How much help can I get from the New Jersey Victims of Crime Compensation Office? If you qualify, these are some of the expenses that can be paid.
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How do I qualify for financial help?
If you are a victim or claimant (person filing for a victim or dependents of the victim), you must show that:
What losses are not covered?
How can I get help with this application? Law enforcement agencies, your County Office of Victim/Witness Advocacy or call the VCCO at 1-877-658-2221.
If I want to apply now, what should I do? Read the following instructions and fill out the attached claim application. Also include copies of as much related information (i.e. copies of itemized receipts, bills, insurance statements) as you have. The more information we have now, the sooner your application can be processed. You can send more itemized bills later as you receive them. The VCCO will send you a letter when your application is received. If you have not received a letter after four weeks, please call the VCCO. Keep in touch. If you move or if your phone number changes, please let us know.
Who is eligible? A victim of a crime who has sustained personal injury, mental trauma or death a surviving spouse, parent/guardian, child or other relative dependent for support upon a victim of a crime who died as a direct result of such crime, or a person injured while trying to prevent a crime or while assisting a police officer in making an arrest.
What are the preconditions for eligibility?
Your claim must be filed within three (3) years from the date of the personal injury or death, or after three (3) years if the VCCO determines that good cause existed for the delayed filing. The crime must be reported to the police within nine (9) months after it occurs, or within nine (9) months from the time it was known, or from the time there was reason to believe, that a crime occurred. For incidents prior to June 26, 1995, you must have suffered at least $100 in out-of-pocket medical expenses and/or two weeks continuous loss of earnings or support. There are no minimum loss requirements for incidents occurring on or after June 26, 1995. You must cooperate fully with the police and prosecutor's office; however, eligibility is not dependent upon conviction or prosecution of the offender. Failure to cooperate with the VCCO investigator or failure to inform the VCCO of a change of address will result in a denial of compensation. If you have any VCCO assessments imposed on you by the courts for prior convictions, you must pay them in full before you can receive any compensation. The crime must occur in New Jersey, although you need not be a New Jersey resident; or you must be a New Jersey resident who became a victim in another state or jurisdiction that does not have a crime victim compensation program or has a program which has not provided full compensation for your crime-related losses.
Who is not eligible?
What are the crimes for which compensation is available? The VCCO may order the payment of compensation for personal injury or death which resulted from the commission or attempt to commit any of the following offenses:
FOR AN EXPLANATION OF OR FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE LISTED CRIMES, PLEASE CONTACT THE VCCO AT 973-648-2107 OR 609-292-8446.
What compensation benefits are available? Compensation benefits may be awarded up to a maximum of $25,000 per claim ($10,000 for crimes before December 5, 1982) and may include the following:
Is the VCCO the primary payer of my crime related expenses? The Victims of Crime Compensation Office is the payer of last resort. The VCCO will award compensation for the balance of crime-related expenses not reimbursed first from other sources such as medical insurance or disability benefits. "Source or sources" means a source of benefits or advantages which you have received as reimbursement for medical or economic loss which is available to you from, but not limited to the following sources:
How do I apply for compensation? To obtain benefits, you must file a completed claim form and comply with VCCO regulations which are explained in the instructions. You will be asked to submit information to support your application. Where possible and to speed up processing, it would be helpful to submit a copy of a police report and related bills, receipts and insurance statements together with the application. Please send copies only and keep the originals for your own records.
How does the VCCO process my claim? Intake Phase: The claim will be processed in the chronological order in which it is received by the Office. Upon receipt of the application, the claim is opened, given a claim number, an acknowledgment of receipt is sent to the applicant, and if needed, additional information is requested. All requests for emergency assistance and counseling are reviewed immediately. Eligibility Phase: After a police report is received, the Office's eligibility investigators will review all the circumstances surrounding the incident, including, but not limited to, direct discussion with police and prosecutorial personnel, securing trial related information from the courts, and speaking with witnesses. The investigator will provide the Office's commissioners with a recommendation either that the claim is eligible for compensation or to deny compensation because there has been a failure to comply with one of the statute's provisions. Compensation Phase: Once determined eligible for compensation, your claim enters the compensation phase. The Office's investigator will verify losses by communicating directly with providers of medical services, securing insurance benefit statements, and gathering loss of earnings and disability payment information. You are required to show a minimum loss of at least $100 unreimbursed medical expenses or two continuous weeks loss of earnings or support. For incidents occurring on or after June 26, 1995, the minimum loss requirement no longer applies. Accordingly, please respond to the Office's requests as quickly as possible. If additional information comes to the VCCO's attention which requires the VCCO to change its determination of eligibility, you will be notified and you will be given an opportunity to respond to the Office's new decision.
Do I have a right to appeal a VCCO determination? If you disagree with any determination of the VCCO, you may request a formal hearing. Hearing Phase: The investigator may send you a recommendation denying eligibility or may recommend an amount of compensation with which you disagree. You will have twenty (20) days to advise the Office in writing whether you accept the recommendation. You are entitled to a hearing. At the hearing you will be given an opportunity to submit proofs in support of your position. The VCCO does not require that you appear at formal hearings with an attorney. You have the right, however, to be represented before the VCCO at all stages of proceedings by a New Jersey licensed attorney. At the hearing you will be called upon to respond to questions from the VCCO's legal counsel and the VCCO's commissioners. You will have the opportunity to make a statement and question witnesses. There may be issues and questions for which legal advice would be beneficial. If you decide to obtain an attorney, you must notify the VCCO within twenty (20) days of your hearing date. Your attorney must also send a letter to our Legal Department confirming that the attorney is representing you. The VCCO does not assign or provide attorneys for you, but will be able to refer you for assistance. For further information, please contact the VCCO's legal staff at 973-648-4076. For frequently asked questions about hearings, see Hearing Guidelines. If, after the hearing, you are not in agreement with the VCCO's determination, you can appeal the decision directly to the Appellate Division of the Superior Court within forty-five (45) days from the date the Office's order is received. For further information regarding the procedure for filing an appeal, you may contact the Appellate Division at 609-292-4822.
What if I am in the need of mental health counseling services? The VCCO provides referral services for emergency crisis counseling and therapy to victims of violent crime. A listing of statewide resources is used to help victims obtain the services of various agencies, organizations and licensed psychotherapists in the victim's immediate geographic area. To obtain counseling services you must file a completed claim form and comply with VCCO regulations which are explained in the instructions. To specifically ask for counseling services, check the counseling request box and provide a phone number where you can be reached during our office hours. You must have a police report or letter from the prosecutor's office describing the incident and highlighting the victim's innocence to be eligible for VCCO authorized mental health counseling. Cooperation with law enforcement officials is also necessary. A compelling health or safety reason for your lack of cooperation may excuse such failure to cooperate. If you are a minor you must apply for assistance through a parent or guardian. You may apply on your own within two years after reaching the age of eighteen. Parents of minor victims may be eligible for counseling where it helps in child or family therapy. The psychological needs of immediate family members of crime victims may also be met.
What if I speak in a language other than English? The VCCO can arrange for translation services to assist you in processing your claim. Please call ahead for an appointment to ensure the services of a translator. Applications are also available in Spanish.
What if I am victim of a crime in a place other than New Jersey? If you are visiting or traveling through another state and are injured as a result of a crime in that state, you may be eligible for victim's compensation in the state where the incident occurred. Each of the 50 states and Washington, DC have a victim compensation program to meet your crime victimization needs. You must make application for compensation in the state where the injury incurred. If the that state compensation program does not fully compensate you for your out of pocket expenses, you may then file an application with the NJ VCCO for the payment of any crime related expenses incurred which were not paid by the first state's program. If you are visiting or traveling outside the country and are a victim of a crime, there are a number of countries that have victim compensation programs. The U.S. State Department's Overseas Citizens Services should be contacted immediately at 1-888-407-4747 (Monday-Friday, 8 AM - 8 PM) or 202-647-4000 (after hours and weekends). Their website is Travel Site If the foreign nation's compensation program does not fully compensate you for your crime related out of pocket expenses or where there is not victim compensation program in that country, you may then file an application with the NJ VCCO for the payment of any crime related expenses incurred which were not paid by the first state's program. If you are a victim of international terrorism, there is a special victim compensation program now being established by the US Department of Justice, Office of Victim of Crime. Please contact OVC directly at 202-307-5983. However, until such time as the program is established by OVC, the previous paragraph provides the appropriate answer to the question.
