Advice for victims of abuse
Making a CICA claim for abuse
If you’ve suffered any form of physical or sexual abuse, you may be entitled to compensation from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA).
Whether the abuse happened as an adult or child, we can help you make a claim to the CICA for compensation.
Being abused is understandably very difficult to talk about. We can offer dedicated male or female claims handlers to support you throughout your claim.
We will guide you through every step of the compensation process, liaising on your behalf with the CICA.
Settlements range from £1,000 to £500,000 and are funded by taxpayers.
If you satisfy the criteria, the amount of compensation you receive will be assessed from a set tariff – brackets which the settlement amounts fall under – ranging from £1,000 to £500,000.
In cases which involve significant long-term psychological damage, payments can be substantially higher, and our solicitors will be able to advise you on this very specific and more complex area of the claims process.
Your pay-out will depend on the type of injuries you have sustained, but some of the most common awards received are:
| Examples of the most common serious assault awards received include: | |
|---|---|
| £4,600 | Depressed fracture of the skull requiring an operation |
| £6,200 | Fracture to the jaw requiring surgery with a continuing significant disability |
| £11,000 | Strained neck or whiplash, seriously disabling or permanent |
| £11,000 | Nose total loss of smell or taste |
| £11,000 | Severe burns |
| £16,500 | Minor Brain Injury lasting 6 months – 2 years |
| £22,000 | Significant brain injury lasting 2 years or more |
| £22,000 | Loss of sight (One eye) |
| £33,000 | Loss of sight (One eye, where the sight in the uninjured eye cannot be corrected better than 6/36) |
| Moderate brain damage (Some dependence on others, intellectual deficit, personality change, ability to work reduced, some effect on the sesnes) |
|
| £27,000 | – Slight |
| £55,000 | – Moderate |
| £82,000 | – Significant |
| £110,000 | Loss of sight (Both eyes) |
| £110,000 | Moderately severe brain damage |
| £175,000 | Very serious brain injury (Severe physical limitation, significant effect on the senses with little insight or significant reduction in life expectancy. Little or no meaningful response to the environment, little or no language function, double incontinence and need for full-time or all day care and some night nursing care.) |
| £250,000 | Very serious brain injury (No useful physical movement, significant effect on the senses and with some degree of insight. Little or no meaningful response to the environment, little or no language function, double incontinence and need for full-time nursing care.) |
| The pattern of repetitive incidents, non-consensual penile penetration over a period of time. | |
| £6,500 | Up to 3 years |
| £22,000 | Over 3 years |
| Physical, Domestic and Sexual Abuse | |
| £1,000 | Minor sexual assault, non-penetrative sexual physical act(s) over clothing |
| £2,000 | Serious sexual assault, non-penetrative sexual physical act(s) under clothing |
| £3,300 | Severe sexual assault, non-penile penetrative or oral-genital act(s) |
| £5,500 | A pattern of repetitive violence resulting in minor disfigurement |
| £8,200 | A persistent pattern of severe abuse lasting more than 3 years |
| £22,000 | Resulting in serious internal bodily injuries |
| Psychological Injuries as a result of Sexual Abuse | |
| £6,200 | Lasting 2 years or more up to 5 years |
| £13,500 | Lasting 5 years or more but not permanent |
| £19,000 | Permanent and moderately disabling |
| £27,000 | Permanent and seriously disabling |
To start a claim with the CICA the abuse committed against you needs to have been reported to the police.
For most sexual assaults, the compensation awarded by the CICA is based upon the evidence in a police report, not your medical history. This is because, despite the serious nature of these offences, there often isn’t any actual medical evidence.
If medical evidence is available, we can advise you whether to submit it and explain how it could benefit your case. Sometimes it can mean your claim takes longer to deal with, but it may help you receive thousands more in compensation if psychological injury can be established.
Before applying to the CICA, we strongly recommend seeking expert legal advice because the evidence your case relies upon really does matter.
You can still apply even if the perpetrator was never identified, charged or convicted or has since died.
If you were abused by someone you lived with you can claim compensation under the CICA scheme.
The scrapping of the unjust ‘same roof rule’ in June 2019, which had previously denied people abused by those they lived with from claiming compensation (if the abuse happened before 1 October 1979), has paved the way for thousands of people to make new claims or appeal those previously rejected under the law.
If you have previously been denied a settlement or told not to pursue a case due to the ‘same roof rule’, get in touch to start your claim.
Knowing when to apply is crucial and it is important to fully understand your rights.
In most cases, your claim must be received by the CICA within two years of the date the assault took place, or in cases of domestic or sexual abuse or assault, within 2 years from when the matter was reported to the police.
If you were assaulted or abused as a minor, a claim must be brought before your 20th birthday.
There are exceptions to this rule, particularly in cases of physical or sexual assault or abuse, so we strongly recommend seeking expert legal advice if you feel you claim may be out of time.
We advise not to wait for the outcome of a police investigation, court hearing or criminal case, before applying to the CICA.
It might feel like the ‘right’ thing to do, but from a legal perspective there is no reason to if the criminal case takes more than two years (which they can), you could miss out on compensation if the time limit for claiming has passed.
No. Although you may be required to attend any criminal trial held as part of the police investigation into the abuse against you, it stands completely separate to civil proceedings and no court appearance forms part of the CICA process.
Where we have advised you to file a Notice of Appeal, it may be necessary to attend an Appeal Tribunal hearing in your local area, but we will represent you at that hearing.
Get FREE Expert CICA Claim Advice
As specialists in making CICA claims, one of our legal experts will be able to guide you through the process.
CICA Microsite - Claim Form
cica_claim_form
The data you submit will only be used by Hudgell Solicitors and only for the purpose of dealing with your enquiry. See full privacy policy.