You may be eligible to apply if:
- You have been injured seriously enough to qualify for at least our minimum award (£1,000).
- You were injured in an act of violence in England, Scotland or Wales. An offender does not necessarily have to have been convicted of, or even charged with that crime.
- You have made your application within two years of the incident that caused your injury. (But we might accept applications outside this limit if in your particular case it wasn't reasonable for an application form to have been submitted within two years of the incident and there would still be enough evidence for us to consider.)
What if I was injured outside England, Scotland or Wales?
But you will not be eligible if:
- you were injured before 1 August 1964
- you have already applied for compensation for the same criminal injury, under the 2008 Scheme or under any earlier Scheme operating in England, Scotland and Wales
- the injury happened before 1 October 1979 and you and the person who injured you were living together at the time as members of the same family in the same household
- the injury and the act of violence took place outside England, Scotland or Wales
We may also refuse or reduce an award because of:
- your behaviour before, during or after the incident in which you were injured
- your criminal record
- your failure to co-operate with the police or with us
- your delay in informing the police or other organisation or person of the incident
