Crime victim payouts 'too complicated', say MPs

Government claims to prioritise victims of crime were questioned today as MPs delivered a damning report into compensation for people injured in violent attacks.

Less than 5 per cent of those eligible for payouts of up to half a million pounds from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority were even applying, the Public Accounts Committee found.

Two thirds of victims were unaware of the scheme and those who did apply were hampered by a complex application form and suffered delays in receiving their money because of bureaucracy, they said.

Many victims also spent money on expensive lawyers because they did not know free legal help was on offer, the MPs found. Their report, Compensating Victims of Violent Crime, criticises the Ministry of Justice for affording the agency a "low priority" despite its claims to put victims at the "heart" of the criminal justice system.

Ministers failed to set the body rigorous targets, they said, as costs and bureaucracy increased and standards slipped.

Despite applications falling 23 per cent, the time taken to resolve the average complaint has risen from one year to 17 months. The costs of administering the scheme rose by £6million between 2000 and 2006, while staff productivity fell.

Committee chairman Edward Leigh said it was "absurd" that so few people were applying for money they were due.

Shadow justice secretary Nick Herbert said: "It is time for a new compensation scheme that is quicker and less complicated for applicants."