Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme - injury payments
Source: gov.uk (2025-08-31)

An accessible version of the tariff of injuries from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2012.

Eligibility for injury payments

You can get compensation from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) if your injury is in the list on this page and you meet all the other eligibility criteria of The Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2012. (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/criminal-injuries-compensation-scheme-2012)

You may also find our guide to the Scheme (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/criminal-injuries-compensation-a-guide) helpful.

If your injury was made worse

If you already had an injury that got worse because of the crime you can still get compensation. However, the amount you receive will depend on how much worse the injury became. If the worsening is valued at less than £1,000, you will not get any compensation for it.

Mental injuries from sexual assault

You’ll get payment either for the mental injury or the sexual assault, whichever pays more. You cannot get compensation for both.

If you have more than one injury

If you have multiple injuries you’ll get:

100% of the amount for the injury with the highest amount

30% of the amount for the injury with the second-highest amount

15% of the amount for the injury with the third-highest amount

You cannot get compensation for more than 3 injuries.

Other awards

You may get additional payments if, because of a violent crime, you:

became pregnant

lost a pregnancy

got a sexually transmitted disease

These payments are separate from the multiple injuries rule. You’ll get the full amount even if it happened more than once.

You might also get compensation for loss of earnings (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/criminal-injuries-compensation-a-guide#loss-of-earnings-payments) or special expenses (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/criminal-injuries-compensation-a-guide#special-expenses) depending on your circumstances and how seriously you were injured.

Part A: Physical and mental injuries

Section 1 - General injuries

Burns

Note [1]: For other burn injuries see under individual parts of the body.

“Moderate” describes:

First or second-degree burns covering no more than 25% of the affected area in adults, or no more than 20% in children, or

Third-degree burns covering no more than 10% of the affected area in either adults or children.

“Severe” describes:

First or second-degree burns covering more than 25% of the affected area in adults, or more than 20% in children,

Third-degree burns covering more than 10% of the affected area in either adults or children, or

Fourth-degree burns.

Major paralysis (other than as a result of brain damage)

Medically recognised illness or condition (excluding minor and mental injury)

Mental injury

Note [2]: “Mental injury” does not include temporary mental anxiety and similar temporary conditions.

A mental injury is disabling if it has a substantial adverse effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities for the time specified (e.g. impaired work or school performance or effects on social relationships or sexual dysfunction).

Peripheral sensory nerve damage

Peripheral motor nerve damage not otherwise compensated for

Section 2 - Head and neck

Burns (causing more than minor disfigurement)

Head

Face

Neck

Scarring

Head

Face

Neck

Brain Damage

Note [3]: A brain injury can cause physical or mental damage, resulting in, for example, loss of muscle or nerve control, loss of balance, incontinence, or impairment of concentration, memory, motivation or personality.

It can also commonly cause epilepsy, to a greater or lesser extent.

Where the cause of any injury is brain damage there will not be additional awards for separate injuries but the seriousness of the combined effects will be measured together.

Minor Head Injury

Brain injury, if any, minimal (e.g. one or more of concussion, impairment of balance or headaches)

Minor Brain Damage

Good recovery, able to socialise and return to work but persisting problems with concentration, memory, disinhibition of mood affecting lifestyle, leisure activities, future work prospects

Moderate Brain Damage

Some dependence on others, intellectual deficit, personality change, ability to work reduced, some effect on the senses

Moderately severe brain damage

Very serious brain injury

Note [4]: Applications otherwise within level A20 fall into level A19 if life expectancy is greatly reduced or there is little or no insight due to persistent vegetative state.

Epilepsy - continuing disability

Ear

Deafness

Permanent partial deafness (remaining hearing socially useful, with hearing aid if necessary)

Permanent total deafness

Loss of ear

Perforated ear drum

Tinnitus (ringing noise in ear(s))

Vestibular damage (causing giddiness)

Eye

Blow out or other fracture of orbital bone cavity containing eyeball

Permanent blurred or double vision

Cataracts

Permanent loss of visual field

Dislocation of lens

Glaucoma

Hyphaema requiring operation

Loss of eye

Loss of sight

Partial loss of vision when corrected by glasses or contact lenses or other means (e.g. laser surgery)

Residual central floater(s) affecting vision

Retina

Significant penetrating injury

Traumatic angle recession

Face

Fractured ethmoid

Fractured zygoma (malar/cheek bone)

Fractured jaw bone (one or more of mandible/maxilla)

Multiple facial fractures

Numbness or loss of feeling

Neck

Strained neck or whiplash injury

Nose

Loss of smell or taste

Skull

Fracture

Teeth

Damage to

Loss of

front teeth (incisor or canine)

teeth other than front

Tongue

Impaired speech (other than slight impairment)

Section 3 - Upper limbs

Burns

Scarring

Arm

Loss of

Paralysis of or equivalent loss of function of

Elbow

Dislocated or fractured

Finger and thumb

Fracture or dislocation of thumb

Fracture or dislocation of index finger

Fracture or dislocation of one finger other than index finger

Fracture or dislocation of two or more fingers other than index finger

Loss of

Partial loss of

Hand

Fractured hand

Loss of, or equivalent loss of function of

Permanently and seriously impaired grip

Humerus (upper arm bone)

Fractured

Radius (a forearm bone)

Fractured

Shoulder

Dislocated

Frozen

Damage to one or more of tendon, ligament or cartilage

Ulna (a forearm bone)

Fractured

Wrist

Fractured - colles type or equivalent fracture or displacement of distal radius

Fractured or dislocated - including scaphoid fracture

Sprained

Section 4 - Torso

Burns

Scarring

Abdomen

Back

Fracture of vertebra

Prolapsed invertebral disc(s)

Ruptured invertebral disc(s) - requiring surgical removal

Strained

Chest

Clavicle (collar bone)

Fractured

Coccyx (tail bone)

Genitalia

Hernia

Kidney

Lung

Pancreas

Pelvis

Scapula (shoulder blade)

Fractured

Spleen

Sternum

Fractured

Section 5 - Lower limbs

Burns

Scarring

Ankle

Fractured or dislocated

Sprained

Femur (thigh bone)

Fractured

Fibula (slender bone from knee to ankle)

Fractured

Foot

Fractured metatarsal bones

Fractured tarsal bones

Heel

Fractured heel bone

Hip

Fractured or dislocated

Knee

Patella (knee cap)

Removal of

Leg

Loss of

Paralysis of leg

Damage to one or more of tendon, ligament or cartilage

Tibia (shin bone)

Fractured

Toe

Fractured

Loss of

Partial loss of

Part B: Sexual and physical abuse and other payments

Section 1 - Bereavement

Fatal criminal injury

Section 2 - Physical abuse

Physical abuse of adults, including domestic abuse

Note [5]: Where a person has sustained a number of injuries as part of a pattern of abuse, payment will normally be made to reflect the pattern of abuse, based on the most serious injuries in the pattern, rather than each separate injury.

An exception may be made where a single injury sustained as part of the pattern of abuse would give rise to a higher tariff payment than that for the abuse, in which case the higher payment may be made instead of the award for the pattern of abuse.

Whether injuries have arisen as part of a pattern of abuse will be assessed by reference to all the circumstances, including whether there was one or more assailants (and whether they acted together), the nature of the injuries and incidents, and the period in which they occurred.

Serious abuse

Severe abuse

Physical abuse of children, including domestic abuse

Note [5] applies to physical abuse of children

Minor abuse

Serious abuse

Severe abuse

Persistent pattern of repetitive violence resulting in:

Section 3 - Sexual assault(s)

Sexual offence where victim is any age (if not already compensated as a child)

Note [6]: Where a person has been the victim as part of a pattern of abuse of a number of sexual assaults which would otherwise qualify for separate payments, payment will normally be made for the pattern of abuse, based on the most serious incidents in the pattern, rather than for each separate incident.

An exception may be made where a single incident which occurred as part of the pattern of abuse would give rise to a higher tariff payment than that for the abuse, in which case the higher payment may be made instead of the award for the pattern of abuse.

Whether incidents are a part of a pattern of abuse will be assessed by reference to all the circumstances, including whether there was one or more assailants (and whether they acted together), the nature of the injuries and incidents, and the period in which they occurred.

Sexual assault

Non-consensual penile penetration of one or more of vagina, anus or mouth

Sexual offence where victim is a child (under age of 18 at time of, or commencement of, offence) or an adult who by reason of mental incapacity is incapable of giving consent

Note [6] applies where the victim is a child or an adult unable to give consent.

Sexual assault

Sexual assault

Non-consensual penile penetration of one or more of vagina, anus or mouth

Section 4 - Other payments

Where a person has sustained any of the following as a direct result of their being the victim of a sexual offence, an additional payment will be made.

These payments will not be subject to the multiple injury formula at paragraph 37 of this Scheme.

Sexually transmitted infection other than HIV, Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C

Infection with one or more of HIV, Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C

Loss of foetus