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The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority administers the criminal injuries compensation scheme throughout England , Scotland and Wales . They pay compensation to people who have been the victim of a violent crime. They operate the scheme from offices in Glasgow and London . Since the first scheme was set up in 1964, the Authority, together with the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board which they replaced, has paid more than £3billion in compensation, making it among the largest and most generous of its type in the world. Its aim is to provide victims with material recognition of their pain and suffering and to allow society to express its regret to them. For most of its history, awards were set according to what the victim would have received in a successful civil action against the offender. Since April 1996, the level of compensation has been determined according to a scale, or tariff, set by Parliament. The scheme, and the 1996 tariff, were revised in 2001. The tariff includes descriptions of over 400 injuries, with each attached to one of 25 levels of compensation between £1,000 and £250,000. In some situations, when applicants have also suffered financial loss, through loss of earnings or earnings capacity, the cost of medical or other care, or because they were dependent on someone who was murdered, they may apply for additional compensation. |
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