Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether receipt of compensation from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme impacts entitlement to benefits.

Means tested benefits do not provide a specific disregard for a Criminal Injuries Compensation payment. However, it is very likely, due to the nature of these payments, that they will be regarded as a payment for personal injury and disregarded for 12 months from when the payment is received, or indefinitely if the payment is held in trust.

For Pension Credit, the treatment is similar with the main difference being that there is no requirement for it to be held in a trust.