helpa

How it works

A clear, step-by-step process

Reporting a crime to the police and pursuing a civil claim are separate. Helpa helps you organise both sides responsibly.

Dramatised example for demonstration purposes.

  1. 1

    Report to the police

    If a crime has taken place, report it to the police. You can add the police reference to your Helpa report.

  2. 2

    Submit your incident

    Log the incident in your dashboard with details, estimated loss and evidence. You receive a unique reference straight away.

  3. 3

    Review

    A Helpa administrator reviews the report. If anything is missing, the status changes to “More Information Required” and we explain what we need.

  4. 4

    Eligibility assessment

    We assess whether the incident may be suitable for civil recovery. Some incidents will not be eligible, and we will tell you.

  5. 5

    Legal review

    Where appropriate, an eligible case may be referred for legal review. Nothing is issued automatically.

  6. 6

    Reimbursement and recovery

    On eligible cases Helpa reimburses your loss, then chases the shoplifter through our structured civil recovery process. You can follow each update on your case timeline.

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