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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. Most states have a 72-hour reporting requirement.

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

    3) Be innocent of any criminal activity or 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. Most states require that the application be filed within 1 year from the date of the crime, but a few states have shorter or longer periods.

    2. Who may get financial help? - Top

    Those eligible for crime victim compensation include:
    1) A crime victim who has been physically injured.

    2) In most states, a victim who suffers emotional injury as a result of violence or threats, even though no physical injury resulted.

    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, innocent 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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