The highest payment in the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme (CICS) was £500,000 in April 1996—and has remained the same since. Had it been increased by inflation, in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI), it would now be £1,015,284, according to the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL).
Calling for a review, Kim Harrison, immediate past president of APIL, said: ‘The payment is for victims of crime with the most catastrophic injuries, including brain damage and paralysis.
‘It should be recognised that the amount established when the cap was set in 1996 will not go as far in today’s money, three decades on... provision for injured victims of crime has been left to fester... This scheme is falling short, including in terms of eligibility, time limits on bringing claims, and keeping in-step with modern crimes including online grooming.’
