What is a CICA claim?
For anyone looking to claim compensation as a victim of crime, it’s likely that they’ve heard the term ‘CICA’ being mentioned. But what exactly does it mean and could it help with receiving a settlement for a criminal injury?
In an effort to help those who’ve been affected by criminal injuries, we explain what CICA means, how you can claim compensation through CICA and the potential settlement you may receive.
What is CICA?
CICA is an abbreviation of Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority. It is a taxpayer funded organisation controlled and operated by the UK government and sponsored by the Ministry of Justice.
What does the CICA do?
Originally set up in 1964 as the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board, it developed into CICA in 1996 and currently operates within the legislation of The Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2012.
The purpose of the CICA is to deal with compensation claims and pay settlements to victims of crimes that occured in England, Wales or Scotland. Involving both physical and mental damage, CICA is situated in Glasgow, Scotland and has now paid over £3 billion in compensation. Although other countries have a different variation of this concept, CICA is the one of the largest of its type.
How to complete a CICA claim
If you have been the victim of a crime committed in the UK and you have suffered physical or mental injuries as a result, you can apply for compensation from CICA. The claim must be made from 2 years from the date of the crime, apart from in exceptional circumstances.
You’ll need to visit the CICA claim section of the gov.uk website and click ‘Make a Claim’. Then, you will need to answer a few yes or no questions and provide further details on the date and location of the incident, the crime reference number and the name of the police station the incident was originally reported to, the name of any medical professionals and practices involved in any relevant treatments and any past CICA claims or criminal convictions.
What happens after you apply for compensation from CICA?
Once you’ve completed a CICA claim, your case will be considered and, if needed, you may be asked for supporting evidence that could bolster your claim. If your claim is successful, CICA will then be in touch to make you a settlement offer. If, however, your claim is unsuccessful, you have the option of appealing the original decision.
How much compensation will I get from CICA?
The CICA Scheme uses a tiered tariff system, which is split into two sections to determine the compensation amounts for the claim, dependant on your injuries. The minimum amount that can be awarded is £1,000 and the maximum is £250,000.
CICA will establish an appropriate settlement and pay it at 100 per cent for the most significant injury, 30 per cent for the second, 15 per cent for the third and so on until every victim is covered.
For example, if the overall settlement figure was £5,000, the payments would be calculated as follows:
Injury 1 – £5,000
Injury 2 – £1,500
Injury 3 – £750
Injury 4 – £375
Injury 5 – £187.50
It may also be possible to claim for loss of earnings for time off work for any period over 28 weeks, property damage, counselling, physiotherapy, and other medical expenses.
How to check my CICA claim
You may find that a CICA claim takes time and you may begin to feel concerned that you’ve been forgotten, there was a technical issue making your claim or your claim was denied without being properly informed.
If you want to check the status of your claim, you can do this by going to the CICA section of the gov.uk website or by calling CICA directly.
How long does it take to get compensation from CICA?
Unfortunately, CICA doesn’t provide a guaranteed timescale of when a successful claim will be completed. However, they will often make a decision on a case with 12 to 18 months of it being made. That said, a more complex claim that refers to a serious crime, multiple people or a substantial settlement could take significantly longer.
How can Compare Compensation Claims assist?
Whilst it is possible to make a claim yourself directly to CICA, it can be beneficial to seek the assistance of a specialist Solicitor to make a claim on your behalf. An experienced solicitor can help you determine and calculate your losses to ensure you receive the correct settlement level as well as helping you arrange any private medical treatment required.
Click here to make your Criminal Injury Compensation Claim and we ask specialist CICA Solicitors to contact you, without obligation, to assist you with your claim.