Michigan Crime Victim Compensation: Eligibility, Coverage, and Deadlines

Michigan’s crime victim compensation program reimburses people harmed by violent crime in the state for out-of-pocket losses like medical bills, counseling, lost wages, and funeral costs, up to $45,000 per claim.1State of Michigan. More Victims Receive Benefits Under Expansions to Michigan’s Crime Victim Compensation The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services runs it. To collect, you have to meet reporting deadlines, cooperate with law enforcement, and show at least a minimum amount of unreimbursed loss.

Who Can File a Claim

You qualify if you suffered physical or emotional harm as a direct result of a crime that happened in Michigan. Residency doesn’t matter. Anyone victimized inside the state can apply.2State of Michigan. Do I Qualify? If the victim died, a spouse, child, parent, sibling, or grandparent can file, in a priority order set by statute.3Michigan Legislature. MCL Section 780.811 – Definitions

Beyond being a victim, four conditions matter:

  • Report the crime within 48 hours. Michigan has the shortest reporting window in the country. Sexual assault victims who receive a forensic exam automatically satisfy the requirement, and the commission can accept late reports for good cause, but the default rule is strict.4Michigan Legislature. Act 223 of 1976 – Crime Victims Compensation Board
  • Cooperate with police and prosecutors investigating the crime. Refusing can disqualify you.
  • Not have contributed to the crime. If you were involved in the criminal activity that led to your injuries, your award can be reduced or denied.5Michigan Legislature. Act 223 of 1976 – Crime Victims Compensation Board
  • Have at least $200 in out-of-pocket expenses, or at least five days of lost wages or lost support. Losses below that floor aren’t covered.2State of Michigan. Do I Qualify?

One rule catches many applicants off guard: the program only pays for expenses no other source covers. Health insurance, auto insurance, workers’ compensation, and any other benefit you’re entitled to have to pay first. Compensation functions as a payer of last resort.

What Expenses Are Covered

The list is broader than most people expect.6State of Michigan. What Costs May Be Covered?

  • Medical and dental care: hospital stays, surgeries, doctor and dentist visits, prescriptions, and medical equipment made necessary by the crime.
  • Counseling for the victim. Grief counseling is available for family members of homicide victims.
  • Lost earnings while you recover, attend medical appointments, receive counseling, or care for an injured victim.
  • Loss of support if a homicide victim was your financial provider.
  • Funeral and burial costs, including transportation of the body, flowers, and a grave marker (grave markers are capped at $500).
  • Prosthetic devices and corrective items: eyeglasses, hearing aids, dentures, and prosthetics damaged during the crime or needed because of injuries.
  • Relocation costs when a move is needed for physical safety or emotional well-being: first month’s rent, security deposit, utility setup, moving costs, and up to 30 days of temporary lodging. The relocation category is capped at $3,800.5Michigan Legislature. Act 223 of 1976 – Crime Victims Compensation Board
  • Residential security: locks, window repairs, and home security systems if the crime happened at your residence.
  • Crime scene cleanup inside your home or vehicle, and replacement of clothing or bedding held as evidence.
  • Transportation to medical care, counseling, victim services, or a victim’s funeral.
  • Replacement services: hiring someone to handle childcare, housekeeping, or other tasks the victim used to do but can no longer perform.

Relocation, residential security, bereavement counseling, and crime scene cleanup were added or expanded in Michigan’s 2024 reforms. If you applied years ago and were told those costs weren’t eligible, the rules have changed.1State of Michigan. More Victims Receive Benefits Under Expansions to Michigan’s Crime Victim Compensation

What the Program Won’t Pay For

Compensation reimburses documentable financial losses, not everything a victim suffers. It doesn’t cover:

  • Property damage or stolen property. Broken windows, taken belongings, damaged vehicles: none of that qualifies. The single exception is prosthetic devices, eyeglasses, and dental devices damaged during the crime.7Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 34 USC 20102 – Crime Victim Compensation
  • Pain and suffering. There is no standalone award for emotional distress. Counseling costs are reimbursable, but the program does not pay general damages the way a civil lawsuit might.
  • Any expense already paid by insurance, workers’ compensation, or another benefit source.

How Much You Can Receive

The overall cap is $45,000 per claim across all expense categories combined.5Michigan Legislature. Act 223 of 1976 – Crime Victims Compensation Board That ceiling went up from $25,000 in Michigan’s 2024 reforms.1State of Michigan. More Victims Receive Benefits Under Expansions to Michigan’s Crime Victim Compensation Individual categories have their own limits inside that number: relocation at $3,800, grave markers at $500, and lost wages tied to your average earnings with a weekly maximum. Even if your actual losses run much higher, the total award cannot exceed $45,000.

Emergency Awards

If you’re facing immediate financial hardship and your claim looks likely to be approved, you can request an emergency award of up to $4,000 while your application is still under review. That amount is deducted from your final award. If the emergency payment ends up larger than what you’re ultimately entitled to, you have to repay the difference.8Michigan Legislature. MCL Section 18.359 – Emergency Award

How to Apply

Applications go to the Crime Victim Services Commission at MDHHS. Electronic submission is preferred, but fax and mail work too:9State of Michigan. Applying for Compensation

  • Email: MDHHS-MichiganCrimeVictim@Michigan.gov
  • Fax: 517-335-2439
  • Mail: Michigan DHHS, Division of Victim Services, Crime Victim Services Commission, Grand Tower Suite 1113, 235 South Grand Avenue, PO Box 30037, Lansing MI 48909

Every claim needs your Social Security number (if you have one), your date of birth, and a copy of the police report if available. The rest depends on what you’re claiming:10Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Crime Victim Services Compensation Application Checklist

  • Medical expenses: itemized bills and paid receipts. For medication or replacement equipment like glasses or dentures, include the prescription along with the itemized bill or estimate.
  • Lost wages: documentation from your employer confirming the missed time and your pay rate. Self-employed applicants should provide financial records showing income loss.
  • Funeral costs: itemized bills and receipts from the funeral home and cemetery.

A victim advocate can help you gather paperwork and get through the process. If you don’t have one, the victim-only toll-free helpline is 877-251-7373.11State of Michigan. What is Crime Victim Compensation?

How Long You Have to File

The general deadline is five years from the date of the crime.4Michigan Legislature. Act 223 of 1976 – Crime Victims Compensation Board That’s longer than many people assume, but waiting makes documentation harder to pull together.

Different rules cover child victims of sexual assault. If the victim was under 18 when the crime happened and reported it before turning 28, the five-year clock starts from the reporting date rather than the crime date. Reports made after age 28 can still support a claim filed within five years of that report if the claimant shows good cause for the delay. The commission can also extend the filing period on any claim for good cause.

If Your Claim Is Denied

You have 30 days from receiving the commission’s decision to file a written appeal, requesting either an evidentiary hearing (where new evidence can be presented) or a commission review. Appeals go through the same channels as applications.11State of Michigan. What is Crime Victim Compensation?

If you still disagree after the commission’s final decision, you have another 30 days to take the case to the Michigan Court of Appeals. In fiscal year 2024, the commission approved roughly 92 percent of the compensation applications it decided, so most claims never reach that point.12Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. 2024 CVSC Annual Report

Restitution Is a Separate Thing

Restitution and victim compensation get confused often, but they are different programs. Restitution is money a court orders the offender to pay directly to you. Michigan judges must order full restitution to every victim when sentencing someone convicted of a felony, misdemeanor, or ordinance violation.13Michigan Legislature. MCL Section 769.1a – Order of Restitution A restitution order stays in effect until paid in full and acts as a lien against the offender’s property.14Michigan Legislature. MCL Section 780.766 – Restitution

Restitution covers a wider range of losses, including property damage. The practical problem is collection: many offenders have few assets, are incarcerated, or simply don’t pay. Compensation reimburses you now for eligible expenses whether or not the offender ever pays. If you later collect restitution for costs the state already covered, the compensation program is entitled to recover its payment, so you don’t get paid twice for the same loss.