Applying to CICA - a step-by-step guide to the process
Source: gov.uk (2025-05-06)

The official guide on what to expect after submitting a claim to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA).

Step 1 - find out if you may be eligible for compensation

Read the information about what payments are available (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/criminal-injuries-compensation-a-guide#what-payments-are-available-from-the-scheme) and check the eligibility criteria (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/criminal-injuries-compensation-a-guide#eligibility).

Step 2 - apply for compensation

Apply for compensation (https://www.gov.uk/claim-compensation-criminal-injury/make-claim) if you think you or the person you’re applying for meet the eligibility criteria.

You can apply:
- online
- over the phone
- by paper form
You can also apply in Welsh (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/welsh-forms-and-guidance-criminal-injury-compensation)

Step 3 - wait for us to contact you

You’ll get a CICA reference number on screen when you submit your application. This is different to any police reference numbers you have.

We’ll send you a letter or email to let you know when we get your application form. You should get this within 1 week.

After this, we’ll only contact you if we need more information from you or if we’ve made a decision about your application. It can take up to 12 months for us to contact you again.

This is because it can take a while for us to get the information we need to make a decision about your application.

If we’ve not contacted you, we’re still working on your application. Do not submit the same application twice.

Step 4 - tell us if your situation changes

You do not need to contact us after you’ve applied, unless you need to update information you gave us in your application (https://contact-the-cica.form.service.justice.gov.uk/?analytics=accepted). You might need to tell us:
- about changes to your personal details, such as your address or telephone number
- if you stop using a representative, or if you get a different representative
- if you get compensation for this crime from another source.
Step 5 - send us any more information we need

We may contact you asking you to send us some more information. This is to help us make a decision about your application.

We may ask for information or documents like:
- a medical report from your GP
- more information about your injuries
- photographs of any scarring
- information about any loss of earnings
You’ll have 30 days to provide the additional information we’ve asked for.

Step 6 - read our decision letter

We’ll let you know whether you’re eligible for compensation by letter.

If you’re eligible for compensation, this letter will tell you:
- how much compensation you’ll be offered
- how we made the decision
- how to get your payment
If you are not eligible for compensation, we’ll tell you why.

If you’re eligible for compensation and you want to accept it, complete and return the acceptance form within 56 days. We’ll usually make your payment within 20 working days of receiving your acceptance form.

If you cannot accept your offer of compensation within this deadline, you can write to us asking for the time limit to be extended by a further 56 days. This will only be accepted if there are exceptional circumstances which meant you could not have requested an extension earlier. The time limit can only be extended once.

If we do not hear from you, we may withdraw our offer of compensation.

Step 7 - decide if you want to challenge our decision

There is a three-stage process to challenge a decision:
- stage 1 – request a review of the decision
- stage 2 - decide if you want to accept the review decision
- stage 3 – appeal to the First-tier Tribunal
You must follow the stages in this order.

If you disagree with our decision and want us to review it, send us a written request for a review within 56 days of the date on the original decision letter. You can send us any more information you want us to consider when we’re reviewing your application.

If you cannot request a review within this deadline, write to us asking for the time limit to be extended by up to a further 56 days. This will only be accepted if there are exceptional circumstances which meant you could not have requested an extension earlier. The time limit can only be extended once.

We’ll send you our decision by post.

If you disagree with our review decision, you can appeal to the independent First-tier Tribunal (https://www.gov.uk/criminal-injuries-compensation-tribunal). You have 90 days from the date on our review decision letter to request an appeal.