NEXT
Eligibility
Since its establishment in 1966, this agency has provided substantial financial relief to victims of crime and their families by paying unreimbursed crime-related expenses, including but not limited to: medical and burial expenses, loss of earnings or support, counseling costs, crime scene clean-up expenses, the cost to repair or replace items of essential personal property, reasonable court transportation expenses, assistance to crime victims acting as a good Samaritan, the cost of residing at or utilizing the services of a domestic violence shelter, and limited attorney fees.
If you are an innocent victim of a crime within New York State you may be eligible to receive benefits from OVS.
Who may be eligible for compensation?
- The victim must be an innocent victim of the crime
- Victims of crime who were physically injured as a result of the crime
- Victims of crime who are under 18, 60 and over, or disabled, who were not physically injured
- Certain relatives and dependents, including surviving spouse, child, parent, brother, sister, stepbrother, stepsister, stepparent or person primarily dependent on the victim for support
- Those who paid for or incurred burial costs for an innocent crime victim
- Child victims, a child who witnesses a crime, and the child’s parent, stepparent, grandparent, guardian, brother, sister, stepbrother or stepsister
- Certain victims of unlawful imprisonment or kidnapping
- Certain stalking victims
- Victims of terrorist acts outside of the US who are a resident of New York State
- Victims of frivolous lawsuits brought by a person who committed a crime against the victim
