Press Release
Legal Aid funds flow to those directly helping the vulnerable
07 February 2006
The LSC’s decision to redirect £2.3 million into frontline services will significantly boost delivery of legal aid directly to the people in the community who need it most.
Karl Demian, Director of the Contract Design Group at the LSC, said: “The decision to end Specialist Support contracts will free up funding for 9,000 new acts of assistance delivered directly to clients or via an expanded CLS Direct. The LSC’s focus in recent months on ensuring that legal aid solicitors and advisers are taking up their allocated ‘acts of assistance’ has already led to a 10% increase in the amount of legal help delivered across England and Wales so far in 2005/06 compared with the same period last year. The release of this additional new money will strengthen our focus on delivering more legal aid access to vulnerable people.”
He continued: “Recently, the LSC took a difficult decision to end funding, worth £2.3 million for Specialist Support contracts, a service that provides advice to advisors. This came from a budget that funds ad hoc experimental projects. The LSC believes that this money is better invested in front line services. We are encouraging the holders of Specialist Support contracts to investigate how they can receive funding for providing their expertise directly to the public. This is about refocusing resources into frontline services to the greater benefit of clients.”
The research which underpins the LSC’s consultation paper ‘Making legal rights a reality’ demonstrates high levels of legal need, above the existing provision in areas of high demand, so it is vital that we ensure the availability of as much front line advice as possible.
Specialist Support services will continue as normal until 19th July 2006, when the contracts will end.
The Commission is firm that the decision does not represent cuts to the Legal Help budget. We will continue to spend the same amount of money but focus it on ensuring the sustainable expansion of services to our clients, through face-to-face and CLS Direct services.
Notes to editors
· The need to refocus current funding is highlighted by the DCA paper; ‘A Fairer Deal for Legal Aid’
Last updated: 28 December 2006