APPENDIX 5
Memorandum submitted by Victim Support
Northern Ireland
Victim Support is the lead agency in Northern
Ireland, helping people cope with crime. We provide support to
ANY person affected by crime, irrespective of the nature of the
crime or the profile of the victim.
From the 1st May 2002, Victim Support have been
providing victims of violent crime in Northern Ireland, with help
in applying for compensation under the new "tariff"
based scheme.[2]
Our Criminal Injuries Compensation Service (CICS) is a free, confidential
and professional service, delivered by volunteers and staff in
each of our eight local Branch areas. We have a dedicated Advice
Worker in each Branch (2 in North & West Belfast).
In addition to providing emotional support throughout
the entire process, the service provides:
— Advice and information about applying
for compensation.
— Help with filling in the application
form.
— Explanation about letters and decisions.
— Representation at Appeals.
In the first year of CICS we helped 1,733 people
with their applications to the Compensation Agency; this represents
21% of all applications made in Northern Ireland. Many of these
applicants include people who suffered sexual abuse as children,
but where time barred under the old legislation.
The delivery of this service to victims is in
line with Victim Support's belief about how Compensation fits
into our service delivery to victims. Victim Support believe that
the purpose of compensation is to "recognise on behalf of
society the experience which victims of crime have suffered; and
to help the victim to recover from it and live as normal a life
as possible in the circumstances . . . in so far as possible .
. . to place the victim in the position which he would have occupied
if he had not suffered the wrong."[3]
The introduction of the Criminal Injuries Compensation
Service into Victim Support, has contributed to ensuring that
we provide a seamless service to all victims of crime in Northern
Ireland. We have a network of eight Branches, strategically placed
throughout Northern Ireland, and services available to victims
include support in victim's homes following a crime; the comprehensive
Criminal Injuries Compensation Service and support for victims
attending A&E hospital departments.
APPLICATIONS AT
THE FIRST
STAGE
The introduction of the new scheme presented
challenges for VSNI, but also the Compensation Agency as they
began to administrate the new system, as well as having a backlog
of several years with claims under the common law scheme. It was
our experience, in approximately the first 18 months of the scheme,
that the Compensation Agency were taking longer than originally
anticipated to make decisions. Therefore, our Advice Workers and
Branch staff placed under additional pressure in meeting the demands
of victims whose applications were still at the first stage, including
regular letters from the agency, and requests for updates and
emotional support from the victims.
These matters appear to be resolved, in the
main. The following details the applications completed for this
year.
VSNI STATISTICS FOR CRIMINAL INJURY COMPENSATION
CLAIMS APRIL 2003-DECEMBER 2003
| VSNI
| Compensation
Agency |
April to June
April | 207
| |
| May | 160 |
|
| June | 179 |
|
| TOTAL | 546 | 530 *
|
July to September
July |
211 | |
| August | 204 |
|
| September | 171 |
|
| TOTAL | 586 | 575 *
|
October to December
October
| 146 | |
| November | 154 |
|
| December | 97 |
|
| TOTAL | 397 | 263 *
|
*There are currently some discrepancy between our statistics and the CAs which we require to resolve.
| | |
REVIEWS AND
APPEALS
As the CA begin to make decisions, victims we have assisted
requesting help with reviews and later appeals if they are turned
down at review. We are also receiving referrals from victims who
have been advised by their solicitor to go to VSNI, as there is
no legal aid for applying to the Criminal Injuries Compensation
Scheme. Reviews and appeals present different challenges for VSNI,
not least in the technical support of Advice workers, and the
further training of volunteers to undertake this aspect of our
Criminal Injuries Compensation Service. Appeals will also require
Advice Workers to represent victims at the appeals panel, which
requires significant preparation of the victim.
RESOURCE IMPLICATIONS
FOR VSNI
We are funded by the NIO, via the Community Safety Unit,
to operate our CIC service. At present we are awaiting a review
of the service by Business Consultancy Service(NIO) who will look
at staffing and other resource requirements, to ensure we are
in a position to meet the needs of victims who wish to apply to
the scheme. The main difficulty has been in relation to the administrative
burden it has placed on Branches. Further work will of course
be required to promote the service and highlight public awareness
of the fact that there is new Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme
and service in NI. In addition, we are about to approach the Compensation
Agency to look at the feasibility of using their customer satisfaction
survey, to ascertain why applicants have not used our service.
April 2004
2
The Northern Ireland Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2002. Back
3
Compensating the Victim of Crime, Victim Support Northern Ireland,
1995. Back
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