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Tailored local support for victims of crime in place from 1 October 2014.

From Wednesday 1 October 2014, victims of crime will get local support tailored to their needs as responsibility for funding the majority of services to support victims moves from the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) to Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs).

The MOJ has awarded £31.55 million to PCCs to provide victims’ support services from 1 October 2014, for the rest of the 2014/15 financial year. We expect to provide over £60 million in 2015/16.

More money than ever before is now being spent on emotional, practical and specialist support to help victims of crime cope and, as far as possible, recover. This funding includes money raised from offenders through the ‘Victim Surcharge’ – money courts order offenders to pay which goes to help support victims of crime.

Meeting local needs

With their local knowledge, PCCs are best placed to target funding where the help is most needed in their local communities. They have been working with local victims’ groups to identify the services most important to victims of crime in their areas.

Local victims’ services funding will support projects aimed at helping victims of sexual and domestic abuse, hate crime, young and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender victims among others. They will also fund restorative justice projects which bring the victim together with the offender to try to find a way forward.

Some services will remain nationally funded by the MOJ, including the court-based witness service, and the homicide service.

Visit our Thinglink page for a snapshot of some of the projects being funded across England & Wales through PCCs.