The legal aid Exceptional Case Funding (ECF) scheme is intended to be a human rights ‘safety net’ to avoid breaches of people’s rights, ensuring access to legal aid even when it would not normally be available. ECF clinics help people access ECF to get funded legal representation for vital cases. Such funding can also ‘free-up’…
This is an introduction to judicial review. Where a public body makes a decision, or behaves acts unlawfully, there are a number of ways that those affected can challenge that behaviour or decision. These include: Complaining using public bodies’ complaints procedures or Ombudsmen Exercising rights of appeal to a tribunal (if such rights exist in…
6 Feb 2019
A Claimant Commitment should help someone understand what the DWP expects from them so they can receive their Universal Credit money. If they ever have a sanction imposed on their claim, their Claimant Commitment should also help them to understand what it is that the DWP think has gone wrong. This is why it is…
28 Sep 2018
Claimant Commitments should help claimants to understand what the DWP expect of them in order to receive their Universal Credit money. If a claimant ever has a sanction imposed on their claim, their Claimant Commitment should also help them to understand what it is that the DWP think has gone wrong. This is why it…
This guide is intended for individuals who are attending the First-Tier Tribunal for an appeal against a decision taken about a benefit. There is also a short section on appeals in the Upper Tribunal. This guide may be updated from time to time. It is not to be construed as legal advice. This guide is also best read with…
10 Jul 2018
This introductory guide explains what public law is, with sections on consultations, complaints procedures and ombudsman schemes, stature appeals and judicial review. An introduction to public law…
This guide is intended to assist legal aid providers with a housing contract in determining where it might be appropriate to apply for Exceptional Case Funding (“ECF”) for your clients and to assist advisers in making successful applications for ECF. How-to-get-ECF-in-housing-law…
A short guide to making an effective complaint to a public body.…
6 Jul 2018
This guide is intended to assist legal aid providers in determining the cases where it might be appropriate to apply for Exceptional Case Funding (ECF) for immigration proceedings, and to assist providers in making successful applications for ECF. Download here…
19 Jun 2018
Commissioning and procurement is how government and public bodies (whether they be the NHS, a local council or a government department) make contracts with others to provide services. This could be a one-off contract to build a new road, or to provide long-term healthcare for a town, and anything in between. Commissioning has become more…
24 May 2018
This guide is intended to assist welfare rights advisers and legal aid providers with a welfare benefits contract in determining where it might be appropriate to apply for Exceptional Case Funding (ECF) for your clients and to assist advisers in making successful applications for ECF. ECF is potentially available in a range of welfare benefits…
5 Apr 2018
This guide is intended to assist legal aid providers in determining the cases where it might be appropriate to apply for ECF for family proceedings, and to assist providers in making successful applications for ECF. Most private family law proceedings were removed from the scope of legal aid by the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment…
8 Feb 2018