The new Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS) is now operating and will soon replace the Victims of Crime Assistance Tribunal (VOCAT).
VOCAT is working to finalise all pending applications to conclude operations, which may be as early as 30 May 2025, save for a small volume of residual matters.
VOCAT may not consider applications to reinstate.
Further information regarding the transition is available here
The purpose of this Practice Direction is to specify the procedure to be followed when a request is made under section 42A of the Victims of Crime Assistance Act 1996 to access information about an application for assistance; and/or documents contained on a Tribunal file. This Practice Direction introduces separate processes for requests which do not relate to Tribunal proceeding or relate to finalised applications.