QUICK ANSWER
If you have been injured as a victim of violent crime in Scotland, you may be entitled to compensation from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) ranging from £1,000 to £500,000 depending on the severity of your injuries. Applications must be made within 2 years of the incident. Scottish Claims Helpline handles CICA applications on a no win no fee basis — complete the short form for a free, no obligation assessment.
Injured as a Victim of Crime? You Could Be Owed Thousands.
Being the victim of a violent crime is a deeply distressing experience. Whether you were assaulted in the street, attacked in your home, or injured during a robbery, you may be suffering from physical injuries, psychological trauma, or both. You should not have to bear the financial cost of someone else’s criminal actions.
Scottish Claims Helpline handles Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) applications across Scotland on a no win no fee basis. The CICA is a government body that pays compensation to victims of violent crime in Great Britain — you can claim even if the perpetrator was never identified, arrested, or convicted. All that matters is that you reported the crime to Police Scotland and cooperated with their investigation.
CICA applications are entirely separate from any criminal proceedings. You do not need to wait for a criminal trial, and you do not need to pursue the attacker personally. The compensation comes directly from the government.
How Much Could You Receive?
CICA operates a tariff-based scheme. Compensation is assessed according to a fixed tariff for different categories of injury:
| Injury Type | Typical CICA Award |
|---|
| Minor facial scarring | £1,000 – £2,500 |
| Fractured nose or cheekbone | £2,500 – £4,600 |
| Fractured jaw or skull | £6,200 – £11,000 |
| Loss of sight in one eye | £44,000 |
| Serious brain injury | £82,000 – £175,000 |
| Paralysis (paraplegia) | £175,000 – £250,000 |
| Quadriplegia | £500,000 |
Based on the CICA tariff of injuries. Figures shown are for general damages (pain, suffering and loss of amenity) only.
That’s not all. On top of the tariff award, you may also be entitled to compensation for loss of earnings if your injuries have prevented you from working, and for special expenses including medical treatment, counselling, and care costs. Where multiple injuries are suffered, the tariff provides for the most serious injury at full value plus a percentage of lower-ranked injuries. Your total award could be significantly higher than the tariff figure alone.
Who Can Claim?
You can apply for CICA compensation if you were physically or psychologically injured as a direct result of a crime of violence in Scotland. This includes assault, robbery, sexual assault, domestic abuse, stabbing, shooting, and any other violent attack. You can also claim if you witnessed a violent crime and developed a recognised psychological condition such as PTSD. Family members of someone who died as a result of a crime of violence may also be eligible for a bereavement award and dependency payments.
Criminal Injury Claims — Frequently Asked Questions
CICA compensation ranges from £1,000 for minor injuries such as a minor facial scar, to £11,000 for a fractured jaw, £44,000 for loss of sight in one eye, £110,000 for serious brain injury, and up to £500,000 for the most catastrophic injuries including quadriplegia. These are tariff-based awards for pain and suffering.
You can also claim for loss of earnings and special expenses on top of the tariff amount, which can significantly increase your total award.
2 years from the date of the incident. This is shorter than the standard 3-year personal injury time limit in Scotland. For children, the 2-year period begins on their 18th birthday. There is limited discretion to accept late applications in exceptional circumstances, but you should not rely on this — contact us as soon as possible.
Yes. CICA compensation is paid by the government, not the attacker. You can claim even if the perpetrator was never identified, arrested, or convicted. The key requirement is that you reported the crime to Police Scotland as soon as reasonably practicable and cooperated with their investigation.
Yes. You must have reported the crime to Police Scotland as soon as reasonably practicable after the incident and cooperated fully with their investigation. Failure to report or cooperate can result in your application being refused or your award being reduced. If you have not yet reported the crime, do so immediately and then contact us for advice.
It can. CICA may reduce or refuse your award if you have unspent criminal convictions. The scheme considers the nature and number of convictions and any sentences received. Minor or spent convictions are less likely to affect your claim. Each case is assessed individually — contact us for a confidential assessment of how your record may affect your application.
Crimes of violence including assault, robbery, sexual assault, domestic abuse, stabbing, shooting, and other violent attacks. The crime must have resulted in physical injury or a recognised psychological condition such as PTSD, anxiety disorder, or depression. Verbal abuse or threats alone, without physical injury or a diagnosed psychological condition, do not qualify.
How Do I Start My Claim?
It takes 2 minutes. Fill in our short form and one of our specialist CICA solicitors will call you back at a time that suits. They will listen to what happened, tell you straight away if you are eligible, and explain exactly how the CICA application process works — all completely free and with no obligation. If you decide to go ahead, everything is handled for you on a no win no fee basis from start to finish. You pay nothing unless you win.
About this page: Written by
David Gildea, Scottish Claims Helpline. Last reviewed: March 2026. Scottish Claims Helpline is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (
FRN 830381).