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Over 20,000 people every year that have been the target of “less serious” crimes are to lose their right to personal injury compensation and could instead be offered practical help such as self defence classes or personal attack alarms.
These radical proposals were outlined by Government ministers yesterday as part of a move to reform the existing criminal injuries compensation scheme. The changes in the £200m-a-year scheme are designed to redistribute funds in order to increase payments to more severely injured sufferers of crime. Although the Government has not yet set a new limit, it proposes to lift the current £500,000 ceiling for those most seriously injured and also the £11,000 limit for the families of murder victims.
However, there has been staunch opposition to these proposals from various groups who claim that even a small payment of state compensation is an important part in recovering from crime, helping victims to realise that the state recognises their plight. They say that such proposals are likely to remove this support mechanism and may result in them feeling isolated and abandoned.
Among the most affected by the intended changes will be those who suffer from violent crime at work. In these cases the employer will now be expected to foot the bill for any personal injury compensation, which will often leave them out of pocket and the injured party feeling unsatisfied.
Areas of the legislation that ministers have decided not to amend include those affecting relatives of murder victims and those who have been subjected to serious sex crimes. They have taken this decision as they feel that the psychological effects of these crimes can be felt for many years.
The proposed changes will need parliamentary approval before they become law and will undoubtedly be subject to much debate in the coming months. Victim support groups and opposition ministers have vowed to fight these controversial proposals and protect the rights of those affected to claim personal injury compensation.
