What compensation does CICA pay?

At a glance

• The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority pays financial awards to blameless victims of violent crime in Great Britain.
• Claims must be submitted within a strict two-year time limit from the date of the incident.
• While maximum payouts can reach £250,000, the average CICA compensation award sits at £10,548.93.
• Where you have several qualifying injuries, the CICA uses a formula that pays 100% for the highest-valued injury, 30% for the second and 15% for the third.
• Mental trauma claims require a formal diagnosis from a Consultant Psychiatrist or Clinical Psychologist rather than a GP.
• An unspent criminal conviction can reduce or prevent an award, depending on the sentence imposed.

Recovering from a violent crime can leave you dealing with much more than the immediate injury.

You may be struggling with physical pain, psychological trauma, time away from work or unexpected costs while trying to rebuild your life.

The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) provides compensation to eligible victims of violent crime in Great Britain.

But working out CICA compensation amounts isn’t always a straightforward task. The Scheme uses fixed injury tariffs and separate rules for multiple injuries, loss of earnings and other expenses.

We’re here to help you understand what CICA can pay and how the different parts of an award are calculated.

What is the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority?

The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority administers the government-funded Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme.

It covers England, Scotland and Wales and can make payments for:

• Physical injuries
• Disabling mental injuries
• Sexual or physical abuse
• Loss of earnings
• Certain special expenses
• Bereavement and dependency following a death caused by violent crime
• Funeral expenses

Your injury must appear within the Scheme’s tariff and you must meet the eligibility requirements. CICA will also consider factors including whether the incident was reported to the police, your cooperation with the authorities, your conduct and any relevant unspent convictions.

How long do you have to apply?

If you were 18 or over when the crime happened, CICA must receive your application within two years of the incident.

CICA can accept a later application only where:

• Exceptional circumstances meant you couldn’t apply earlier
• The evidence is strong enough for CICA to decide the claim without extensive further enquiries

If you were under 18 when the crime happened, different deadlines apply.

If the crime was reported to the police before your 18th birthday, CICA must receive your application by your 20th birthday.

If it was first reported to the police after you turned 18, you have two years from the date of the first police report.

The CICA tariff table: how much could you receive?

The amount of compensation you can claim is set by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2012. This framework uses a fixed tariff table to assign values to different physical and psychological injuries.

You might see some firms advertising a maximum payout of £500,000. However, these top-tier awards are very rare and reserved for the most catastrophic, life-altering injuries. In reality, the vast majority of successful claims receive lower amounts, with the average CICA award sitting at £10,548.93.

We can help you understand where your injuries fall on the tariff table to make sure your application is accurate. Here’s a look at how the standard bands compare:

How does the CICA calculate multiple injuries?

If you’ve suffered more than one injury during a single violent crime, you might assume you can simply add the tariff values together. Unfortunately, the scheme doesn’t work that way.

Instead, it uses a strict formula to determine your final payout. This is known as the “100-30-15” rule, which limits the amount of compensation you can receive for secondary and tertiary injuries.

Here is how the calculation works:

• First injury: You’ll receive 100% of the tariff value for your most serious injury.
• Second injury: You’ll receive 30% of the standard tariff value for your second most serious injury.
• Third injury: You’ll receive 15% of the standard tariff value for your third most serious injury.
• Additional injuries: Any further injuries beyond your top three aren’t financially compensated.

Why your GP’s diagnosis of mental trauma is not enough

Many victims of violent crime suffer deep, long-lasting psychological trauma. Sometimes this happens alongside physical injuries, and sometimes on its own.

If you’re claiming for mental trauma, a supportive letter from your GP or counsellor won’t be enough for the authority. Instead, the scheme requires a formal diagnosis from a registered Consultant Psychiatrist or Clinical Psychologist.

They must confirm that your psychological injury is a direct result of the crime and that it severely impacts your daily life. We know how difficult it is to arrange these assessments on your own, so we’re here to help you secure the right specialist medical appointments.

What is the CICA unspent conviction rule?

An unspent criminal conviction can directly affect whether you receive compensation.

CICA won’t make an award if you have an unspent conviction that resulted in:

• A custodial sentence
• A community order
• A youth rehabilitation order
• Service detention
• Removal from His Majesty’s Service
• A sentence excluded from rehabilitation
• An equivalent qualifying sentence imposed elsewhere

If your unspent conviction resulted in another type of sentence, CICA will withhold or reduce the award unless there are exceptional reasons not to.

This rule applies if the conviction is unspent when you apply or if you’re convicted before CICA makes its final decision.

That’s why unspent convictions are one of the top reasons CICA claims are refused.

If you have a criminal record, tell us about it when we assess your claim. We’ll check whether the conviction is spent and explain exactly how it affects your eligibility.

Protecting your payout: loss of earnings and benefit rules

CICA compensation can include more than the injury tariff.

If your injuries are serious enough, you can also claim loss of earnings and specific special expenses.

How CICA calculates loss of earnings

CICA pays loss of earnings where your criminal injury leaves you incapable of paid work, or with such limited capacity that you can’t perform regular paid work.

Your loss must last more than 28 full weeks.

CICA pays nothing for the first 28 weeks.

Your loss of earnings payment starts from week 29 and continues until the earliest of:

• The date you’re capable of paid work again
• State Pension age
• Your expected end of life, where the injury has reduced your life expectancy

CICA calculates the payment using the Statutory Sick Pay rate in force on the date it decides your claim. It doesn’t replace your actual salary.

So if you earned £700 a week before the crime, CICA won’t reimburse £700 a week in lost wages.

You’ll also need evidence of your employment and earnings, such as:

• Payslips
• A P60
• A formal job offer you couldn’t take up because of the injury
• Tax returns if you’re self-employed

What special expenses can CICA pay?

You can claim special expenses if your injury has left you unable to work, without earning capacity or similarly incapacitated for more than 28 weeks.

Unlike loss of earnings, qualifying special expenses can be paid from the date of the injury.

CICA can pay for specific costs including:

• Physical aids damaged in the attack, such as spectacles, dentures or walking sticks
• Certain NHS treatment-related costs
• Specialist equipment
• Home adaptations
• Care or supervision in qualifying cases
• The cost of setting up a trust where CICA directs that one is required

The cost must be:

• Necessary because of the criminal injury
• Reasonable
• Unavailable free from another source

Safeguarding your means-tested benefits

A CICA compensation payment can affect means-tested benefits if you leave the money in ordinary savings.

For Universal Credit, personal injury compensation is ignored for the first 12 months after you receive it.

After those 12 months, compensation held in a properly established trust continues to be disregarded as capital.

The Universal Credit capital limits are:

• £6,000 or less: Your capital doesn’t reduce your Universal Credit.
• More than £6,000 but no more than £16,000: Your Universal Credit is reduced.
• More than £16,000: You aren’t entitled to Universal Credit.

If you have between £6,000 and £16,000, Universal Credit is reduced by £4.35 per month for every £250, or part of £250, above £6,000.

A Personal Injury Trust can therefore be important if your award would take you above the capital limits.

Get advice before moving your compensation so the trust is set up and managed correctly.

What happens if you disagree with CICA’s decision?

You can challenge a CICA decision if your application is refused or you believe the amount is wrong.

The first step is a review.

You have 56 days from the date of CICA’s original decision to ask for a review in writing and provide any additional evidence you want considered.

A different CICA claims officer will review the decision.

The review can result in:

• A higher award
• The same award
• A lower award
• No award at all

CICA can extend the 56-day review deadline by up to another 56 days where exceptional circumstances justify it. That extension can only be granted once.

If you still disagree after the review, you can appeal to the First-tier Tribunal.

You have 90 days from the date of the review decision to submit your appeal.

The Tribunal can:

• Uphold CICA’s decision
• Increase your award
• Reduce your award
• Decide you should receive nothing
• Send the case back to CICA for reconsideration

If you believe your claim has been wrongly rejected or undervalued, we can help you understand the CICA appeals process and what evidence could strengthen your case.

Get expert legal support today

While the CICA scheme exists to support blameless victims of violent crime, navigating the rules can feel overwhelming when you’re trying to recover. Getting the right specialist evidence and understanding the real value of your claim are key to securing fair compensation.

If you feel the authority’s initial decision is unfair, you can challenge it. Our team can guide you through the CICA appeals process to help you get the outcome you deserve.

We’re here to simplify this journey, handling the legal weight so you don’t have to go through it alone.

We’ll listen to what happened, assess your injuries and explain exactly which parts of the CICA Scheme apply to you.

Eligible criminal injuries compensation claims can be handled on a no win, no fee basis. Terms apply.

Ready to talk? Get in touch with Injury Lawyers 4u for a free, confidential assessment of your potential claim.

FAQs about CICA compensation amounts

How long does a CICA appeal take?

CICA doesn’t set a fixed completion time for reviews or Tribunal appeals.

The deadlines for you are fixed.

You have:

• 56 days from the original decision to request a CICA review
• 90 days from the review decision to appeal to the First-tier Tribunal

A CICA review can result in a higher award, lower award, the same award or no award.

Can I get CICA compensation if my attacker wasn’t convicted?

Yes.

Your attacker doesn’t need to be convicted, prosecuted or identified before CICA can compensate you.

You must report the crime to the police and cooperate with the investigation. CICA then decides your application under the rules of the Scheme using the available evidence.

Does CICA pay for historical abuse?

Yes.

If you were under 18 when the abuse happened and it was reported to the police before your 18th birthday, CICA must receive your application by your 20th birthday.

If it wasn’t reported until after you turned 18, CICA must receive your application within two years of the first police report.

CICA can extend these deadlines where exceptional circumstances prevented an earlier application and the claim can still be determined without extensive further enquiries.

What is the maximum CICA compensation amount?

The maximum payment for a single tariff injury is £250,000.

The maximum total award is £500,000 when eligible loss of earnings and special expenses are included.

How much does CICA pay for PTSD?

CICA doesn’t have a separate tariff headed specifically “PTSD”. PTSD is compensated under the disabling mental injury tariff.

The current amounts are:

• 6 to 28 weeks: £1,000
• 28 weeks to 2 years: £2,400
• 2 to 5 years: £6,200
• 5 years or more but not permanent: £13,500
• Permanent and moderately disabling: £19,000
• Permanent and seriously disabling: £27,000

The condition must be confirmed by a psychiatrist or clinical psychologist.

Does CICA pay your full lost wages?

No.

CICA pays nothing for the first 28 weeks of lost earnings.

From week 29, qualifying loss of earnings is calculated using the Statutory Sick Pay rate in force when CICA decides your claim, not your previous salary