New compensation plans

Wednesday, 01 February 2012 10:58

Written by Editor

Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke has unveiled plans for a new initiative to stop criminals from claiming from the Criminal Injuries Compensation scheme for injuries and psychological damages as part of refocusing the tax-payer funded scheme. Under the present rules, criminals who are serving prison sentences have been claiming huge sums – with more than 20,000 claimants with criminal records receiving £75 million over the last ten years. Almost £300 million was paid out during the year spanning 2010/2011.

Inmates, including Soham murderer Ian Huntley, have claimed compensation after being injured by others. The killer of schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman (pictured right)made the £100,000 claim, saying the Prison Service failed in its duty of care towards him, after he had his throat slashed by another inmate in March 2010. He needed 21 stitches in the seven- inch wound and blamed prison staff for not protecting him sufficiently against such attacks.  His assailant, prisoner Damien Fowkes, was said to have a pathological hatred of child killers and had also killed another inmate by strangling him.

The Ministry of Justic proposals should also reduce the long backlog of compensation claims since if they are adopted only those who are “blameless of crime” would be eligible for a payout – criminals would no longer be eligible – meaning that victims of crime would get their compensation sooner.

The government also wants to make the criminals pay for their crimes through the “victim surcharge” scheme. That means that those who commit the crimes will be re-imbursing the victim support services for the pay-outs. Money will be deducted from whatever “wages” they receive while working in prison with the aim of raising an extra £50 million from offenders instead of from taxpayers.

The new scheme would see the victim surcharge raised from just £15 to £120 for every offender. At the moment, the levy only applies to those given fines in court.

Mr Clarke is also planning to increase speeding fixed penalty fines from £60 to £100, with the £5,000 cap on fines which can be levied by magistrates' courts removed.