CICA 2-year Deadline

The Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2012 requires applications from adult victims of violent crime in England, Wales and Scotland to be made within 2 years of the incident. The calculator adds exactly two calendar years to the incident date you enter (an incident on 29 February gives a deadline of 28 February two years on) and sets reminder dates at 6 months, 3 months and 1 month before the deadline, all downloadable as an .ics calendar file.

CICA may extend the deadline in exceptional circumstances — particularly:

• Childhood abuse where the applicant was under 18 at the time;
• Late disclosure due to mental capacity, abuse dynamics, or post-traumatic stress;
• Where the applicant could not reasonably have applied earlier — and the evidence means the claim can still be decided without extensive further enquiries.

Apply as early as possible even if your recovery is ongoing — an application can be made while treatment continues, and CICA can reopen awards in limited circumstances. Late applications must explain the delay clearly, with supporting evidence, and an extension is a discretion rather than a right.

What this tool does not model: the Scheme's separate rules for applicants who were under 18 at the time of the incident, which can allow applications well beyond two years (broadly, until age 20, or two years from the first report to the police where that came later) — if that is your situation, the deadline shown here is not yours and will be too early. It also does not check the other eligibility conditions: that the incident was reported to the police as soon as reasonably practicable, cooperation with the investigation, residence requirements, or the effect of unspent convictions — any of which can reduce or refuse an award regardless of timing.