Office of Crime Victim Services

Crime Victim Compensation Frequently Asked Questions

♦ How do I apply for crime victim compensation?
♦ What is paid for by the Crime Victim Compensation Program?
♦ How long will the application process take?
♦ What do I need to send with the application?
♦ What are the eligibility requirements?
♦ Can I get paid for pain and suffering?
♦ Can I get paid lost wages if my child was injured as a result of a crime?
♦ Can I get paid for mileage to appointments or court appearances and get paid for time off work for these events?
♦ It's been over year since the incident, can I still apply?
♦ A family member was a victim of a homicide, should all surviving family members fill out an application?

You can apply for crime victim compensation by calling the Office of Crime Victim Services at 1-800-446-6564 for an application or you can pick one up at most victim service agencies, including any District Attorney's Office. You should apply as soon as possible to meet the statutory filing deadline. Do not wait until court is over or until medical treatment is completed.

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What is paid for by the Crime Victim Compensation Program?

The Crime Victim Compensation Program pays up to $40,000 for certain out of pocket expenses incurred by an eligible victim of crime who suffered a personal injury or death and are not covered by another source (i.e., insurance). Losses may include medical expenses, counseling expenses, lost wages, loss of support, replacement costs of clothing, bedding or other property held as evidence, cleaning and securing a crime scene, homemaker services and an additional $2,000 for funeral expenses. The Program does not cover property crimes.

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How long will the application process take?

The average crime victim compensation application may take 3-4 months from the time the application is received until crime related expense are paid. However, this depends on how rapidly the applicant responds to the Program's requests for documentation and the availability of the law enforcement report to the Program.

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You do not need to send anything with the application but be sure to sign the application and provide all information requested. If you have already received medical bills, you may enclose itemized copies of them with your application form. The Program will contact you for further information to support your claim.

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To be eligible for the Crime Victim Compensation Program, you have to be an innocent victim of crime or a family member of an innocent homicide victim. 

• The victim's conduct must not have caused or contributed to the incident; 
• The victim must not have committed a crime that led to the incident; the victim must cooperate with law enforcement and with the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Office of Crime Victim Services in supplying information about the incident; 
• The victim must not be certified to be delinquent in child support, medical payments or birthing expense, the victim must provide a copy of their payment agreement that has been approved by the county child support agency; 
• The incident must be reported to the police within 5 days of the crime, or within 5 days of the date the crime could reasonably have been reported; 
• The application must be received within one year of the incident. 
• If the victim was injured in a car accident caused by a drunk driver, the victim must have been a pedestrian or a passenger in the other car, a child passenger in the offender's car, or unaware that the driver was under the influence of alcohol or an illegal drug.

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The Crime Victim Compensation Program does not pay for pain and suffering.

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The Crime Victim Compensation Program does not pay lost wages to parents of children injured in a crime. 

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The Program cannot reimburse for mileage or for time off of work for appointments or court appearances.

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By statute, the crime victim compensation application must be filed with the Department of Justice within 1 year of the date of the crime. However, there are very limited circumstances in which this requirement may be waived. If the application is not filed within 1 year, attach a written statement explaining the reason for the delay. Do not wait until court is over or until medical treatment is completed to send in your application.

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Only one crime victim compensation application shall be filed on behalf of a homicide victim. If family members want to apply for compensation, additional family/household applications will be sent out.

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