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Criminal Injuries Compensation failing victims of violent crime

20/11/2008

The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority is doing a worse job of compensating the victims of violent crime than it was almost a decade ago, according to the chairman of the influential Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

Edward Leigh MP, chairman of the committee, said a large number of people who are injured by violent criminals are unaware of the compensation they could receive from the government leading to "an absurd situation" that only five per cent apply for it.

The MP added the tiny proportion of people that did go ahead and apply for compensation were often defeated by complex application forms while other applicants wasted money on being represented by solicitors because no one in authority told them there was a free service provided by Victim Support.

Cases were also processed inefficiently and were therefore taking longer to resolve. The cost of processing each case had also leapt by 50 per cent, he added.

Mr Leigh was speaking as the committee published its report, based on evidence from the Ministry of Justice, Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority and the Tribunals Service.

The Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme makes financial awards to individuals who have been injured as a result of violent crime. The scheme makes awards, based on a tariff system reflecting the type of injury, ranging from £1,000 to £250,000.

It also makes payments to cover loss of earnings and various expenses, which can increase the total award to a maximum of £500,000.

The report says that between 2000 and 2006, performance in dealing with claims deteriorated due to poor management.

Despite the number of applications falling by 23 per cent, the average time taken to resolve a case rose from 12 to 17 months, the number of cases resolved per staff member fell from 179 to 125 and the total cost to the taxpayer of administering the scheme increased by £6.1 million in real terms.

The report adds that while the Ministry of Justice now has oversight of the scheme, the "low priority given to it belies its importance to the Ministry’s objective of putting victims at the heart of the criminal justice system."

Only about one third of victims of violent crime surveyed in 2006 were aware the scheme existed according to the PAC and only 5 per cent went onto apply for compensation.