Valerie supports the new Criminal Injury Compensation Scheme.

Valerie met with Usdaw to show her support against the proposed changes outlined in the Draft Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme (CICS) 2012.

Valerie said:

“The Criminal Injury Compensation Scheme is vital in helping innocent victims recover from serious injuries and the trauma of a crime or attack. The compensation is not given out lightly. A victim has to have received a serious injury, and only injuries that disable the victim for six weeks are compensated. This compensation is important for a number of reasons as it gives the victim recognition for the pain and suffering they have endured. I heard from innocent victims who said that this support was vital in helping them recover.”

“The Government’s recent proposal mean that half of victims will receive no compensation and 90% will receive a lower payment than previously. These cuts are not necessary, the Government’s consultation on the CICS, ‘Getting it right for victims and witnesses’, showed the Scheme with liabilities of £400m, but in reality the average annual liabilities have been reduced to under £150m.”

“ Currently half the 65,000 claims are refused. But there are 900,000 serious crimes reported. More needs to be done to ensure that the victims of these crimes receive fair compensation.”