Policy

11 July, 2008

LSC announces extra £10 million for civil legal aid

Enough to fund 40,000 cases of face-to-face advice

The Legal Services Commission (LSC) announced yesterday that an extra £10 million is available for civil legal aid, which is enough to fund 40,000 extra cases of face-to-face advice.

The LSC's priorities are to provide at least 10,000 more Family Law cases, particularly domestic abuse and public law children, and 30,000 extra cases of Social Welfare Law, which consists of the categories of community care, debt, employment, housing and welfare benefits.

Commenting on the additional funding, Carolyn Regan, the LSC’s Chief Executive said -

'More money for more help for more people is great news. We know from independent research that many people have multiple problems at the same time. That is why we are prioritising this funding for those organisations that can address a range of legal problems, minimising the need for onward referrals between agencies.

In the past, someone suffering from domestic abuse for example, may have had to seek help from three or more law firms and advice agencies in order to deal with housing, debt or other problems stemming from their situation. We want people using the services to be able to access everything, from basic advice to legal representation in the highest courts, all through one contact point. 

We will ensure that legal aid is available where it is needed most and can make the most difference to people’s lives. People experiencing domestic abuse are a priority for this funding. We are also working with Women’s Aid and Refuge to design a pilot scheme that will give legal aid advice to women living in refuge accommodation.'

The LSC will invite tenders to deliver services across England and Wales where they want to build provision, or expand certain types of services.

The LSC aims to:

  • Increase the percentage of population with access to a provider of Legal Help
  • Increase the total number of cases provided by legal aid providers
  • Increase spend in areas where our information suggests provision is weakest

The priority services to be delivered are:

  • Family Law services – particularly Domestic Abuse and Public Law Children
  • Social Welfare Law from providers who can provide integrated services for clients in at least three Social Welfare Law categories

The deadline for submitting tenders will be Thursday 7 August 2008.

For more information, see the LSC press release £10 million to help more people with legal aid.

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