I was the victim of an unprovoked attack, fracturing my jaw – two years later I'm still waiting for help from the state support scheme for victims of violent crime

What happened to me and how I found out about CICA

The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) is not something that most people will hopefully ever have to encounter. I hadn't even heard of it before my injury.

In November 2024, aged 23, I was the victim of an unprovoked attack while walking in Farringdon. I was randomly punched by a passer-by, fracturing my jaw and causing two teeth to come loose. The nerves in both of those teeth were severed, meaning I needed to have two root canal procedures to save them. This cost me just over £2,000.

CICA is a Government-run scheme but I was not informed about it by the doctors who treated me or by the Metropolitan Police. Instead, I found out about it after telling a friend what had happened to me, and they then told me that their friend had used the scheme a few years earlier.

I read through the online guide available on CICA's website and, once I received my crime reference number from the police, I submitted my application. Almost two years later, I am still unsure whether I'll receive a payout.

What is the CICA?

Run by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), the authority was set up to compensate victims of violent crime in Great Britain. The scheme can compensate eligible victims for qualifying physical or mental injuries. In some circumstances, it can also provide payments for loss of earnings and certain expenses, while bereaved relatives may be eligible for payments following a death caused by violent crime.

More than 47,000 new applications were made to CICA in 2025/26 – the highest annual number since the current scheme was introduced in 2012.

A quick note from Martin...

Be prepared to submit a lot of medical information

One thing I hadn't appreciated before applying was just how much medical evidence I would need to provide – or that CICA would come back months later asking for more.

In my case, I was asked for:

• Reports from both my GP and the dental practice that treated my initial injuries (shortly after I applied in December 2024).

• My full GP records dating back to November 2021 (in October 2025).

I was also given:

• A warning in April 2026 that I had 14 days to provide the outstanding GP records, or my application could be refused or any award reduced.

Responding to all of this wasn't straightforward. Staff at the medical organisations I dealt with weren't always familiar with CICA, making it difficult to explain exactly what I needed. I also had to deliver and collect some of the paperwork in person.

In 2025/26, one of the main reasons for CICA refusing claims (in 6,009 cases) was for applicants failing to cooperate with CICA – around 18% of all refusal reasons recorded that year (though more than one reason can be attributed per case).

Instructions are not always clear and getting clarification is hard

The biggest frustration I had with CICA was simple – when I didn't understand what it wanted from me, I couldn't get anyone on the phone to explain it. I don't know if that was the same for other people, but it's certainly my experience.

CICA's phone line says it's open between 8.30am and 3pm on weekdays, but on the calls I made, I wasn't placed into a queue when nobody was available – the call simply ended.

Had I been able to speak to somebody for a few minutes, I may have been able to return the requested paperwork much sooner.

Its chief executive also acknowledged in its latest annual report, that a move in 2025/26 to reduce contact-centre opening hours was "not the right decision". CICA says it has since increased contact-centre capacity, though acknowledged that there was "more that we need to do".

In addition, I struggled to get information about my claim. For example, I spent more than three months without confirmation that sensitive medical documents I'd emailed had been received.

You could be waiting a long time

I first applied in December 2024 and I'm still awaiting a decision almost two years later.

There have been delays on my side, particularly in gathering some of the medical information CICA requested. But lengthy waits are far from unusual.

Long waits can be particularly difficult if you've already had to pay for treatment yourself. In my case, I was advised by the NHS to seek private dental treatment because of the complex nature of the root canal treatment I needed and the difficulty accessing it through an NHS dentist. This has left me more than £2,000 out of pocket.

You may not receive any compensation at all

After all of the forms, evidence and waiting, there's another uncomfortable reality – you could still end up with nothing.

There are many reasons an application can be refused. CICA could decide that your injury doesn't qualify for compensation or that it didn't result from a crime of violence. Claims can also be refused for reasons including failure to cooperate with CICA, applying outside the relevant time limit or failure to cooperate in bringing an assailant to justice.

A refusal isn't necessarily the end of the process. You can ask CICA to review its initial decision and, if you're still unhappy with the outcome, appeal to the independent First-tier Tribunal.

But the reality is that receiving an award is never guaranteed.

I found that uncertainty particularly difficult. At a time when the financial and physical effects of the assault were at their worst, I was also trying to navigate a process where I didn't know whether I would ultimately receive any compensation.

People in more difficult situations may find the process much harder

I'm not suggesting everyone who uses the CICA scheme will face the same problems or delays as I have. But there will be people going through the process who have experienced life-changing physical or mental trauma who may find it much harder than I have to make repeated phone calls, send follow-up emails or get to a GP surgery to have forms signed.

I believe that a compensation scheme specifically designed for victims of violent crime should be as accessible, responsive and easy to navigate as possible. And based on my experience and official data on the scheme, I don't think it's functioning as well as it could be.

What has the MoJ said and will things change?

The MoJ confirmed that CICA did not meet "key performance indicators" in 2025/26 and that it remains committed to delivering a more accessible and efficient service for victims. This will include efforts to improve communication issues.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: "Our thoughts are with all victims of violent crime, and we are committed to ensuring victims receive the support they deserve.

"Last year, CICA paid out over £180 million in compensation to tens of thousands of victims – the highest financial payout managed by the agency since 2020.

"But we know there is more to do, which is why we are committed to modernising the service to improve support for victims and reduce the time they wait for their claims to be assessed."