A committee of MPs has voted in favour of making cuts to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme (CICS), just weeks after criticism of the plans from members of all the major parties forced ministers into a “rethink”.
Every year, between 30,000 and 40,000 people who are seriously injured following a violent crime receive awards through the CICS. According to retail workers’ union Usdaw, the cuts approved yesterday (1 November) by a Delegated Legislation Committee mean that, in future, half of all victims will no longer be eligible for compensation.
The Committee vote came just several weeks after the proposed cuts attracted severe criticism from MPs in Parliament, forcing ministers to withdraw the reforms before voting. The Ministry of Justice stressed that the withdrawal was so that the Government could reconsider the proposals in light of MPs’ comments, but, following the vote yesterday, Usdaw accused the Government of “changing the committee instead of changing the proposals”.
Just 18 MPs had a vote on the cuts and the ten Government MPs included a minister, a whip, four parliamentary private secretaries, the president of the Liberal Democrats, and a vice-chair of the Conservative Party.
The revised CICS is likely to come into force later this month, although the union is calling for it to be debated by the entire House of Commons before the changes take effect.
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson told SHP that where less serious injuries have been caused, taxpayers’ money should be directed into providing support rather than redressing victims with “small amounts of compensation well after the crime has been committed”. €
