Do not wait for the outcome of the Court Hearing to bring your case. The CICA must receive your application within 2 years 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.
We speak to many victims of crime every day, who say they are waiting for the Court outcome, and sometimes we have to give them the bad news, that they are out of time. Do not let it be you, make your claim as soon as you can. The two year CICA time limit starts from the date of the incident.
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.
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.
Each case is assessed on its own merits and the length of your claim will depend on a number of factors; including, but not limited to: whether the police are able to release your report immediately, whether there is ongoing medical treatment and your overall cooperation with the process. In some cases, the CICA can reach a decision within 12 weeks of an application being submitted although on average, the majority of cases take between 12 and 18 months.