Welcome to the trust deed forum S2005b. I'm very sorry to hear that you've been through all of this.

I don't have any specific knowledge regarding payments from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority and trust deeds. However, almost all types of income and lump sums are taken into account when calculating what someone pays into a trust deed.

I'm sure Kevin or Paul will advise if they know anything more regarding CICA payments.

Do you have any sense for how much you might receive?

How much debt do you have in total?

I'm asking these questions as a trust deed isn't the only way to go about dealing with your debts. For example, a Debt Arrangement Scheme only takes into account your income and you'd potentially have more flexibility about how a lump sum could be used if you received one.

Please let us know and hopefully we'll be able to share some further information and ideas with you.

Welcome S2005b. I'm really sorry to hear about the abuse you have suffered and am glad that you are now able to move on.

The rules around compensation pay-outs and Trust Deeds are just the same as in a bankruptcy situation. Basically any payout that happens in the 4 years after your Trust Deed has been signed could be (and is likely to be) required to be paid in for the benefit of your creditors, I'm afraid.

If there are particularly strong reasons that the funds are needed by you, then it may be possible to convince the Trustee to agree that you could keep some or all of the money. For example, if you needed to cover the costs of relocation in order to ensure your safety. However, I think it probably would have to be exceptional circumstances such as this.

I'd recommend getting proper debt advice by getting in touch with an expert before making any decisions about your way forward, as here may be various options available, as Amy has said.