Who are the CICA?
The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority is a government run body that provides a free service to people who have been the victim of a violent crime. They are responsible for administering the Criminal Injuries Compensation scheme in England, Wales and Scotland. They are also a part of the Ministry of Justice and provide a service on behalf of the Scottish Government.
Do you qualify to make a claim through the CICA?
Before you consider making a claim, you will need to find out if you are eligible; this means that you will need to know if your circumstances fit the necessary criteria. You will find specific information and advice which we as expert lawyers are more than happy to provide you!
How can you apply?
There are three ways to apply to make a CICA claim;
Online: The CICA provide the necessary forms on their website, the form may take around 30 minutes to complete, provided that you have all the relevant information to hand.
Through Victim Support: Victim Support is a charity who offer help and support for anyone who has been a victim of crime. You can fill in a CICA form with the help of Victim Support.
By Post: You can apply to make a compensation claim to the CICA by post.
Representation
You may wish to consider having some kind of representation before going ahead and making a claim to the CICA. There are a number of benefits to think about when considering representation: First of all you will have the confidence in knowing that you claim is in the hands of a professional – that way you can achieve maximum compensation through the help and guidance of a personal injury solicitor. The solicitor will have the required experience and knowledge, so will therefore be able to advise you of which paths and processes are best for you. A PI solicitor will be able to keep you up to date on the progress of your claim as they will liaise with the CICA on a regular basis to monitor the stages of your claim. If you would like to speak to one of our PI solicitors for free legal advice the feel free to give us a call; we will be more than willing to help in any way possible.
