The Claim

How To Claim

Claims to the CICA are made by a paper or via an online application. If completing the application online you will be asked to register and log in which means that if you don’t finish the application in one go it can be stored for 60 days before being deleted. We would suggest that you download and print off and copy of the CICA form which you can do here:

http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/global/forms/cica/compensation-following-single-incident.pdf

This form is only in relation to a single assault. If it isn’t relevant to you then please contact us and we’ll point you in the right direction.

The information that you should have to hand before completing the form is:

• The contact details of anyone who provided medical attention.
• The police reference number (Crime Reference Number  (CRN)– Contact the police if you’re not sure on this. You should be issued a CRN when you report the crime. )
• The date of any Court case
• The name of any offender

The more information you can provide and the clearer the explanation of events you can give the easier the CICA will find it to process your application. It can sometimes be difficult to decide what is relevant and what isn’t but any of the volunteers at Student-Law.co.uk will be able to help you with completing the application form if you are unsure on what to put. We can be contacted on 01392 423000 or by email at info@student-law.co.uk.

How long does it take?

Once the application is submitted the CICA give you a personal reference number. They will then contact the police and any doctors or others who might be able to give them information about the clam. The initial police report will give the CICA an indication of the likely outcome and also whether or not further investigations are required. The CICA should keep you informed of any progress but they have a bit of a reputation for being slow.

The CICA website says that it should take a year or more to make a final decision. Complex cases obviously take longer.

You can get updates by phoning their helpline on 0300 0033601. Make sure you have your reference number to hand when you do.

If the claim is taking longer to settle for example, because of ongoing medical problems o then the CICA will make an interim payment to you. This is basically an advance on the total amount you’ll get at the end of the claim and is deducted from the final amount.

The CICA’s Decision

The CICA will contact you and let you know what their decision is. If they’ve rejected the application they will let you know why.

If you agree with the decision then you must sign and return the acceptance from they send you within 90 days of the decision being issued. If you don’t then they can withdraw the award.

If you disagree with the decision then you can ask for it to be reviewed. You will have to complete a review form and return it to the CICA. If they review the claim and you still don’t agree with the review decision then you can appeal to the Tribunals Service.