Sexual Abuse Compensation Guide & Payout Calculator

Up to date information to help you claim for sexual abuse

If you are a victim of sexual abuse either as a child or an adult in the UK you may be eligible to claim criminal injury compensation through a government scheme.

Quick Guide: What you need to know

We are the Criminal Claims Bureau a regulated claims management firm who represent victims of abuse on a NO WIN NO FEE basis in pursuing compensation under the "Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority" (CICA) scheme.

Am I eligible to claim? (CICA Criteria)

There is a government compensation scheme in the UK for victims of violent or sexual crime. The agency that manage the scheme for the government are called the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (or CICA) who are part of the Ministry of Justice.   

Eligibility rules are strictly applied.

To claim under the scheme:

• You must report the crime to the police and there must be a full investigation
• You must cooperate fully with the investigation and assist any prosecution
• You must make your application for compensation WITHIN 2 YEARS of first reporting the abuse to the police

There are some exceptions to the 2 year time limit rule based on for example ill-health grounds but you should not miss the deadline if you can avoid doing so. Even if your police case has not been concluded.

BE AWARE: The CICA refused 62% of applications resolved during the period 2024 / 2025 according to their annual report. This statistic confirms how difficult it can be to win compensation through the scheme. Read the CICA annual report for 2025 here. We provide NO WIN NO FEE legal representation and have excellent success rates.

CICA sexual abuse awards - latest compensation tariff

The following figures are based on the official Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority tariff. These are fixed amounts for specific injuries.

What if you have missed your application deadline?

Sexual abuse victims have 2 years to apply for CICA compensation from the date they first go to the police. There can be many reasons why the 2 year deadline may be missed. We can advise you on how your claim can still be successfully made despite being late.

We have managed to win cases that were delayed by 30 years or more. The key issue is the reason for the delay and whether health problems have contributed. BE AWARE: It is not sufficient to simply argue that you did not know about the scheme or the rule which may have led to a delayed claim. That explanation will not meet the exceptional reason criteria for a late claim being admitted.

We have an excellent track record of winning cases that are outside of the 2 year deadline - get in touch for advice.

Why are so many claims rejected - Top 5 reasons

Unfortunately not all assault or sexual abuse compensation claims will be accepted and there are many applicants who do not receive a penny in compensation. In some instances this has nothing to do with the police evidence but is the result of the CICA and their very strict scheme rules. Here are the top 5 reasons for abuse compensation cases being refused:

1. The applicant has "live" or unspent criminal convictions.
2. The applicant failed to cooperate with the police during the investigation.
3. The CICA claim was submitted too late, in other words after the permitted application deadline.
4. A claim can be refused due to lack of cooperation during the process for example failing to provide required evidence to the CICA.
5. Duplicate claims are not allowed - you can only submit one claim for each criminal case. You do not get to claim twice for the same crime.

Read more here about why claims are refused and here on why unspent criminal convictions can be a serious issue.

Do you need a conviction in court to claim?

You do not have to go to court or succeed in court to make a claim for sexual abuse. However the eligibility test of being able to show that on the "balance of probability" the criminal events occurred, will still need to be met in order for the CICA to make a compensation award.

Cases where the police take no further action

If the police do not proceed with your case and either close the investigation early or the matter is not subject to any court proceedings, as stated above you may still be able to claim. The balance of probability test will need to be met. We see many compensation cases succeeding where the criminal proceedings fail so do not be put off making your application. Non recent abuse cases are hugely difficult. Find out what rights you have if the police decide against prosecuting an offender.

Is it better to await the outcome of the trial before claiming for sexual abuse?

If a case is likely to go to trial some people take the view that it is sensible to consider delaying your rape compensation claim. The main reason for this is that a Defence barrister may raise the question during the trial if a claim has been intimated and the prosecuting legal team may be very wary of this. However the problem here is that the CICA have a 2 year deadline on claiming which runs from the date of the police report of the assault. Most court cases will not be heard within that time. It is therefore a difficult dilemma.

All we can say is that the CICA have very little leniency when looking at delayed applications where a rape trial has prolonged an investigation. This is a very difficult issue to advise on as the claim process is very time sensitive - delays can be prejudicial. CALL FOR ADVICE if you are unsure.

What if you have missed your application deadline?

Sexual abuse victims have 2 years to apply for CICA compensation from the date they first go to the police. As discussed above there can be many reasons why the 2 year deadline may be missed. We can advise you on how your claim can still be successfully made despite being late. We have managed to win cases that were delayed by 30 years or more. The key issue is the reason for the delay and whether health problems have contributed. BE AWARE: It is not sufficient to simply argue that you did not know about the scheme or the rule which may have led to a delayed claim. That explanation will not meet the exceptional reason criteria for a late claim being admitted.

We have an excellent track record of winning cases that are outside of the 2 year deadline - get in touch for advice.

How long do CICA claims for sexual abuse take?

Most claims settle within 12-18 months. However when you submit an abuse case to the CICA you will be given two options regarding the method of how the claim is assessed. This directly affects how long a claim can take to reach a settlement. The CICA ask you to choose whether you wish to settle any eligible case using the police evidence only or the police evidence along with medical evidence. If you have no severe mental health complications then a "police evidence only" option might suit you. This might lead to a settlement within 6 months.

It is strongly recommended you only choose the quicker route if you do not wish to claim for a medical related problem and have no loss of earnings to consider. If you settle the claim without exploring medical evidence you may receive a much lower award than you are entitled to.

Call us to discuss your case today - 01423 593002 by Whatsapp / text 07707 338965 or complete our enquiry form

How to protect your award if you are on DWP means tested benefits

If you are receiving benefits when you are about to settle your sexual abuse claim you need to be aware of the risks involved once you receive a large lump sum (classified as "capital" by the DWP). Any award in excess of £6000 may significantly affect your benefits entitlement. If you receive more than £16000 your means tested benefits can cease immediately. You can avoid losing your benefits by taking out a personal injury trust. We strongly recommend that you seek advice from the DWP and from your legal representative before you settle your claim.