Victim Compensation

Learn more about eligibility and how to submit a claim for victim compensation.

File a Claim Online

  • Visit OVS Compass to get started.
  • Follow the prompts to submit a claim as a guest or login with your NY.gov ID.
OVS Compass

Eligibility for Compensation

Victims of crimes that happen in New York State may be eligible to get reimbursed for certain crime-related, out-of-pocket expenses. New York State residents who are victims of terrorism in other countries may also be eligible.

Eligibility for compensation depends on the type of crime that occurred, and for certain types of crimes, there may be additional age or disability requirements.

Below is a list of the types of compensation OVS can provide:

  • Crime-related, out-of-pocket medical and counseling expenses
  • Repair or replacement of essential personal property lost, damaged, or destroyed as the direct result of a crime (up to $2,500 total per claim)
  • Funeral and burial expenses (up to $12,000)
  • Relocation, moving, and storage costs (up to $2,500)
  • Lost earnings or loss of support (up to $30,000)
  • Lost savings of vulnerable elderly or incompetent persons (up to $30,000)
  • Transportation for crime-related medical appointments or necessary court appearances
  • Employment-related transportation expenses due to a victim’s crime-related physical injury (up to $2,500)
  • Crime scene cleanup expenses and/or cost of securing a crime scene (up to $2,500)
  • The cost of residing at or utilizing the services of a domestic violence shelter
  • Occupational rehabilitation expenses
  • Home and vehicle modifications
  • Attorney fees for representation before the agency and/or before an appellate court, upon judicial review of the victim’s OVS claim (up to $1,000)

Not all victims of crime will be eligible for all types of compensation. Please contact OVS, or find a Victim Assistance Provider to see if you are eligible.

** OVS does not require a Social Security Number for eligibility for victim compensation

File a Claim Online

Follow these steps to file a claim online:
 
Step 1

You can use your NY.gov ID to login to OVS Compass. If you have an account, please proceed to Step 2. 

If you do not have a NY.gov account, you can click here to create a Personal NY.gov ID account.

You can also file a claim as a guest without using a NY.gov account. If you file a claim as a guest, you will not be able to save progress on the claim or login to view your information after you submit the claim. 

Step 2

Click this link to login to OVS Compass. 

Step 3

After you login to OVS Compass, follow the prompts to fill out the compensation claim. 

There are ten sections to the online application, and each section has multiple questions. There are several sections and questions that you may skip, but OVS may ask for that information later. 

It is helpful to gather information you may need so you can look at it while you are filling out the claim application. As part of the claim application, you will be asked for information about: 

  • Your demographic and contact information
  • The victim/survivor’s demographic information (if you are filling out the claim for someone else)
  • The crime that you or the victim/survivor experienced
  • The person/people who caused the crime
  • The compensation/reimbursement you are looking for
  • Your financial information, like health insurance, monthly payments, and assets
  • Other benefits you receive, like Social Security Disability Income or Workers’ Compensation
  • OVS may ask for other documentation as part of the claim application. The documentation OVS asks for will depend on the type of compensation requested and your, or the victim or survivor’s, personal situation. You may be asked for things like birth and death certificates, marriage licenses, Explanations of Benefits from insurance companies, and receipts for crime-related expenses. 

Need help?

NY Crime Victims Legal Help has more information on how to tell if you are eligible for victim compensation and how to submit claims.

Visit the OVS YouTube Channel for help with filling out compensation claims.

Visit OVS Resource Connect for information and resources to help with compensation claims.

You can always contact OVS during business hours, Monday - Friday, 8am - 5pm.

File a Claim by Mail

Find Help Near You

Get help filing a compensation claim by connecting with a Victim Assistance Program, or VAP. Visit OVS Resource Connect to find a program near you. 

Information for Advocates

The following information is for victim advocates who submit compensation claims on behalf of others.

Step 1 – NY.gov Business Accounts         

You will need your NY.gov Business Account to login to the OVS Compass Advocate portal. If you do not have a Business Account, you can click the following link and follow the prompts to create a NY.gov Business Account.

 
Step 2 – Link Your Business Account to Your VAP

Each Victim Assistance Program that employs staff who submit NYS OVS compensation claims on behalf of victims and survivors will need to pick a Delegated Administrator (Delegated Admin). The Delegated Admin is the person who will manage the advocate user accounts for your VAP. If you do not have a Delegated Admin, or do not know who yours is, please reach out to [email protected].

You can get your Business Account added to your VAP in two ways:

  1. Request to Join a VAP
    • Login to OVS Compass using your NY.gov Business Account.
    • Search for your VAP by name or VAP number.
    • When you’ve found your VAP, click the button to request to join. A request will be sent to your Delegated Admin.
    • You will get an email notification from [email protected] letting you know that your account was added to your VAP. Now you can start submitting claims as a victim advocate.
  2. Contact Your VAP’s Delegated Admin
    • Reach out to your organization’s Delegated Admin and ask they send you an invitation to join the VAP in OVS Compass.
    • Keep an eye out for an email invitation to join the organization.
    • When received, accept the invite, and your NY.gov Business Account should now be associated with your VAP.
 
Step 3 – Login to OVS Compass

Click the following link to access the OVS Compass Advocate Portal.

 
Step 4 – File New Claim

Click the tile on the screen to “File New Claim” to start a new compensation application.

There are ten sections to the online claim application, and each section has multiple questions. There are several sections and questions that may be skipped, but OVS may ask for that information later.

It is helpful to gather information from the claimant or victim/survivor ahead of time so you can look at it while you are filling out the claim application. As part of the claim application OVS will ask for the following information:

  • Claimant and victim/survivor demographics
  • The crime that happened
  • The person/people who caused the crime
  • The compensation the claimant or victim/survivor is looking for
  • The claimant’s financial information, like health insurance, monthly payments, and assets
  • Other benefits the claimant or victim/survivor receives, like Social Security Disability Income or Workers’ Compensation
  • Documentation required for filing will depend on the claim and compensation requested. OVS may ask for things like birth and death certificates, marriage licenses, Explanations of Benefits from insurance companies, and receipts for crime-related expenses. 
 
Need help?

OVS recommends that all victim service providers receive training from the OVS Victim Compensation Program before filling out compensation claims. You can find links to register for upcoming trainings at https://ovs.ny.gov/events. You can also view previously recorded trainings on the OVS YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@NYSOVS.

NY Crime Victims Legal Help has more information on how to tell if you are eligible for victim compensation and how to submit claims.

Visit the OVS YouTube Channel for help with filling out compensation claims.

Visit OVS Resource Connect for information and resources to help with compensation claims.

You can always contact OVS during business hours, Monday - Friday, 8am - 5pm.

Additional Resource Documents

These are additional documents that may be helpful to claimants and advocates when submitting applications for compensation. 

  • OVS Crime Verification Form

    OVS Crime Verification Form can be used in lieu of a criminal justice agency report for people seeking victim compensation. The form must be completed by a city or state-funded victim service provider or licensed medical or mental health professional. 

    Download

Victim Service Portal - Now Closed

The Victim Service Portal (VSP) for submitting claims was shut off for new claims submission on December 30, 2025 at close of business. 

  • Any in-progress, unsubmitted claims in the VSP were purged from the system. Please re-enter claim information into OVS Compass.
  • Users will not be able to add documents to claims submitted via the VSP. Please send documents for claims submitted via the VSP to [email protected].