There are many ways a crime can affect your life. If you have been physically or emotionally hurt as a result of a violent crime, you may be entitled to financial assistance.
The Crime Victim Assistance Program (CVAP) assists victims, immediate family members and some witnesses in coping with the effects of violent crime. It provides financial benefits to help offset financial losses and assist in recovery.
Benefits for victims of crime include:
Benefits for immediate family members include:
In cases involving fatalities, benefits also include:
Benefits for witnesses include:
Where services or expenses can be covered by some other source, such as a health insurance plan, make your claims against that source first. If there are additional, eligible costs not covered by other sources, the Crime Victim Assistance Program can provide reimbursement.
Funding provided by other sources, such as Employment Insurance, is deducted from benefits provided under the Crime Victim Assistance Act.
The program cannot cover the following types of losses:
In December 2023, amendments to the legislation and regulation that guide CVAP were approved and will expand the support available through the program (news release). Changes to certain eligibility criteria and access to benefits come into force on January 1, 2024, and will apply to those applications where a crime occurred on or after January 1, 2024.
An increase in the rates CVAP is able to pay for counselling will apply to all applications where counselling services are provided on or after January 1, 2024.
Additional information is being developed to support applicants and partners in understanding these changes, including updates to CVAP’s application forms. While this is underway, please see the following Q&A documents and use the existing application forms which can be accessed through the link below.
Application forms are also available from victim service programs or through the Crime Victim Assistance Program. You do not have to wait for charges to be laid or for the offender to be convicted before applying for benefits.
Please note that, in most cases, there is a time limit for making an application to CVAP:
Extensions to the time limit may be considered in the following situations:
Check our alphabetical list of criminal justice terms along with their definitions.
The Crime Victim Assistance Program assists victims, immediate family members and some witnesses in coping with the effects of violent crime.