Other Violent Crime Compensation (UK)
Understand how other violent crime compensation is assessed under the CICA scheme, including qualifying conduct, evidence, eligibility and time limits.
Other violent crime compensation may be considered for qualifying violent incidents that do not fit naturally within the dedicated guidance concerning assault, abuse, robbery, knife crime or fatal injury.
The criminal offence recorded by the police does not by itself determine whether an application falls within the Scheme. CICA considers whether the circumstances meet its definition of a crime of violence and whether a qualifying physical injury or disabling mental injury resulted.
The assessment may consider how the incident occurred, whether the conduct was intentional or reckless, when it was reported, the injuries diagnosed, the available police and medical evidence, and whether the relevant eligibility and time-limit rules are met.
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Other violent crime compensation applications often depend on whether the conduct meets the Scheme’s definition and caused an injury recognised by the tariff.
What other violent crime compensation involves
Other violent crime compensation applications generally concerns an incident causing a physical injury or qualifying disabling mental injury that is not more appropriately covered by one of the website’s dedicated CICA guides.
The assessment focuses on what happened, whether the conduct falls within the Scheme’s definition of a crime of violence and how the resulting injuries are treated under the tariff.
Relevant information may include:
- How and where the incident occurred
- Whether the conduct was intentional or reckless
- Whether physical violence or an immediate threat was involved
- Whether fire-raising or another violent act caused injury
- Whether a vehicle or animal was intentionally used to cause injury
- The qualifying physical injuries or disabling mental injuries diagnosed
- When the incident was reported to the police
- The available police and medical information
- How qualifying injuries are treated under the Scheme tariff
The name given to the criminal offence does not by itself determine whether the incident meets the Scheme’s requirements. The circumstances and the connection between the violent conduct and the injury must still be considered.
A conviction is not always required, but the available information must support that a qualifying crime of violence occurred and caused a criminal injury covered by the Scheme.
Other violent crime scenarios
Less common violent incidents may include:
- Deliberate fire or arson attacks
- Acid or corrosive substance attacks
- Deliberate poisoning or harmful substances
- Explosive device attacks
- A vehicle intentionally used to cause injury
- An animal intentionally used to cause injury
- Unlawful confinement involving qualifying violence
Types of injuries and effects
Injuries arising from less common violent incidents may include:
- Burns and corrosive-substance injuries
- Poisoning or harmful-substance injuries
- Fractures and soft-tissue injuries
- Head or internal injuries
- Scarring or lasting physical effects
- Permanent disability or sensory loss
- Qualifying disabling mental injury
What can affect an application
Factors affecting how an application is considered may include:
- How and where the incident occurred
- Evidence of intentional or reckless conduct
- Whether the Scheme’s definition is met
- The timing of the police report
- The nature and severity of the injuries
- Available police and medical information
- Compliance with the current eligibility rules
Common application issues
Matters that may require closer consideration include:
- Incident not meeting the Scheme definition
- Evidence suggesting an accidental event
- Limited evidence about the incident
- Unclear intent involving a vehicle or animal
- Threats outside the Scheme requirements
- Mental injury not meeting the tariff requirements
- Police reporting or time-limit issues
CICA considers the nature of the conduct, whether it was intentional or reckless, the injury caused and the available police and medical information when deciding whether an incident and its effects fall within the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme.
Distinguishing an accident from a qualifying crime of violence may depend on how the incident occurred and whether the conduct was intentional or reckless.
How other violent crime compensation is assessed
Other violent crime compensation is assessed by considering whether the incident involved a qualifying crime of violence and whether it directly caused an injury recognised under the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme.
The assessment may include:
- The circumstances in which the incident occurred
- The nature of the violent conduct
- Whether the act was intentional or reckless
- Whether a threat created fear of immediate violence
- Whether fire-raising or another recognised violent act was involved
- Whether a vehicle or animal was intentionally used to cause injury
- The qualifying physical injury or disabling mental injury sustained
- The medical diagnosis and expected recovery
- Information obtained from the police and other supporting evidence
- The relevant injury entries within the Scheme tariff
- Whether other eligibility requirements are satisfied
The criminal conduct, the injury caused and the applicable tariff entry are considered separately. A serious criminal offence does not automatically result in an injury payment unless the incident and injury meet the Scheme’s requirements.
Where more than one tariff injury qualifies, the Scheme applies its multiple-injury rules. No more than three injury amounts can be included in the injury payment.
Eligibility for other violent crime compensation
Eligibility for other violent crime compensation depends on whether the incident and the applicant meet the current requirements of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme.
Relevant considerations include:
- The incident must meet the Scheme’s definition of a crime of violence
- The incident must have occurred in Great Britain or another relevant place
- The conduct must normally have been intentional or reckless
- Physical injuries must be recognised within the Scheme tariff
- Disabling mental injuries must satisfy the relevant tariff requirements
- Police reporting should take place as soon as reasonably practicable
- Reasonable cooperation is required with the police and CICA
- The applicable residency or nationality conditions must be met
- The application must fall within the relevant time limit
- Conduct, unspent convictions or other Scheme rules may affect an award
An accident, negligent act or damage to property alone does not normally establish eligibility. Injuries involving a vehicle or animal are treated differently unless there was an intention to cause injury.
The offender does not necessarily have to be identified, charged or convicted. CICA must nevertheless be satisfied from the available information that a qualifying violent incident occurred.
A disabling mental injury must have a substantial adverse effect on normal day-to-day activities, last for at least six weeks and be diagnosed by a psychiatrist or clinical psychologist.
Evidence commonly considered
The information required for other violent crime compensation will depend on the nature of the incident, the injury sustained and the payment being considered.
Evidence may include:
- Police crime reference details
- Information obtained from the police and investigation records
- Available witness or incident information
- Evidence explaining how the violent conduct occurred
- Medical records from a hospital, GP or treatment provider
- Records relating to burns, poisoning or other physical injury
- Psychiatric or clinical psychology evidence where a disabling mental injury is claimed
- A diagnosis and prognosis where required by the tariff
- Photographs or other records showing relevant injuries
- Evidence concerning lasting symptoms or disability
- Additional information requested by CICA
Where a vehicle or animal was involved, information about whether it was intentionally used to cause injury may be particularly important.
Not every document will be required in every application. CICA may obtain some information from the police and request further medical or supporting evidence where necessary.
What outcomes may include
The outcome for other violent crime compensation will depend on whether the incident, injury and applicant satisfy the requirements of the Scheme.
Possible outcomes include:
- A tariff payment for a qualifying physical injury
- Consideration of a qualifying disabling mental injury
- Application of the multiple-injury rules
- A request for further police information
- A request for additional medical evidence
- Further enquiries before a decision is made
- A reduced or withheld award where the Scheme permits
- A decision that no payment can be made
- A review where the original decision is challenged
- A subsequent appeal where the relevant procedure applies
The type of violent conduct does not by itself determine the value of an injury payment. The tariff assessment is based on the qualifying injury and its recognised severity or duration.
A review decision can be more favourable, less favourable or unchanged. An appeal is available after the review stage where the applicable requirements are met.
Time limits
An adult application for other violent crime compensation should normally be received as soon as reasonably practicable and within two years of the incident that caused the criminal injury.
Where the injured person was under 18 at the time:
- If the incident was reported before their 18th birthday, the application should normally be received by their 20th birthday
- If it was first reported on or after their 18th birthday, the application should normally be received within two years of that first police report
- A person with parental responsibility may apply on behalf of a child
A time limit may be extended only where exceptional circumstances prevented an earlier application and the available evidence allows the matter to be determined without further extensive enquiries.
The incident must also have been reported to the police as soon as reasonably practicable. Where reporting was delayed, CICA may consider matters such as the applicant’s age, capacity, well-being and the effect of the incident.
There is no need to wait for a police investigation or criminal trial to conclude before an application is made. An extension is not automatic, and the circumstances of a particular delay must be considered under the Scheme.
Other violent crime compensation applications involve several connected questions. The nature of the conduct, whether injury was intended, the recognised injury, available evidence, eligibility and time limits are considered together under the Scheme.
Police information, medical evidence and the recognised injuries can influence how other violent crime compensation applications are assessed under the Scheme.
Final notes
Other violent crime compensation may be considered for qualifying violent conduct that does not fall naturally within the website’s more specific assault, abuse, robbery, knife-crime or fatal-injury guidance.
The name of the criminal offence does not by itself determine whether compensation can be awarded. The conduct must fall within the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme’s definition of a crime of violence, and any resulting physical injury or disabling mental injury must satisfy the relevant tariff requirements.
This distinction can be particularly important where an incident involved arson, a harmful substance, a vehicle, an animal or a threat of immediate violence. Ordinary accidents, negligence and property damage without a qualifying criminal injury are treated differently.
Every application depends on its own circumstances, the available evidence and the current Scheme rules.
For a broader overview of related cases, visit the Criminal Injuries Compensation (CICA) (UK) page.
For the official rules covering crimes of violence, qualifying injuries, eligibility and applications, refer to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2012 (amended) (official Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority guidance – opens an external website).
Further Guidance
Other violent crime injuries form part of the wider Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme where deliberate violent conduct causes a physical or psychological injury recognised under the Scheme. Related guidance explains how assault, weapon-related violence, robbery and fatal criminal incidents may be considered under their more specific rules.
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