A CICA (Criminal Injury Compensation Authority) claim is a claim for compensation made through the Criminal Injury Compensation Scheme.
It is a government funded scheme for innocent victims of violent crime.
The scheme wording, and a guide to the scheme are made available online by the Ministry of Justice. The scheme is intended to be accessible for people to make claims themselves, however many of the sections are deliberately obtuse, or complex for an individual to navigate.
Reasons people struggle with making a CICA claim without help
- A lack of contact/delay from the CICA
- Requests for information you do not have
- No acknowledgement of the human impact of the claim process
- No explanation behind the reason certain requests are made
- No explanation of the complexity of certain aspects of the scheme such as claiming for mental injury, or loss of earnings
- Not having a detailed knowledge and understanding of the scheme
Lack of contact and delays
The CICA can take a very long time to process claims, and many people complain about a lack of contact from them during the process. The CICA will only contact you if they need something from you; they do not routinely give out updates.
Winston Solicitors contact the CICA on all our clients’ cases regularly and we will give you updates at all stages. We have protocols in place to escalate cases that are not moving through the process as they should.
Why does it take the CICA so long?
There are multiple reasons for this including backlogs and caseload volumes at the Authority, as well as delays with police or medical evidence. Understanding the reasons for delays can help reduce these timescales.
Requests for information made by the CICA
The CICA can make requests for information you do not have or fail to acknowledge that they have asked for something which it is particularly painful or traumatic to have to put down in writing.
Winston Solicitors can help with responding to the CICA information requests. We have specialists who can tell you why certain pieces of information have been asked for, and how to frame the response in the best way for your claim. This applies to providing information about your injuries, both physical and mental, as well as other aspects of the case such as loss of earnings.
It is worth noting that there are common reasons why the CICA reject claims. Discussing this with a specialist could help you know which parts of your claim are likely to be successful from the start.
What can Winston Solicitors do for you as your legal representative on a CICA claim?
Winston Solicitors can help make sure your claim stays on track and avoid any unnecessary delays. Understanding why information is being requested, and what is relevant to a claim means we can make sure the right level of detail is sent to the Authority at the right point in the claim.
Our specialists understand that discussing the details of a traumatic event can be difficult, and being questioned about the mental health impact can be stressful.
Have you already started a claim with the CICA but would now like help? Or are you considering whether to make a claim with a legal representative?
Around 20% of all the enquiries we receive about CICA claims are from people who have already started their claim directly with the CICA and now feel they wish they had had a legal representative on board from the start. One client review said:
I initially started the claim by myself but soon realised I needed guidance and support… the process was overwhelming
This client had started his own claim but struggled when the CICA asked about his mental health and his time off work.
A client who Winston Solicitors helped achieve a six-figure award from the CICA for historic abuse, has said:
From the start of my client the CICA made things very difficult for me…I received much contradictory information .. I was under a lot of mental pressure… I did not have the mental strength to deal with all the hoops the CICA seemed to want me to.
Contact us now on 0113 320 5000 or @email
If you are unsure whether to use a legal representative for your CICA claim, please call us and well can discuss how we can help.
Winston Solicitors will consider claims that have already started. If you are still deciding whether to use a legal representative, we can make a difference from the start. When Winston Solicitors submit the initial application on a case, we can ensure the right information is provided to the Authority from the start.
Contact Winston Solicitors today on 0113 320 5000 or email @email and a specialist CICA claims team member will be happy to speak to you.
