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.

What is the CICA?

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.

5 common reasons that CICA claims are rejected

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.

Client feedback

I had a great experience with Winston Solicitors. They were professional, responsive, and guided me through the entire process with ease. I felt supported and informed at every step, and I’m very pleased with the outcome. I highly recommend their services to anyone in need of legal assistance!

Rochelle

Excellent communication and organised in resolving issue.

Anonymous

Good solicitor

Mahdi

Winston solicitors are very helpful they tell you every what they do and they contact you fast and easy method very friendly thank you very much for your help and sporting

Katrina

Winston Solicitors and specifically Heidi Stewart and her team have been outstanding from start to finish when completing my CICA claim. Although the claim has taken a long time due to the complexity, Heidi has provided updates on the claim at least every 4-6 weeks and has had complete transparency throughout, any questions are answered promptly and they’re usually available to speak to on the phone whenever you require.

Anonymous

Keertan was very informative and answered all my questions with no problems. Managed all my expectations perfectly and still got me the result even though it was a bit harder. Would recommend to anyone!

Sephora

Keertan was so helpful & understanding, she spoke through everything & kept me in the loop, highly recommend. Thank you Keertan xx

Jessica

I instructed Winstons to assist me in a CiCA application. Keertan and Heidi made it a stress free process. The communication was amazing and all conversations were done in a sensitive and compassionate way. The knowledge and advice I received was comprehensive but helped me understand each stage of the process. I needed an out of time waiver and was so grateful that they achieved this and I received and award that accounted for all of the offences. I could not recommend them enough. Thank you so much for your help.

Victoria