the CICA is not a requirement. However, it could prove beneficial for the following reasons:

  • A solicitor can help you to compile evidence.
  • They will be familiar with the claims process and able to provide relevant advice.
  • They can use their expertise to help you to present a complete claim.  

Furthermore, a criminal injury solicitor may offer to work on your claim under a type of No Win No Fee agreement called a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). This means that there will generally be no upfront or ongoing payments for you to make for the services of your solicitor. What’s more, you will generally not pay for the work they have done at any time should your claim not resolve successfully.      

On the other hand, a criminal injury solicitor under a CFA will commonly receive a small percentage of the compensation if your claim resolves successfully. The law caps the amount that they can take. Therefore, a No Win No Fee solicitor will not overcharge you. 

If you allow our team of advisors to assess your claim, they could find that you may have valid grounds to bring forward a claim. Should this be the case, they may place you in contact with one of our No Win No Fee solicitors.  

Contact Us 24/7 For Free To See If You Can Receive Compensation Through The CICA

Please contact a member of our team to learn more about the criminal injury compensation tariff or to receive advice on whether you could be eligible to make a claim through the CICA. 

To get in touch, please:

  • Call our helpline on 0800 073 8805
  • Make a claim by filling out our online form
  • Write to an advisor using the live chat feature below

Learn More About How To Make A Compensation Claim For Criminal Injuries

Learn more by exploring further guides from our website:

Also, take a look at some of these external links:

Thank you for reading this guide to using the criminal injury compensation tariff to help you value a claim. 

Writer Jess Oisin

Publisher Fern Smithers