Our easy to follow guide on how to make a CICA claim
What is the CICA?
If you have been the victim of a crime of violence including sexual offences and abuse, you may be eligible to make a claim under the government’s Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) Scheme.
This is a government funded scheme which, if the applicant satisfies various eligibility criteria, will pay an amount of compensation to them.
A claim under the CICA can be made alongside any criminal prosecution of the perpetrator of the crim. A CICA claim can even be made where the perpetrator cannot be traced.
You do not need to have a solicitor or lawyer to make a CICA application. You can easily apply yourself and you dont have to pay any fees.
How to make a CICA claim online
To make a CICA claim simply go to the government’s website at www.gov.uk and check out the section that deals with making a new CICA claim. From here you can make your claim online.
When making a CICA claim you may need to provide:
- the date of the crime and where it took place
- the police station you reported the crime to
- the crime reference number you were given
- the name and address of you GP and/or dentist
- details of any applications you have previously made to the CICA
- details of any unspent criminal convictions that you have
There is an official government operated CICA helpline that you can contact if you need help with making the application because you lack computer skills or don’t have internet access. You can call this on 0300 003 3601.
You also have the option of asking a friend or relative to make the application on your behalf.
Using a specialist CICA solicitor
While it isn’t compulsory to appoint a solicitor, there are some very good reasons why you may choose to do so. For example:
- If you are applying outside the usual time limit for making your application you will need to satisfy the CICA that they should extend the time limit as set out in the scheme. This may include obtaining medical evidence and knowing exactly what the grounds for an extension of time are. The CICA often rejects applications due to the timescale and we have an excellent track record of successfully arranging for time limits to be extended.
- The amount of compensation you receive may not be sufficient given the injuries and losses you have suffered. We have assisted many applicants who had been made a low offer because, for instance, the CICA did not allow anything for psychological injury or lost earnings. In one case we helped a client increase his offer from around £7k to over £40k. In another the offer was increased from £22k to £242k.
- It can be time-consuming and stressful to navigate the requirements of the CICA process and to deal with the evidence that will be needed to maximise your compensation. A lawyer can do this for you.
- Having a lawyer on board will also take pressure off you. We can deal with all correspondence and do what is needed to recover the compensation, so you don’t need to worry about it.
- You will have protection when using a qualified lawyer. We are obliged to have insurance and procedures in place to guarantee the quality of our advice and work, meaning you can be assured that you will receive good service and the right level of compensation.
Our specialist CICA claim lawyers have a tremendous track record of success and are able to work on a No Win, No Fee basis.
Contact us for a chat
We hope you found this brief guide on how to make a CICA claim helpful.
If at any stage of the process you feel you would like to appoint a specialist CICA lawyer to deal with your claim then contact our team of experts for a chat about how we can help you. Call free on 0333 888 0404 or email us at [email protected]
