Legal aid for welfare benefits plummets over a decade

The delayed review of the impact of its controversial legal aid reforms is nearly done says the Ministry of Justice. A table has been published showing an alarming drop in the number of people who have been granted public funding in welfare benefits cases over the last decade.

 

Lucy Frazer, justice minister has responded to a written question from Chris Ruane, Labour MP for Vale of Clwyd.

 

Figures show that there were 135,751 legal help matter starts and 51 civil representation granted certificates in 2008-09. These figures have plummeted to 443 legal help matter starts and nine civil representation granted certificates in 2017-18.

 

There were 82,554 legal help matter starts in 2012-13, falling to 163 in 2013-14. This figure meanders up and down over the subsequent four years, but not by very much. The decline is at its steepest around the time the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act (LASPO) was introduced in April 2013. 

 

Frazer has responded by saying the minister had engaged with more than 100 organisations and individuals over several months whilst conducting a wide-ranging review of the legal aid reforms. 'Having finalised this engagement at the end of November, the review is now near completion and will be published shortly.'

 

Ben-Cnaan, head of policy at the Law Centres Network said benefits are key to the income of many people applying for legal aid. 'Denying people help with appeals not only obstructs their right to challenge the state, but also hampers resolving other problems, such as housing or debt, which are still in scope. We have repeatedly made this point to MoJ and we expect to see it addressed in the LASPO review.'