Texas Crime Victims Compensation: How Families Apply After a Homicide

When someone dies because of a violent crime — a homicide, intoxicated manslaughter, or similar offense — the family is often left scrambling to cover funeral costs while simultaneously dealing with law enforcement, a criminal investigation, and raw grief. Texas has a program specifically for this: the Crime Victims' Compensation (CVC) program, administered by the Office of the Attorney General.

The CVC program doesn't make anyone whole. But it provides real financial assistance that many families don't know to claim.

What the CVC Program Covers

The CVC program operates as a payer of last resort, meaning it activates after other sources of coverage (life insurance, workers' compensation) are exhausted. It covers:

Funeral and burial expenses: Up to $6,500 for crimes occurring after July 2016. This covers professional funeral services, burial or cremation costs, and related expenses directly tied to disposition of the body.

Transportation costs: If the body needs to be transported more than 50 miles one way to the burial site, those transportation costs are processed outside the $6,500 cap — they're covered additionally, not deducted from your funeral reimbursement.

Lost wages for attending the funeral: Family members who miss work to attend the funeral or observe a bereavement period can claim lost wages up to $700 per week.

Travel reimbursement: Travel costs over 20 miles to attend the funeral are reimbursable at the state mileage rate.

Loss of support: Surviving dependents who relied financially on the deceased can claim ongoing loss of support.

Mental health counseling: The CVC program also covers counseling costs for survivors dealing with the trauma of losing a family member to violence.

Who Is Eligible to Apply

To qualify, the death must have resulted from a crime that occurred in Texas. The deceased must not have been the person committing the crime. You must report the crime to law enforcement and cooperate with the investigation — the CVC program requires both.

Family members who apply include surviving spouses, children, parents, and other dependents who suffered a financial loss as a result of the crime. The person who actually paid the funeral expenses (which could be a friend or non-family member) can apply for funeral reimbursement specifically.

How to Apply

Applications are submitted through the OAG CVC Portal at texasattorneygeneral.gov. The application requires:

1. A completed CVC application form — available online through the OAG portal
2. A detailed Funeral Purchase Agreement (FPA) — this is the itemized invoice from the funeral home. The funeral director should itemize services clearly so covered and non-covered expenses are separable. Ask the funeral home specifically to prepare a detailed FPA for CVC purposes.
3. A verified police report — documenting the crime, the victim, and the circumstances
4. Proof of cooperation with law enforcement — the case doesn't need to have a conviction, but you must be cooperating with the investigation

For lost wages claims, you'll need documentation of your employment status and typical earnings.

Critical Deadlines

Three years from the date of the crime. That's the standard deadline to submit a CVC application. This is longer than most people expect, but it's not unlimited.

Exceptions exist:

• Child victims have until their 21st birthday to file, regardless of when the crime occurred
• Good cause exceptions allow late filing in documented circumstances — you'd need to explain the delay to the OAG

Even with a three-year window, don't wait. Documentation becomes harder to gather as time passes: funeral homes archive records, police case files go into long-term storage, and witnesses become harder to locate.

The Funeral Purchase Agreement: Why It Matters

The FPA is the most important document in the CVC application for funeral reimbursement. The OAG reimburses based on an itemized breakdown of what was purchased and why. If the funeral home provides a single lump-sum invoice rather than itemized services, the CVC office may request clarification or reduce the reimbursement.

Work directly with the funeral director to prepare this document. Specifically, ask them to:

• Break out professional service fees separately from merchandise (casket, urn, vault)
• Identify transportation costs separately if the body was transported more than 50 miles
• Note which items are legally required versus optional (this affects what CVC will cover)

CVC Versus Workers' Compensation: Key Difference

If the death also occurred in a work context — for example, a workplace violence incident — workers' compensation may cover funeral costs up to $10,000 (for injuries after September 1, 2015) and provides ongoing income replacement for survivors. Workers' comp pays first; CVC fills the gap as a secondary payer.

If both programs apply, you apply to workers' comp first and notify the CVC office of that coverage. The CVC program will cover expenses that workers' comp didn't.

What the CVC Program Does Not Cover

The CVC program does not cover:

• Property damage or theft
• Lost income of the deceased (only the survivor's lost wages for attending the funeral)
• Out-of-pocket expenses unrelated to the crime or funeral
• Costs that other insurance already covered

The program is specifically designed for costs directly caused by the violent crime itself.

Getting Through the Full Benefits Picture

Crime Victims' Compensation is one piece of what a Texas family navigating this situation needs to claim. There are also Social Security survivor benefits, potential workers' compensation death benefits, property tax exemptions, and probate decisions — each with their own deadlines and forms.

The Texas Survivor Benefits Navigator organizes all of it: who to contact, what forms to file, and in what order. If you're dealing with a traumatic loss in Texas and need to understand the complete financial picture, that's the right starting point.

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