The Compensation Recovery Unit (CRU) is a government body which forms a part of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Whilst your Solicitor is working on your Injury Compensation Claim, they will inform the Compensation Recovery Unit (CRU) to ensure any state benefits due to your injury or losses due to the accident are recovered from the other side. This is a completely behind the scene process.
The Compensation Recovery Unit (CRU) will contact your opponent in the Injury Claim to recover any cost of medical treatment you may have received from the NHS. CRU will also recover benefits such as universal credit, income support or mobility allowance. These are recovered from the other side and you as a claimant do not need to worry about it.
Will the CRU deduct money from my compensation?
Personal Injury Claim Compensation is made up of General Damages and Special Damages, both of which are treated differently:
- General Damages: This is the amount of compensation paid for suffering and loss of amenity. Loss of Amenity means loss of function and ability to complete or undertake tasks which you were able to undertake without issue before your injury caused by the accident. An example would be recreational activities or not being able to socialise as before.
- Special Damages: These are expenses or financial losses incurred as a direct result of the accident. For example; care, travel, therapy etc.
General Damages are not deductible, so this means your compensation for your pain and suffering as a result of the accident are not affected.
Out of the special damages state benefits and NHS costs can be deducted. These are usually taken from the other side with minimal impact on you as a personal injury claimant.
The CRU will send you the claimant, and the compensator a certificate of recoverable benefit so you know the correct amount which is being deducted. If by any chance you do not agree with this due to an error in the figures you can ask the CRU to review the certificate. This is called a “Mandatory Reconsideration”. After this you still have a chance to appeal the decision but this should be done within one month of the decision following Mandatory Reconsideration.
Who deals with Compensation Recovery Unit (CRU) matters through the Injury Claim?
Your appointed solicitor will take care of this for you. This is a standard, seamless process in the background. Your solicitor should also be able to check CRU certificate with you and go over the figures for you to avoid any inaccuracies. This should give you the peace of mind that your claim is being handled professionally so you can focus on getting back to normal.
