Victim Services Portal

Frequently Asked Questions

Introduction

This FAQ attempts to answer the most commonly asked questions about the Victim Services Portal (VSP). Please remember to log out if you do not plan to return to the VSP.

Acronyms and Definitions

This section contains acronyms that will be referenced in some sections of this document as well as explains what some terms refer to on the Victim Services Portal.

VSP - Victim Services Portal
The acronym VSP will be used in this document and will be short for Victim Services Portal.

CVRB - Minnesota Crime Victims Reparations Board
The acronym CVRB will be used in this document and will be short for Crime Victims Reparations Board.

Navigation Menu (Part of Apply For Compensation)
The navigation menu is on the left side of every page of an application for compensation. It can be used to skip around different pages of an application. The available sections depend on the type of application for compensation you wish to file. Pages that are unavailable for your type of application will appear as disabled in this menu.

Sections (Part of Apply For Compensation)
This term refers to each page of an application for compensation on the Victim Services Portal (VSP). The VSP uses section names only and not the number. Each section name corresponds to their equivalent paper application numbered section. There are a total of sixteen sections. The sections are mapped as follows:

Section 1 - Victim
Section 2 - Claimant
Section 3 - Crime
Section 4 - Suspect
Section 5 - Expenses
Section 6 - Essential Personal Property
Section 7 - Lost Wages
Section 8 - Burial Expenses
Section 9 - Providers
Section 10 - Dependents
Section 11 - Counseling
Section 12 - Insurance
Section 13 - Death Benefits
Section 14 - Financial Situation
Section 15 - Private Lawyer
Section 16 - Representative


General

The acronym VSP will be used in this document and will be short for Victim Services Portal. You can begin entering a new application for compensation, edit an existing application for compensation, or delete an existing application for compensation in the VSP. Once your application has been submitted to CVRB and you have been given a claim number, you can upload documents for your claim. Please see 'Starting or Making Changes to an Online Application for Compensation' section of this document for more information.

You can also search for a claim you submitted by clicking the 'Search For a Claim' tab available under the banner at the top of every page. After a successful search, you will be able to track the status of the claim and upload additional documentation. Please see 'Checking My Claim Status or Searching for a Claim' section of this document for more information.
Once submitted, a claim can no longer be edited within the VSP. Please contact the CVRB to receive help with making changes to an already submitted application.
The VSP does not provide a way to cancel an already submitted claim. Please contact the CVRB for questions regarding your claim.
If you have a problem or have questions regarding the VSP itself or the applications within it, please search this document to help find an answer to your question. If you are unable to find an answer here, please contact the CVRB.
There is no way to recover an application that a user has deleted.
The VSP does not provide a way for an individual user's application to be assigned to a Victim Advocate Program. Please start a new application with the help of the Victim Advocate Program of your choice. Once all your data has been captured in the new application started by the victim advocate of your choice, we recommend you delete the old application under your individual account.
If you successfully submit an application, you will be taken to a confirmation page with a claim number and further instructions on submitting additional documents. If your application was not successfully submitted, it will return error messages on the sections you did not fill out as expected by the application. The sections with error messages will be in red text on the left navigation menu. Each section with error messages will have the messages displayed at the top of the page in red text.
If you were returned to the VSP Homepage, check the partial applications list to see if the application you just filled out is still there. Finally, do a claim search by the Victim's last name and social security number and check if any records are returned for the claim you just submitted. The first name is optional for a basic search. If none of the above recommendations resolve your issue(s), please fill out and submit a paper application.
For the best experience with the VSP and to take advantage of all its modern features, we recommend you use Internet Explorer 9 or higher, Chrome, or Firefox. If you are using IE9 or higher, you may need to turn off compatibility mode.
It is highly recommended that you use IE 9 or higher, Chrome or Firefox. If you use a browser that is not supported by the VSP, then the browser may not function correctly with the VSP.
The VSP only requires that you use the recommended browsers. The minimum and/or recommended system requirements for IE 9 or higher, Chrome, and Firefox will need to be met in order to use them and access the VSP.
IE 9 or higher system requirements can be found here.
Google Chrome system requirements can be found here.
Mozilla Firefox system requirements can be found here.
(Please note the above links will open in a new window. Please remember to log out if you do not plan to return to the VSP.)
Yes, the VSP can be accessed from a mobile or smart device.
If you prefer to file a paper application then you may still do so. However, the online application for compensation provides several benefits over the paper application. The online application is quicker and easier to fill out than the paper form. It also provides the ability to edit or modify existing sections without having to start a new application if you make a mistake. The online application is cost-saving and good for the environment as it requires less paper to fill out. You must only fill out either a paper application or an online application and NOT both for the same crime.
The VSP will allow you the opportunity to download a PDF copy of your completed claim with the claim number from the Confirmation Page. You can obtain the copy by clicking the "Download PDF" button on the Confirmation Page. If you need to review details of your application or are unable to download a copy from the Confirmation Page, please contact the CVRB with your claim number.


Starting or Making Changes to an Online Application for Compensation

A new application can by started by clicking the "Apply for Compensation" tab available under the banner near the top of every page. The Next and Previous buttons within the compensation application will allow you to save the application and complete it at a later time.
If you have already started an application before, it will be listed on the VSP home page. You can begin working on it again by selecting "Edit Application" next to the application you wish to edit.
If you started an application before, it will be listed on the VSP home page. You can delete an application by selecting "Edit Application" next to the application you wish to delete. This will open the application and you can delete the application by clicking the "Delete Application" button at the bottom of every page. You can also delete an application by selecting "Remove Application" next to the application you wish to delete.
You can move around the sections by using the NEXT and PREVIOUS buttons available at the bottom of every page. Clicking NEXT will move you to the next page and clicking PREVIOUS will move you to the previous page. Please keep in mind that moving to a section using NEXT or PREVIOUS will save data you have entered.
You may navigate by clicking an available section from the navigation menu on the left. Please keep in mind that moving to any section by clicking an available selection from the navigation menu will save your current entries.
The type of application you are filing can be selected in the Crime section or Section 3. Please note that some sections will be disabled and the associated data cleared when selecting different types of applications.
The VSP does not use a "Save" button in the online application for compensation. The data is saved when you click NEXT, PREVIOUS, or an available selection from the navigation menu. (For example: Victim, Claimant, Crime, etc.).
Yes, but please make sure you click NEXT, PREVIOUS, or an available section from the navigation menu (for example: Victim, Claimant, Crime, etc.) before exiting or logging out. Doing so ensures that the data you entered in your current screen is saved. Once saved, it is available on the VSP home page for up to sixty days.


Checking My Claim Status or Searching for a Claim

Claim statuses can be found by doing a basic claim search.
The VSP claim status system does not provide full details of a submitted application/claim. Please contact the CVRB with your claim number and request to have a Crime Victim Specialist contact you to discuss any details of your claim and its current status.
The case status in the VSP is updated the same day that an CVRB Crime Victim Specialist updates the case status in the CVRB claims processing system.


Uploading Documents for a Claim

You can upload documents by clicking "Upload"" from the confirmation page with your claim number. You can also upload documents from the search results after doing a basic or advanced search. Please see "Checking My Claim Status or Searching for a Claim" section of this document for more information.

Once the "Upload" is clicked, the upload page is displayed in the current window. You will have to select the document type you are uploading from the dropdown, then click the "Browse" button. Clicking "Browse" will bring up a system window to select a file available from your computer to be uploaded. Once you have located the file, you must click "Open" in the window and you will be taken back to the Upload page. Click the Upload button to complete the process. Upon successful upload, you will get a message in red text at the top of the page that your upload was successful. To exit, click "Cancel" and you will be returned to the previous page.
This is used to select the type of document you are uploading. It puts the document you upload in a category that will make it easy to identify the part of your claim it supports. If you are unsure of the category type your document falls under, contact CVRB with your claim number.
The VSP system accepts documents with the following file extensions: tif; pdf; doc; docx; xls; xlsx; bmp; gif; jpg. If you have documents that are not acceptable by VSP, please convert them to acceptable formats and then upload the converted document(s). If for any reason you cannot convert the documents to an acceptable format or the conversion fails, print and mail the document(s) to CVRB.
The VSP only allows the upload of one document file at a time.
If you get any error messages or it is taking a long time to upload files, you should mail your document(s) to CVRB as soon as possible to avoid any delays in processing your claim application.
The VSP system allows a maximum upload size of 2MB (megabytes) per file. A 2 MB file can vary in the number of pages depending on the document format. A Microsoft Word document typically produces an average of 63 pages per MB. A Microsoft Excel document usually produces an average of 161 pages per MB. If your file exceeds this limit, please reduce the file size. If for any reason you cannot reduce the file size to equal or less than 2MB, please mail the document(s) to CVRB.