Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme: Fresh calls for reform after review dropped

The Victims’ Commissioner has expressed concern following the government’s recent decision to abandon a full review of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme.

Established in 1964, the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme is a government-funded programme administered since 1996 by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA). It is intended to provide financial redress for victims of violent crime who are unable to pursue compensation through any other means.

For some victims of sexual and violent crime, the Scheme represents the only route to financial compensation, representing not just an acknowledgement of the harm they’ve suffered but also a meaningful step towards helping them rebuild their lives.

The Victims’ Commissioner has received sustained reports from victims over the years highlighting a range of issues with the way the Scheme is administered. These accounts prompted Baroness Newlove to publish her 2019 report, Compensation without Re-traumatisation, which found that the system designed to support victims was often compounding their trauma.

The review highlighted a number of concerns, including a re-traumatising and overly complex application process, low awareness of the Scheme among eligible victims, and long waits for decisions. To address these and other issues, Baroness Newlove recommended simplifying the Scheme and providing better support and information for victims applying – including, for example, the introduction of a single point of contact.

In 2020, following the Commissioner’s report and sustained pressure from stakeholders, the then government launched a consultation to examine how the Scheme could be made “simpler and more transparent”. The consultation attracted significant engagement – including a comprehensive submission from the Victims’ Commissioner.

The consultation closed in October 2020, yet the government’s response remained outstanding for several years, including at the point Parliament was dissolved ahead of the 2024 general election.

During this period, the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) also raised concerns about the Scheme, issuing recommendations that led to two additional public consultations: one on on the Scheme’s ‘unspent convictions’ rule in 2022, and one on Scheme’s scope and time limits in 2023.

In April 2025 – nearly five years after the consultation was first announced – the current government published its response. However, rather than setting out a clear pathway for reform, as had been indicated during the consultation process, the government concluded that a further review was no longer necessary, stating that recent improvements mean the Scheme now broadly functions as intended.

In a statement, Baroness Newlove pushed back on this conclusion, making clear this did not reflect the experiences of victims who continue to approach her office with concerns.

Speaking out against the decision, she reiterated her belief that much more needs to be done to ensure the Scheme truly meets the needs of victims – a view echoed by other organisations, including the umbrella organisation End Violence Against Women and Murdered Abroad, a charity supporting bereaved victims of those murdered abroad.

Parliamentarians viewed things similarly. Opened by Laurence Turner MP, a Westminster Hall debate was held in late April and a week later – on 6 May – Turner introduced and tabled a Private Members’ Bill in Parliament.

During the Westminster Hall debate, MPs highlighted the deeply personal experiences of victims failed by the current system – accounts which strongly resonate with the experiences of victims shared with the Victims’ Commissioner.

The Bill, which has since been scheduled for a second reading, calls for a comprehensive review of the Scheme, citing ‘failings in the system’, insufficient support to eligible victims and low award tariffs.

As things stand, Parliament will debate the CICA Review Bill for a second time on 13 June, during which campaigners are expected to reiterate their calls for change.

The Commissioner welcomes this interest in criminal injuries compensation and will work with both victim organisations and Parliamentarians in making the case for reform.

Links and resources

• Read the full government response to the consultations.
• View the House of Commons Library Research briefing on compensation for criminal injuries ahead of the Westminster Hall debate.
• See the Victims’ Commissioner’s 2022 consultation submission.