Lisa Potts: �49,000

The parents of Francesca Quintyne, one of three children injured in the attack, appealed against her �7,950 award.

Francesca, now eight, was recently promised �23,000 for the injuries and mental trauma resulting from the attack - still �50,000 less than her family had asked for.

The two other children hurt on the nursery attack received �6,000 and �6,250.

Since it was set up in 1964, the government-run compensation scheme has always been controversial, with an agreed formula to equate physical and psychological harm with a cash sum proving difficult to achieve.

There was outrage when it emerged Josie Russell, who was bludgeoned in an attack which killed her mother and sister, received the minimum award for her injuries - �18,500. This was later increased to �79,000.

Since 1996, awards have been made under a rigid tariff system and range from �1,000 to �250,000 for injuries or mental trauma.

Victims are also eligible for further "special care costs" up to �250,000. These are discretionary and account for loss of earnings and medical costs which are a result of the injury.

The tariff sets out about 330 descriptions of injury and matches these to a "standard" sum. For example, a fractured rib is �1,000; a severe burns to the torso would net �10,000 and injuries which caused loss of fertility �50,000.

Despite the delay in settling the Potts case, CICA says the "flat fee" system has speeded up the claims process.

However, its inflexibility and upper limit means awards can never match those paid out in negligence cases, such as medical negligence, where there is no ceiling.

Last year a man was awarded �93,000 for a botched liposuction operation which it was said ruined his prospects of continuing a modelling career.

"I would have made a success as a model and would have been rich," he told the court.

Josie Russell: �79,000

The CICA receives in the region of 80,000 applications per year, yet many will not be honoured because the injury falls below the minimum threshold. A black eye, for example, would not warrant a pay out.

There must be at least three such minor injuries - bruising, cuts, bloody nose - to qualify for compensation.

The victim's culpability is also taken into account. Someone who suffered a broken wrist after starting a fight would probably not be rewarded.

The low profile of the authority is one of its most controversial aspects. Many attack victims miss out on payments because they don't know the scheme exists.

A spokesman for the authority says police and victim support are expected to pass on the word.

But the spokesman also admitted that only a quarter of those eligible to claim actually do. Howard Webber, who is in charge of the scheme, has pledged to raise its profile.

'Astonished'

One claimant, who needed eight stitches above his left eye after being punched on a London Tube train, told BBC News Online he had to seek it out himself.