Do not wait for the outcome of the Court Hearing to bring your case. The CICA must receive your application within 1 year and 364 days of the Incident Date. You could therefore be out of time, if you wait for the Court Hearing and then apply. See our CICA time limit calculator for a guide as to whether you are in time to claim.
The two year time limit suggested by the CICA, starts from the date of the incident and an application must be brought within two years of that date. An application made two years to the date, will be deemed out of time. Regardless of the two year time limit, the CICA will expect an application to be made as soon as reasonably practicable, so DO NOT WAIT!
The only exceptions to the 2 year limit are:
- You were under 18 when the incident happened. If that is the case you have 2 years from the date you turn 18. But if you are looking at bringing a claim now and are under 18, you do not need to wait. Indeed the sooner you bring the claim, the easier it is for the CICA to investigate, and that means the sooner they can award compensation.
- You were subject to historic sexual abuse and have not reported it previously. Once you report it, the CICA time limit starts to run. We have had some calls where the abuse happened in 1970s and they have only just reported it to the Police. Those callers can make a claim as the two year time limit has not been breached. We have had other calls, where the abuse only happened 4 years ago, it was reported to the police 3 years ago, and we have to tell the caller the CICA will consider their claim out of time.
- Since the incident you have suffered psychological issues so severe you have not been able to bring your claim. This relies on medical evidence, so you need to have been regularly seeing a Consultant Psychiatrist or Consultant Psychologist. Counselling is not sufficient to get over the CICA 2 year time limit.
See our CICA calculator which will give you a guide as to how much compensation you could receive.
Please call 0113 320 5000 do not delay bringing your claim, as the CICA will use the time limit rules to stop you from claiming.
The duration of a CICA claim can vary, but on average, it takes between 12 to 18 months to settle. Some claims may be resolved more quickly if the police investigation is complete and all necessary medical evidence is available and up-to-date. For more specific information on the timeline of your claim, consult with our knowledgeable CICA claim solicitors at Winston Solicitors.
This will depend on the circumstances of your injury; however, as a general rule; you have 2 years from the date of the incident to submit an application*. If you are under the age of 18 (or were under the age of 18) when the matter was reported to the police, then you have 2 years from the date of your 18th Birthday. If the criminal injury occurred whilst you were under the age of 18, but the matter was reported to the police as an adult, you have two years from the date the matter was reported to the police.
*There are exceptional circumstances where these time limits can be waived.
Yes. If you are acting on behalf of a person under the age of 18, or for an adult who lacks mental capacity; and you have legal or parental responsibility for that person, you can instruct us on their behalf to claim Criminal Injuries Compensation. Any payments made by the CICA to someone who is either a child, or lacks mental capacity will usually be paid in to a trust. We can also offer our services to assist you in the administration of a trust if required.
