Funding boost for victims’ services

In an overhaul of victims’ services, up to £50 million would be generated from offenders to help create a speedier, more supportive system for victims of serious crime.

Criminals will be forced to fund victims' support services and those with unspent convictions could be banned from claiming compensation, under new proposals announced by Justice Secretary, Kenneth Clarke.

The planned shake-up, which is now out to public consultation, includes:

• Ending payments for minor injuries such as sprained ankles, cuts and grazes and speeding up payments for serious injuries;
• Greater funding for victims' support services, better targeted at those most in need;
• Stopping criminal injuries compensation payments to people with unspent convictions - totalling at least £75million over the past decade;
• Banning criminal injuries compensation payments to people who have been resident in the UK for less than 6 months (except for UK and EU/EEA nationals);
• A simpler route of complaint and redress for victims;
• Giving new Police and Crime Commissioners a key role in deciding the priorities for local victims' services;
• Ensuring more voluntary victims' organisations have access to long-term funding.

The Government will also, for the first time, compensate British victims of terrorist atrocities abroad on the same basis as victims of terrorism in Britain. Those with ongoing disabilities from attacks after 2002 will also receive financial support.