California Victim Compensation Program (English & Spanish)

Under California law (Government Code Sections 13959-13969.3), qualifying victims of crime may receive financial assistance for losses resulting from a crime when they cannot be reimbursed by other sources. The California Victim Compensation and Government Claims Board administers California’s Victim Compensation Program (Cal VCP).

Tehama County Victim-Witness Assistance Program staff can assist victims in filing Cal VCP claims and can also provide information about other methods of loss recovery.

Who is eligible?

To be eligible for compensation, a person must be a victim of a qualifying crime involving physical injury, threat of physical injury or death. For certain crimes, emotional injury alone is all that needs to be shown. Certain family members or other loved ones who suffer an economic loss resulting from an injury to, or death of, a victim of a crime may also be eligible for compensation.

The Victim Compensation Program (CalVCP) can help victims and family members of victims for crimes such as:

  • Domestic violence
  • Child abuse
  • Elder Abuse
  • Assault
  • Sexual assault
  • Molestation
  • Homicide
  • Robbery
  • Drunk driving
  • Vehicular manslaughter
  • Human trafficking

In addition to being the victim of a qualifying violent crime, applicants must meet other criteria, including:

  • Generally, they must report the crime to the police, sheriff, child protective services, or some other law enforcement agency.
  • In most cases, they must apply to CalVCP within three years of the time the crime happened. If applying after three years, they can inform CalVCP in writing why the application is late, and an extension of the time limit may be granted for certain reasons. In most cases, if the victim was under 18 when the crime happened, they have until the victim’s 21st birthday to apply. If the specified crime involves sex with a minor, claims may be filed any time prior to the victim’s 28th birthday.
    An application for compensation can be filed within three years of the date of the crime, three years after the victim’s 18th birthday, or three years of the time the victim knew or could have discovered that an injury or death had been sustained as a direct result of crime, whichever is later.
  • Applicants/victims must cooperate with law enforcement during the investigation and prosecution of the crime. Also, a victim cannot have participated in or been involved in committing the crime.
  • Applicants/victims must cooperate with CalVCP by providing the information needed to review the application.

Child Witnesses to Violent Crime

Minors who suffer emotional injuries from witnessing a violent crime may be eligible for up to $5,000 in mental health counseling through CalVCP. A law that went into effect in 2009 allows the minor witness to be eligible for assistance even if he or she is unrelated to the crime victim. To qualify, the minor witness must have been in close proximity to the crime.

The following losses may be covered by the Program:

  • Medical/Dental treatment   
  • Mental Health Counseling   
  • Lost income, if the victim is disabled because of the crime
  • Loss of support, for dependents when a victim is killed or disabled because of a crime
  • Funeral and burial expenses
  • Job Retraining
  • Home or vehicle modifications if the victim is disabled because of the crime
  • Home security, if the crime happened in someone’s home
  • Emergency relocation
  • Crime scene cleanup, when a homicide happens in someone’s home
  • Medically necessary equipment, including wheelchairs, eyeglasses, and hearing aids

The following expenses cannot be paid by the Program:

  • Any expenses paid by your insurance or another source
  • Lost, damaged or stolen property   
  • Pain and suffering  
  • Any expense not related to the crime 

CalVCP can only reimburse crime-related expenses that are not covered by other sources. There are limits on how much can be paid for each loss. The program cannot pay any expense for a person who is on felony probation, on parole, in jail or in prison (a person who is not a felon can be reimbursed for funeral and crime-scene cleanup expenses even though the victim was a felon).

Losses not covered by the program may be recoverable, either through court-ordered restitution as a part of a convicted perpetrator’s criminal sentence or through the enforcement of a judgment obtained in a civil lawsuit against the alleged perpetrator.

For more information concerning the Victim Compensation Program, contact the California Victim Compensation and Government Claims Board at (800) 777-9229. Information is also available on the Victim Compensation and Government Claims Board Web site.

Programa de Compensación para Víctimas de California

¿Qué es el Programa de Compensación para Víctimas?

El Programa de Compensación a Víctimas de California (CalVCP) puede ayudar a pagar las cuentas y los gastos que resultan de ciertos crímenes violentos. Víctimas de crimen que han sido herido o amenazado con lesión, pueden tener derecho a la ayuda del CalVCP.

¿Quién Puede Calificar para la Compensación para Víctimas?

El CalVCP puede ayudar a las víctimas de crimenes tales como

• Violencia doméstica

• Abuso de menores

• Asalto

• Abuso sexual

• Abuso de adultos mayores

• Homicidio

• Robo

• Conducir bajo la influcia  del alcohol

• Homicidio vehicular

• Crimen de odio

Los menores que sufren heridas emocionales a consecuencia de presenciar un crimen violento puede tener derecho a hasta $5,000 para tratamiento de la salud mental por el CalVCP. CalVCP le puede ayudar a víctimas de crimen que ocurren en California y también le puede ayudar a residentes de California si son víctimas en otros estados o fuera del país. Además, las personas que sufren una pérdida monetaria a causa de la muerte o herida de una víctima de crimen también pueden ser elegibles para la compensación.

Estas víctimas “indirectas” pueden incluir a:

• Esposo(a) o Compañero(a) doméstico(a)

• Hijo(a)

• Padre o madre

• Guardián legal

• Hermano(a)

• Abuelo(a)

• Nieto(a)

¿Qué Gastos Puede el CalVCP Ayudar a Pagar?

• El CalVCP puede ayudar a pagar los gastos relacionados a un crimen por ejemplo:

• Tratamiento médico y dental

• Tratamiento de la salud mental

• Pérdida de ingresos

• Gastos funerarios y entierros

• Pérdida de apoyo para dependientes cuando la víctima es asesinada o queda incapacitada por el crimen

• Cambios necesarios a su hogar o a su vehículo

• Seguridad para su hogar

• Mudanza

• Limpieza del lugar del crimen

¿Qué Gastos No Cubre el CalVCP?

 • Gastos que no son relacionados al crimen

• Gastos pagados por la compañía de seguros u otras fuentes

• Los gastos de propiedad perdida, robada o dañada

• Daños de dolor y sufrimiento

• Hay límites de cuánto se puede pagar por cada pérdida.

El programa no paga por ningún gasto de una persona que se encuentra en libertad bajo palabra de honor, en libertad

vigilada, en la carcel, o en prisión por una felonía.

                                                               

Para más información, comuníquese con:

CalVCP

P.O. Box 3036

Sacramento, CA 95812-3036

800.777.9229

https://vcgcb.ca.gov/victims/

correo electrónico: info@vcgcb.ca.gov

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