It is designed to compensate victims of violent crime in Great Britain – including victims and survivors of terrorism, and families who have been bereaved by crime.
The scheme provides compensation payments, called ‘awards’. The CICA makes decisions on whether to compensate and the compensation amount that’s awarded.
You might be able to claim compensation if you were the victim of a terrorist attack that took place in England, Scotland or Wales, and:
- you were injured
- a close relative died as a result of crime
- you saw the crime happen or were there immediately afterwards
- you paid for the funeral of a person who died.
Applying for compensation is free of charge. You usually have to claim within two years of the crime being committed, but in some exceptional circumstances, the scheme may accept applications outside of this timeframe.
It’s important not to delay your application, even if there’s a court case that has not finished. You might prefer, or be advised, to wait until the outcome of a case is known, but there’s a risk you’ll miss the deadline for applying
If a court case does not result in a conviction, you may still be able to claim compensation. The CICA scheme is separate from the criminal justice process – your case does not need a conviction to make you eligible.
For bereaved families, more than one relative of the person who died can apply for compensation. To apply, you must be a qualifying relative.
If the terrorist incident happened outside Great Britain
You may be able to apply for compensation in the country where it happened, as each country has its own rules and schemes.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) can advise you about any compensation schemes available there.
A lawyer may be able to help you understand your options and make a claim. The FCDO can support you with finding legal advice locally.
Find out more about support for UK residents affected by terrorism abroad.
How our caseworkers can help
When you access the Support Hub for Victims and Survivors of Terrorism, you may be given a caseworker.
They can support you with:
- finding potential financial assistance or support schemes such as state benefits, grants and compensation.
- dealing with insurance claims, including claims for incidents that have happened abroad.
- applications for benefits and other financial entitlements.
No – your caseworker cannot make an application to the CICA on your behalf but will be able to help and provide information to help you make your own.
If you’re unable to apply or manage your claim yourself, you may need to find someone to make the application on your behalf. This could be a friend, relative or another professional who could help you.
Our caseworkers can also:
- Talk to you about funeral costs and give you information on what financial support may be available to you.
- Give you information about dealing with the financial affairs of the person who died, and the professionals or organisations you may need to contact to inform them of the death.
- Give you information about dealing with the debts of the person who has died, if this applies to you.
You will be able to speak to your Support Hub caseworker if you have any financial worries or difficulties so they can help you through them.
Useful links
You can find out more about the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme at the following GOV.UK links:
You can find out more about compensation for victims of terrorist incidents abroad at the following GOV.UK links: