Victims’ Commissioner extends victim survey deadline to ensure more victims’ voices are heard
The 2026 Victim Survey, which launched on 8 April, will now close on 20 May 2026.
The Victims’ Commissioner for England and Wales, Claire Waxman OBE, has announced a two week extension to the deadline for the 2026 Victims’ Survey, giving victims more time to share their experiences and ensuring the findings reflect the full breadth and diversity of victims’ voices.
The extension follows feedback from victims and victim‑support organisations and reflects the Commissioner’s commitment to gathering robust, representative evidence to inform her work and future recommendations for reform.
If you have been affected by crime, your experience matters – whether or not you reported it to the police. The Victims’ Survey provides an opportunity for victims across England and Wales to describe what support they received, how they were treated, and where the criminal justice system worked well or fell short.
The most recent Victims’ Survey, carried out in 2024 under the late Baroness Newlove, received over 6,500 responses, making it the largest survey ever undertaken by the Victims’ Commissioner’s office.
Its findings highlighted widespread low confidence in the criminal justice system, driven by poor communication, long delays and failures by criminal justice agencies, including the police and CPS, to consistently deliver victims’ rights. Many victims reported feeling isolated, unheard and treated as a ‘statistic’ rather than a person.
The 2026 survey aims to build on this evidence by reaching even more victims, including those whose experiences are too often missing from public debate – particularly victims who chose not to report their crime or disengaged from the criminal justice process.
Claire Waxman OBE, the Victims’ Commissioner for England and Wales, said:
“Every victim’s experience matters, and it is important that as many voices as possible are reflected in this survey. Extending the deadline will help ensure the evidence I gather properly reflects the range of victims’ experiences.
“This survey plays a crucial role in helping me understand what is working for victims and where change is urgently needed. Whether you reported the crime or not, your voice can help shape improvements to the support victims receive and the way the criminal justice system responds.”
The survey is being delivered in partnership with independent social research organisation TONIC.
Matthew Scott, Managing Director of TONIC said:
“At TONIC, our work is dedicated to ensuring the voices of victims and survivors are heard by those with the power to act on them. We’re aiming to make this the largest victims’ survey ever carried out in England and Wales and we want to hear from as wide and diverse a range of people as possible, because every experience is different and every voice matters.
If you have experienced crime in the last five years, whether you reported it or not, we encourage you to take around 15 minutes to share your experience and help inform the Victims’ Commissioner’s work in holding the criminal justice system to account for all victims.”
The findings will inform the Victims’ Commissioner’s future recommendations to government and criminal justice agencies, strengthening accountability and helping drive improvements to victims’ rights, services and outcomes.
The survey is open to anyone who has been a victim of crime in the past five years, whether or not the crime was reported. It takes around 15 minutes to complete and is available in English and Welsh and can be completed online, by phone, or in a paper format.
Victims are encouraged to take part before the survey closes on 20 May 2026.
Find out more and take part in the Victims’ Survey.
Further information: