The Law Soc Gazette reports
Shocking new infographics produced by the Law Society have revealed catastrophic legal aid deserts across the country, with millions of people without access to a provider in key areas such as education, community care and housing.
Using data taken from the Legal Aid Agency’s directory of providers, the interactive maps show that across England and Wales:
- 52m (88%) do not have access to a local education provider
- 47m (79%) do not have access to a local welfare legal aid provider
- 40m (67%) do not have access to a local community care legal aid provider
- 38m (63%) do not have access to a local immigration and asylum legal aid provider
- 23.5m (39%) do not have access to a local legal aid provider for housing advice
Society president I. Stephanie Boyce said: ‘Behind each statistic is a child not getting the education they need, a family facing eviction, fighting for welfare benefits to stay afloat in these turbulent times or a person denied a say in how they are cared for.’
In an accompanying report, the Society provides a detailed explanation of the challenges that are affecting civil legal aid sustainability and viability, and makes several recommendations.
The Ministry of Justice confirmed this month that there are currently 1,401 providers with civil legal aid contracts, compared to 2,129 in April 2012.