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  • F.A.Q: Eligibility Requirements

    Overview of who is eligible and what is required to apply for crime victim compensation benefits.

    1. What are the eligibility requirements?
    2. Who may get financial help?
    3. Who is eligible to apply?
    1. What are the eligibility requirements? - Top

    While each state's eligibility requirements vary slightly, victims are generally required to:

    1) Report the crime promptly to law enforcement. Many states have a 72-hour reporting requirement, but quite a few have longer periods of time.

    2) Cooperate in the investigation and prosecution of the crime.

    3) Be innocent of any criminal activity or substantial misconduct leading to the victim's injury or death.

    4) File a timely application with the compensation program in the state where the crime occurred, and provide any information requested. Many states require that the application be filed within 1 year from the date of the crime, but a number of states have shorter or longer periods.

    • It's also important to remember that crime victim compensation programs are "payers of last resort," which means that other insurance benefits or government programs, like Medicaid or Social Security, must be accessed first, and these collateral resources will be deducted from any victim compensation award.
    2. Who may get financial help? - Top

    Those eligible for crime victim compensation include:
    1) A crime victim who has been personally injured. In most states, this includes physical or emotional injury, or both.

    2) Child victims file throug their parents or through legal guardians.

    3) Family members of a deceased victim, and in some states, any individual who pays for expenses resulting from a victim's injury or death.
    3. Who is eligible to apply? - Top

    In general, victims of most violent crimes are eligible to apply for crime victim compensation benefits. This includes victims of assault, rape, domestic violence, child abuse, drunk driving and other crimes involving personal injury. Families of murder victims may also be eligible for financial help.

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