Child Abuse Compensation (UK)
Understand how child abuse compensation is assessed under the CICA scheme, including physical or sexual abuse, reporting history, evidence, eligibility and time limits.
Child abuse compensation applications may involve physical abuse, sexual abuse or other qualifying violent conduct experienced during childhood. The abuse may involve a single incident or repeated conduct occurring over a longer period.
The Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme considers the conduct involved and any qualifying physical injury, disabling mental injury or applicable abuse category under its eligibility and tariff rules. The identity of the person responsible or their relationship to the child does not by itself determine the outcome.
An assessment may consider the person’s age when the abuse occurred, whether an application is made during childhood or later in adulthood, when the matter was reported to the police, the available medical evidence and the relevant application time limits.
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Child abuse compensation applications may be affected by the person’s age when the abuse occurred, when it was reported and whether the application is made during childhood or later in adulthood.
What child abuse compensation involves
A child abuse compensation application generally focuses on the abuse experienced while the person was under 18, the circumstances in which it occurred and whether it caused an injury recognised under the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme.
The application may concern physical abuse, sexual abuse or other qualifying violent conduct. Abuse may involve one incident or repeated conduct over time, but the assessment centres on the relevant Scheme provisions and the resulting injury rather than the relationship between the child and the person responsible.
The assessment often focuses on:
- The nature and circumstances of the abuse
- The person’s age when the abuse occurred
- Whether there was one incident or repeated abuse
- When the matter was reported to the police
- The physical injuries sustained
- Any qualifying disabling mental injury
- The available police, medical and other records
- Whether the current Scheme requirements are met
A charge or conviction is not the sole test. CICA considers the available evidence separately from the criminal proceedings and assesses whether the application meets the requirements of the Scheme.
Different tariff provisions may apply depending on whether the application concerns physical abuse, sexual abuse, another qualifying injury or a combination of recognised injuries.
Types of abuse and relevant circumstances
Abuse experienced during childhood may involve:
- Physical abuse during childhood
- Sexual abuse during childhood
- A single incident of violent abuse
- Repeated violent abuse over time
- Abuse involving a family member or caregiver
- Abuse by a person in a position of trust
- Abuse connected with an institutional setting
Types of child abuse-related injury
Injuries arising from abuse during childhood may include:
- Bruising, fractures and other physical injuries
- Head, facial or dental injuries
- Scarring or lasting physical effects
- Internal injuries where applicable
- Permanent physical disability
- Qualifying disabling mental injury
- Injury resulting from sexual abuse
What can affect an application
Factors that may affect how an application is assessed include:
- The person’s age when the abuse occurred
- Whether the person remains under 18
- Who is making the application
- When the matter was reported to the police
- The nature and severity of the injury
- The medical diagnosis and duration of symptoms
- The available evidence and current Scheme rules
Common application issues
Issues that may arise in these applications include:
- Abuse not reported when it occurred
- Limited historical police information
- Limited childhood medical records
- Abuse occurring over an extended period
- Applications made later in adulthood
- Evidence created at different stages
- Questions concerning evidence or time limits
Child abuse compensation applications can vary depending on the circumstances of the abuse, the person’s age when it occurred, the resulting injury, when the matter was reported and the evidence available under the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme.
Applications involving abuse experienced during childhood may depend on child-specific Scheme rules, reporting history and evidence created at different stages.
How child abuse compensation is assessed
Child abuse compensation applications are generally assessed by considering the abuse experienced during childhood, any resulting injury and whether the requirements of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme have been met.
This may include:
- Whether the conduct falls within the current Scheme
- The person’s age when the abuse occurred
- Whether there was one incident or repeated abuse
- The circumstances in which the matter was reported
- Police information relating to the reported abuse
- The nature and duration of the resulting injuries
- Any relevant medical diagnosis or prognosis
- Assessment under the applicable tariff categories
The abuse, any resulting injury and the tariff assessment are separate considerations. Physical abuse, sexual abuse and qualifying disabling mental injury may be treated under different parts of the Scheme.
Repeated abuse does not automatically result in a higher payment. Where a pattern of abuse is relevant, CICA considers the nature of the incidents, the period over which they occurred and the applicable tariff entry.
Eligibility for child abuse compensation
Eligibility for child abuse compensation depends on whether the abuse, the resulting injury and the applicant meet the requirements of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme.
Common eligibility considerations include:
- Whether a qualifying crime of violence occurred
- Whether the incident happened in England, Scotland, Wales or another relevant place
- Whether the abuse or resulting injury is recognised under the Scheme
- Whether the matter was reported to the police
- The circumstances surrounding any reporting delay
- Compliance with the relevant application time limit
- The applicable residency or nationality requirements
- Reasonable cooperation with police and CICA enquiries
Where the person remains under 18, an application may be completed on their behalf by someone with parental responsibility. CICA may request information confirming that person’s authority to act.
The person responsible for the abuse does not have to be identified, prosecuted or convicted. The relationship between the child and that person does not by itself determine eligibility.
Not every incident involving abuse during childhood automatically qualifies. The full circumstances and all relevant Scheme requirements must be considered.
Evidence commonly considered
CICA may consider information from several sources when assessing abuse experienced during childhood and any resulting injury.
Common forms of evidence for child abuse compensation include:
- The police crime reference number
- Information obtained from the police and investigation records
- Information about when the abuse was reported
- Details explaining any delay in reporting
- GP, hospital or dental records
- Records of physical injuries or lasting effects
- Psychiatric or clinical-psychology evidence where a disabling mental injury is claimed
- A diagnosis or prognosis where required by the tariff
- Records created while the person was a child
- Relevant records created later in adulthood
- Social care or safeguarding records where available
- Information requested during the assessment
The evidence required will depend on the nature of the application. No single type of childhood record is required in every case, and the absence of one record does not by itself determine the outcome.
CICA generally obtains information from the police and may request further medical or specialist evidence where the injuries or their lasting effects require additional assessment.
A disabling mental injury must meet the relevant tariff requirements. Temporary anxiety or distress alone is not treated as a qualifying mental injury under the Scheme.
What outcomes may include
The outcome for child abuse compensation will depend on the abuse considered, the available evidence, the resulting injury and whether the Scheme requirements have been met.
Possible outcomes include:
- A tariff payment for a qualifying physical injury
- A tariff payment under a recognised physical-abuse category
- A tariff payment relating to qualifying sexual abuse
- Consideration of a qualifying disabling mental injury
- Consideration of more than one injury under the applicable rules
- A request for further police or medical information
- Further enquiries before a decision is made
- A decision that no award can be made
- A review or appeal where a decision is challenged
Where a mental injury results from sexual abuse, the Scheme generally permits payment for either the mental injury or the sexual-offence tariff, depending on which produces the higher payment, rather than payment for both.
Where more than one separate injury qualifies, the Scheme’s multiple-injury rules determine how those injuries are treated. The existence or duration of abuse alone does not determine the payment.
Time limits
Special time limit rules apply for child abuse compensation where the person was under 18 when the abuse occurred. The Scheme generally requires an application to be made as soon as reasonably practicable.
Where the abuse was reported to the police before the person’s 18th birthday, the application must generally be received by their 20th birthday.
Where the abuse was first reported to the police on or after the person’s 18th birthday, the application must generally be received within two years of that first police report.
These rules can apply whether the application concerns physical abuse, sexual abuse or another qualifying incident experienced during childhood. A person with parental responsibility may apply while the injured person remains under 18.
Non-recent abuse may still be considered, but an extension is not automatic. CICA must usually be satisfied that exceptional circumstances meant an earlier application could not have been made and that the available evidence allows the case to be determined without extensive further enquiries.
The CICA time limits are separate from the limitation rules applying to civil compensation proceedings. Changes affecting civil child-abuse cases do not by themselves alter the deadlines under the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme.
Understanding how child abuse compensation is assessed can help clarify how age at the time of the abuse, reporting history, recognised injuries, available evidence, eligibility and time limits are considered together.
Where abuse is reported later in adulthood, child-specific time limits, the circumstances of reporting and evidence from different periods may all be relevant.
Final notes
Child abuse compensation applications can concern physical abuse, sexual abuse or other qualifying violent conduct experienced while the person was under 18.
The Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme considers the conduct involved and any resulting injury recognised under its current tariff. The identity or relationship of the person responsible does not by itself determine the outcome.
Abuse may be reported during childhood or later in adulthood. The person’s age when it occurred and when it was first reported can affect which application rules and time limits apply.
Physical injuries and qualifying disabling mental injuries are assessed under the relevant tariff requirements. Temporary emotional effects do not automatically qualify, and not every incident involving abuse will result in an award.
Every application depends on the available evidence and the full eligibility requirements of the Scheme.
For a broader overview of related cases, visit the Criminal Injuries Compensation (CICA) (UK) page.
For official information about physical abuse of children, sexual offences and qualifying injury payments, refer to Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme – injury payments (official Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority guidance – opens an external website).
Further Guidance
Injuries arising from child abuse form part of the wider Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme where physical abuse, sexual abuse or other qualifying violence causes an injury recognised under the Scheme. Related guidance explains how sexual abuse, domestic abuse, assault and other violent crime injuries may be considered in different circumstances.
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