Victim Surcharge Fund invites applications for support

Scotland's new Victim Surcharge Fund now has enough money to open to applications from victim support organisations for financial support.

Since the surcharge scheme was set up in November 2019, anyone who has received a court fine has incurred an additional victim surcharge, which has been collected along with the fine and transferred to the Scottish Consolidated Fund as the Victim Surcharge Fund. The fund currently stands at £87,020.

The fund is not open directly to individual victims of crime, but victim support organisations who successfully apply for a share of the fund can use the money to provide practical support to victims and their relatives. That could mean new windows and locks for victims of house break-ins, or funeral expenses for families of murder victims.

Applications to the fund should be submitted to the Scottish Government by 12 February 2021. Application forms can be requested by emailing Pamela Stott VictimSurchargefund@gov.scot.

The aim is to make the first payments in March. The fund will then be reopened on a regular basis for applications when sufficient money has built up.

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