Legal aid cuts

In the Legal Aid Sentencing and Offenders Bill currently going through parliament, the government is planning to cut legal aid for most areas of social welfare law, including welfare benefits advice and representation. CPAG is campaigning against these cuts. See below for further details.

Briefings

September 2011
Legal aid changes hit disabled people hardest

• Removing welfare benefits advice from legal aid will leave tens of thousands of disabled people with nowhere to turn for help in appealing wrong decisions, at the same time as the welfare system is radically reformed.
• Download this breifing from Justice for All Legal aid changes hit disabled people hardest (274 KB PDF file)

August 2011
Legal Aid – benefits advice reduces poverty amongst disabled children

• This short briefing explains how removing legal aid for welfare benefits advice will increase already high levels of poverty amongst disabled children and adults. It was sent to MPs as part of our parliamentary lobbying work on the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill.
• Download Legal Aid – benefits advice reduces poverty amongst disabled children briefing (109 KB PDF file)

June 2011
Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill
Second Reading, Wednesday 29th June 2011
CPAG Briefing Paper

• The Ministry of Justice plans to "save" £22 million by removing welfare benefits matters from the scope of legal aid funding. CPAG opposes this move because advice and representation on welfare rights is a vital tool to help people living in poverty. Social security is a highly complex and fast changing area of law. Even if it is simplified by the Government’s welfare reform proposals, this is likely to take years to achieve. In the meantime, claimants will be deprived of vital advice at a time of major upheaval in the system - leading to increased poverty, debt, and homelessness.
• Download the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill, Second Reading, CPAG Briefing (112 KB PDF file)

February 2011
Proposals for the Reform of Legal Aid in England and Wales

• In this response we argue strongly against the Government’s proposals to remove social security and other areas of social welfare law from the scope of legal aid. We believe that these reforms will have a negative impact on child poverty by reducing access to welfare rights and social welfare advice, and that this in its turn will have consequences elsewhere. We also believe that the costs of dealing with the consequences of cuts in legal aid are likely to outweigh any "savings" the Government believes it is making.
• Download Legal Aid reform proposals: CPAG's response (112 KB PDF file)

Campaigns

Sound off for Justice
Campaign to stop the Government's proposed cuts to legal aid.
http://soundoffforjustice.org/

Justice for All
Campaign for free legal advice, to ensure everyone is treated fairly under the law.
http://www.justice-for-all.org.uk/

JustRights
Campaign for fair access to justice for children and young people
http://www.justrights.org.uk/

Also of interest

Rightsnet
Discussion forum about the passage of the Legal aid, sentencing and punishment of offenders bill as it makes its way through Parliament.
http://www.rightsnet.org.uk/forums/viewthread/1639/

Ministry of Justice
Proposals for the Reform of Legal Aid in England and Wales consultation documents
http://www.justice.gov.uk/consultations/legal-aid-reform.htm