CICA claim time limits - too late to claim?
If you have been injured as a result of a violent or sexual assault (or abuse) in the UK you may be able to claim compensation subject to eligibility and certain time limits. On this page we discuss the time limit or deadline that applies in such cases.
All claims for criminal injury compensation are subject to strict deadlines. You must ensure you make your claim to the government wherever possible before the permitted application period which is usually 2 years from the crime, or in sexual assault or abuse cases, 2 years of reporting the matter to the police. The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) who manage the governments assault and abuse compensation scheme will challenge any claim made outside of the deadline.
Is your application late? Find out if your time limit for claiming criminal injuries compensation has expired - use our deadline calculator tool to estimate your application period. Read more here about why some claims are rejected by the CICA.
If you are about to make a criminal injury claim following an assault or sexual crime you need to be aware of the deadline imposed on each claim. The general rule when making a criminal injury claim is that you must submit your application to the CICA within 2 years of the date of the incident / event or the date you notified the police of the crime.
The rule is slightly different when dealing with cases of sexual abuse or sexual assault. If you were a victim of sexual abuse as a child you have 2 years from reaching the age of 18 to make an application if no claim has been made on your behalf as a child. If your case involves a single one off incident you may wish to view our rape assault page.
If the sexual abuse or assault was not reported to the police when you were a child but you have since reported it as an adult, you would have 2 years from the date of reporting to apply for criminal compensation. This often applies in cases of historical abuse as it can be difficult for victims to come forward.
For any victims under the age of 18 you have until your 20th birthday to submit your application.
What if the two year time limit has passed?
Firstly please use our CICA deadline calculator below to work out your case specific time limit.
If a claim is made after the 2 year time limit the CICA will look at the reasons for making a late application. In some cases the CICA can consider waiving the time limit however the time limits are usually strictly applied. Please read our advice page here which discusses the subject of a delayed claim in more detail.
PLEASE SEEK ADVICE BEFORE YOU CLAIM - we can help in many different cases to manage a delayed application to the CICA but you must speak to us before submitting your claim to avoid damaging your prospects.
There would normally need to be an exceptional reason preventing someone from making a claim within the time limit. For example, a psychological injury where your symptoms are serious enough to have affected your ability to make a claim. It is not reasonable to expect someone with severe health issues to submit a claim within such a short time frame and fortunately the CICA accept this in many instances.
OUT OF TIME FOR CLAIMING? - Get in touch - Many cases can be successfully appealed.
Call us to discuss your case today - 01423 593002 by Whatsapp / text 07707 338965 or complete our enquiry form
