Survivors of terror attacks in the UK have described the government's compensation scheme as 'broken' in a new report. More than 130 survivors from 11 attacks were surveyed by support network Survivors Against Terror, including those from the Manchester Arena bombing in 2017 and the Fishmongers' Hall stabbings in 2019.
More than two-thirds of respondents said they felt the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) scheme was 'unfair and unreasonable'. Over half said they felt unable to speak to someone from CICA for help, and 60% found it difficult to submit a claim or understand the information provided. Some 62% did not feel treated with respect and empathy.
Joanne McSorley, who was hit by 31 pieces of shrapnel in the Manchester Arena bombing, told the BBC she had been 'degraded' by being repeatedly told to prove the severity of her injuries. She was offered £25,000 after a six-year process. 'I am housebound, really. I can't even put my own shoes on,' she said. 'I feel totally degraded by the process because you're having to prove all the time you are still in that state.'
Darryn Frost, who used a narwhal tusk to fend off a terrorist in the Fishmongers' Hall attack, said the CICA system was 'broken'. 'It's a paper-based postal system, where you're in total darkness,' he said. 'And they keep asking for more evidence. You feel like you're on trial or scrounging.' He experienced over a year of silence from CICA.
The report calls for a new compensation authority overseen by the Home Office, with greater transparency and online tracking. A government spokesperson said: 'We know more must be done, which is why the government is reviewing the support available.' They noted that £158 million had been paid out to victims of violent crime in the last year, and 836 of 859 applications related to the Manchester Arena bombing had been finalised.
Brendan Cox, co-founder of Survivors Against Terror, said: 'An organisation that is supposed to be helping survivors recover and rebuild is instead consistently doing them harm.'
