A new report published this month highlights a successful project between Hope for Justice, ATLEU and pro bono solicitors to improve survivors’ access to compensation.
Compensation awards are vital for survivors of modern slavery and human trafficking because they can improve their access to justice, contribute towards their recovery, and provide economic empowerment and greater stability after exploitation.
For many survivors, the only viable route to access these funds for recovery is via the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA). However, the scheme is not set up for survivors of modern slavery: there are many barriers to accessing it, such as the complexity of the scheme, the need to gather supporting evidence, the impact of trauma on survivors, poor literacy or limited English to access the online application, lack of access to legal advice, and limited awareness of entitlement.
In a section of our own 2024 report ‘Beyond Survival’, looking at the problems survivors have in accessing compensation, Emily Vaughn, a LEAP (Lived Experience Advisory Panel) Consultant, said:
“No amount of money can compensate for what you’ve been through but it’s a chance to rebuild your life, access opportunities that you previously missed out on.”
Emily Vaughn, LEAP Consultant
Survivors cannot currently get legal aid for a lawyer’s help with these compensation cases, despite the application process requiring detailed legal submissions.
Our colleagues at ATLEU launched a project to try to plug this gap and increase survivors’ success rates when applying to CICA.
The Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner documented that from 2012-2020, in England and Wales, only 54 out of 283 applications by survivors of trafficking to the CICA scheme were awarded compensation. In contrast, in this project, 8 out of 14 clients with a decision from CICA have received a compensation award.
ATLEU’s report, ‘Life-changing’: The impact of Criminal Injuries Compensation’, shows that almost three in five survivors who received a decision through this new project received an award from CICA. These results show that survivors of trafficking are significantly more likely to obtain compensation from CICA when they have access to legal support.
Hope for Justice’s Independent Modern Slavery Advocates (IMSAs) work alongside survivors of human trafficking to provide a single point of contact as they navigate the complex systems and services available to them. We participated in this project by assisting survivors to apply for compensation under the CICA scheme. We complete an online application form alongside clients as well as referring them to the CICA project.
Ellie Russell, IMSA Model Hub Manager, recently spoke at the Trafficking Compensation Action Group alongside ATLEU, where the report was launched. She said: “We think the project is hugely successful and is increasing survivors’ access to legal representation and compensation. Our IMSAs work really well with the ATLEU team and we have seen some really positive results for our clients.”
Hope for Justice works with ATLEU and with pro bono solicitors to draft supporting representations at the initial application and/or review stages. Our IMSAs are the main point of communication for clients as we already have established relationships of trust with them. We ensure they are informed to make their own choices about pursuing compensation, we assist them to gather information and evidence to support the application and share this with the solicitors working on a pro bono basis. This prevents survivors from having to repeatedly share traumatic experiences. Working together with the solicitors, we draft and submit the CICA application. This process is overseen by ATLEU, who bring expertise around CICA and legal oversight.
Between November 2021 and October 2025, eight survivors of trafficking received a total of £247,417 in compensation from CICA because of the project.
The average wait time for a CICA decision following an initial application was 418 days.
You can read the full report here: ‘Life-changing’ The Impact of Criminal Injuries Compensation report Nov 25.
