Page 14 - PIC Magazine-Issue-27-Autumn-Winter

The Cost of
Criminal Injuries
Over the last decade the MTSP has
supported patients aff ected by violence
and terror. The Southport knife attacks,
Manchester arena bombing, London Bridge,
the MTSP has been there for patients
often with pro-bono legal services. For the
majority though, the events are less news
worthy, a stabbing, a punch, or blow to
the head means life may never be the
same again. Many never return to work,
bringing huge fi nancial challenges
as they start their daunting recovery.
or anyone aff ected by violent crime or
terrorism in England, Scotland and Wales,
their only option for redress is applying
to the Criminal Injuries Compensation
Scheme, operated by the Criminal
Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA).
Set up in 1964 and run by the Ministry of Justice,
today the CICA processes approximately 43,000
applications pa. Payouts are based on a rigid tariff
structure last updated by Parliament in 2012.
Last year it paid out over £160m to victims of
crime and terror.
But beneath the headline statistics lies the cruel
reality of what many people believe to be a broken
system. Claimants spend years in a backlog, forced
to relive their trauma. Many don't bother to claim,
or they give up, overwhelmed by a bureaucratic
quagmire seemingly designed to defeat them in
their hour of need. Campaigners who have spent
years fi ghting for change call it a form of “torture”.
Applications are limited to just three injuries –
regardless of how many were actually infl icted.
Punitively, payouts drop signifi cantly with each
injury claimed, so the more injured you are,
the less pro rata compensation you get.
The maximum payment for a single physical
or mental injury is £250,000, with additional
compensation available for hardship such as
loss of earnings, capping the overall payment
at £500,000. These levels were set in 1996,
and have not increased since.
But the vast majority of successful payouts are far
lower, and the average across all violent crimes
is just £11,470. A 2012 review changed the loss of
earnings component, so it is now only paid after the
28th week off work, and then at the statutory sick
pay fl at rate of just £123.25 a week.
Andrew Pemberton
MTSP Ltd
Structural Limitations:
Why Cica Fails To Truly Compensate
The scheme evaluates compensation based on predetermined legal
categories rather than a comprehensive, individualized assessment of
the impact on a patient’s day-to-day needs.
1
Statutory Compensation Realities
The average payment across all violent crimes is just £11,470.
Injury / Condition Type Statutory CICA
Tariff Framework
Average Scheme Payout
£11,470
(across all violent crimes)
Loss of Ability to Walk £175,000
Blindness
(Life-changing Injury) £110,000
Permanent Disabling
Mental Injury £27,000
Permanent Disabilities
& Medical Conditions £22,000
Temporary Mental Injury
(5 Years) £13,500
Severe Scarring
(Maximum Payout) £11,000
LOSS OF
EARNINGS RATE
£11,470 per week
(Paid only after the 28th week off work)
14 www.pic.legal • Autumn/Winter 2026
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