PLP is seeking case studies of individuals prevented from accessing legal aid due to their income or capital, but who cannot in practice afford to pay for legal services.  We will use this evidence to supplement our briefing report on the means regulations, The gap between the legal aid means regulations and financial reality, which we recently published to help organisations and individuals preparing evidence for the LASPO review.  This report contains more information about the operation of the means regulations, and the scenarios in which low-income individuals and households are excluded from legal aid.

For more information, or to submit case studies and / or examples, please contact [email protected]

In March 2018 the Law Society published a report by Professor Donald Hirsch, which showed that individuals and households with incomes below the minimum income standard are excluded from legal aid on the basis of their income. The full report is available on the Law Society’s website: https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/News/Stories/priced-out-of-justice-legal-aid-means-test-report/
The report also found that homeowners on very low incomes may be excluded from legal aid on the basis of the value of their homes, even though they have no realistic option of paying for legal services. We are interested in case studies which support the Law Society report, and demonstrate that the means test unfairly excludes individuals who cannot afford to pay privately from accessing legal aid.