In June 2019, the “same roof rule” was removed. This rule blocked victims of violent crime from receiving compensation if the attacker was a family member they were living with at the time of the incident. It was amended in 1979 to not prevent future victims accessing compensation, but as common with many changes to the law this was not made retrospective. This has led to some victims of crimes which occurred before the law change in 1979 missing out on compensation.
This change allows victims previously denied criminal injuries compensation under the rule, or those who had never previously applied, to make fresh applications. More than £10m has been made available to victims under the amended Scheme. A two-year time limit for applications to the amended Scheme was stipulated, to make sure that eligibility provisions are fair and consistent for all applicants. The deadline for applications are the 13th June 2021.
Victims will now have until June next year to apply to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA), with a dedicated team set up to provide extra support with the claim process – including a named contact to ensure applicants do not have to repeat their traumatic experiences to multiple people.
We encourage survivors who are eligible to apply to this scheme. No amount of compensation will make up for what happened to you, however it may provide you with closure and give you financial support.
