Archive Website of the UK government

Financial assistance after a major incident

If you or someone you know has been involved in an emergency incident either in the UK or overseas, there may be financial assistance available to help with some of the immediate financial problems.

Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA)

The CICA is responsible for administering the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme throughout England, Scotland and Wales. It pays compensation to eligible applicants who have been the victim of a violent crime, including terrorist attack.

You can contact them at:

CICA
Tay House
300 Bath Street
Glasgow
G2 4LN

Freephone: 0800 358 3601

To find out if you are eligible to apply for compensations under the scheme, you can complete the 'am I eligible' questionnaire on their website.

• Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme Opens new window

Benefits

You may be entitled to a range of benefits provided by Jobcentre Plus, an agency of the Department for Work and Pensions. They can provide advice about benefits that you may be able to claim if you are unable to work as a result of ill health or disability.

Use the link below for more general information on benefits and further links to information on specific benefits.

• Benefits and financial support (money, tax and benefits section)

Insurance cover

There are various insurance policies that may cover you in the event of a major incident, such as personal accident insurance. Contact your insurer to find out if you are eligible.

Additional financial assistance

Following the London bombings in 2005, the London Bombings Relief Charitable Fund was established to distribute money that was donated to support those affected by the incident. If a fund has been set up for an incident that you have been involved in, this will most likely be advertised through the British Red Cross.

Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB)

CAB may be able to offer further advice and information on financial assistance.

• Citizens Advice Bureau

Legal advice

If you or someone you know has been involved in a major incident, you may want to seek legal advice.

In some instances following a major incident, legal firms may offer their services pro bono (professional work undertaken without payment). If you do seek legal advice, it may be useful to ask if the firm has experience of assisting clients following an emergency incident.

For more information, see 'Getting legal advice and legal aid'.

The Citizens Advice Bureau links below give some background on help with legal costs in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

• Getting legal advice and legal aid

• Help with legal costs in Scotland Opens new window

• Help with legal costs in Northern Ireland Opens new window

Setting up a disaster relief fund

If you want to find out about how to organise a disaster relief fund, follow the link below. The guidance is produced by Disaster Action, a charity set up for survivors and people affected by disasters in the UK and abroad.

• Guidance on how to run a disaster relief fund (PDF, 1470K) Opens new window

• Help with PDF files