Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority

What Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority does

The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) is a UK government executive agency operating under the Ministry of Justice. It administers the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme, providing financial compensation to individuals who have sustained physical or psychological injuries as a result of violent crime in England, Scotland, and Wales. The service is free to apply, requires no legal representation, and is accessible to victims directly or via third-party representatives (parents, guardians, or those with legal authority) acting on behalf of minors or individuals lacking mental capacity.

The agency's core product is an online claims portal hosted on the GOV.UK platform, accessible at claim-criminal-injuries-compensation.service.justice.gov.uk. The portal uses GOV.UK One Login authentication to enable save-and-return functionality, enforces a 30-minute session timeout for security, and guides applicants through structured input of crime details, police force information, crime reference numbers, and medical practitioner details. Distribution is multi-channel: alongside the self-serve portal, CICA operates a telephone helpline (0300 003 3601 within the UK; +44 (0)203 684 2517 internationally), Relay UK for hearing/speech-impaired users, an online contact form with a 10-working-day response SLA, and email at [email protected].

CICA generates no commercial revenue and is funded entirely through UK government appropriations. With approximately 52 employees headquartered in Glasgow, the agency functions as a non-departmental public body with statutory monopoly over criminal injury compensation in its jurisdiction. There are no equity investors, no subsidiaries, no M&A activity, and no AI/ML capabilities disclosed in the operating model. The business model is structurally non-commercial and not amenable to conventional PE/VC analysis.

Name

Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority

Legal name

Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority

Website

https://cica.gov.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

CICA is a UK government executive agency under the Ministry of Justice that administers compensation payments to victims of violent crime in England, Scotland, and Wales through a free online claims portal and multi-channel support services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Compensation Services

NAICS

Social Assistance (624), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Victim Services & Witness Assistance (Justice System) (BPAIAFAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Personal Injury & Insurance Defense (BPAHAAAM)

Keywords

• Criminal injury compensation
• Victim compensation scheme
• Violent crime claims
• Government compensation authority
• Statutory victim support

Headquarters

HQ city

Glasgow

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Funded Scheme: CICA is a UK government agency funded by public funds. The scheme pays compensation to victims of violent crime from a centrally funded budget. There is no revenue generated from claimants - the service is free to apply.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

CICA administers the UK statutory Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme, paying government-funded compensation awards to individuals who have suffered physical or psychological injury as a direct result of violent crime in England, Scotland, or Wales. Applicants submit claims through an online portal on GOV.UK, with support available via a telephone helpline, Relay UK, and an online contact form. The service is free to use, no legal representation is required, and parents, guardians, or other authorised persons may apply on behalf of minors or those unable to manage their own affairs.

Product overview

The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) operates a single unified digital service: an online claims portal that allows victims of violent crime to start and continue compensation applications. The primary product is the web-based application form accessible via GOV.UK, which guides applicants through providing crime details, police force information, crime reference numbers, GP and dentist details, and information about other compensation attempts. The service is supported by a telephone helpline and online contact form for general enquiries. There are no separate modules or sub-products; the offering consists of one integrated digital service with associated phone and email support channels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Online Criminal Injuries Compensation Claims Service A web-based application portal hosted on GOV.UK that allows victims of violent crime in England, Scotland, and Wales to apply for statutory compensation. Applicants provide crime date and location, reporting police force, crime reference number, GP and dentist details, and details of prior CICA or other compensation applications. The service supports save-and-return via GOV.UK One Login, enforces a 30-minute session timeout for security, and is supplemented by a telephone helpline (0300 003 3601 / +44 (0)203 684 2517), Relay UK (18001 0300 003 3601), and an online contact form with a 10 working-day response time. Friends, relatives, parents, or legally authorised representatives may apply on behalf of minors or persons who cannot manage their own affairs.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• Victim Support: The leading independent UK charity for victims of crime, providing emotional and practical support. Directly comparable to CICA in serving the same victim population, though operating as a charity providing support services rather than financial compensation.
• New York State Office of Victim Services: US state agency providing compensation to crime victims, structurally the closest international analogue to CICA. Directly comparable as a government-funded victim compensation scheme with statutory authority and free application access.

Broad incumbents

• Criminal Cases Review Commission: UK public body investigating potential miscarriages of justice. Comparable as a Ministry of Justice-sponsored arm's-length body serving criminal-justice users, though focused on wrongful conviction review rather than victim compensation.
• Parole Board for England and Wales: Independent arm's-length body operating within the MoJ framework to make parole decisions. Comparable as a small government body (~52-150 staff) executing a statutory criminal-justice function with similar governance characteristics.
• HM Courts and Tribunals Service: Executive agency of the Ministry of Justice administering UK courts and tribunals. Comparable as a sister MoJ agency delivering public-facing justice services at scale, including appeals routes for CICA tribunal decisions.
• Probation Service (HM Prison and Probation Service): Executive agency of the MoJ supervising offenders and supporting rehabilitation. Comparable as a sister MoJ agency whose offender caseload intersects with CICA's claimant population.

Emerging players

• Law Centres Network: UK network of law centres providing legal advice and representation to disadvantaged communities. Comparable as a free legal support channel overlapping with CICA's user base, particularly for victims who might otherwise seek legal advisers.
• Citizens Advice: UK charity network providing free advice on legal, financial, and rights matters including crime-related issues. Comparable as a public-facing, free advice channel that some CICA claimants use to navigate the claims process.

Others

• Office of the Public Guardian: MoJ body registering powers of attorney and protecting vulnerable adults. Comparable as the issuing authority for the legal-authority documents CICA accepts from representatives applying on behalf of incapacitated claimants.

Regional players

• Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service: Operates courts and tribunals in Scotland. Comparable as a justice-system delivery body covering one of the same jurisdictions as CICA, with overlapping victim-population reach in Scotland.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/criminal-injuries-compensation-authority

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority