Making a social security appeal

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

An introduction to public law

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

How to get legal aid Exceptional Case Funding (ECF) in housing 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

Making an Effective Complaint to a Public Body

A short guide to making an effective complaint to a public body.

How to get Exceptional Case Funding for immigration cases

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

LASPO briefing: Public Law Project Litigation

The Legal Aid, Sentencing, and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO), and the subsequent secondary legislation, significantly changed the way that civil legal aid operates. Changes were made not only to the scope of legal aid, but also to the procedures and processes that clients and lawyers had to follow in order to access funding

The effects of LASPO on civil legal aid in Wales

This research briefing explores effects of the LASPO reforms on civil legal aid provision in Wales. It draws on Welsh and UK Government statistics and reports; publications by legal professional bodies, Parliamentary Committees, Independent Commissions and the voluntary sector; academic sources; informal consultations with solicitors and advice charities. Download here

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Commissioning: Understanding and using the law for smaller organisations

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

Exceptional Case Funding Briefing

The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO) limited the availability of civil legal aid, removing large areas of law from within scope of legal aid. In response to concerns about LASPO, the government included a provision for funding to be made available in certain cases, which would otherwise be outside of

The Civil Legal Advice Telephone Gateway

This briefing paper provides an overview of the PLP research report ‘Keys to the Gateway: an Independent Review of the Mandatory Civil Legal Advice Gateway.’ The introduction of the mandatory CLA Gateway for Debt, Discrimination, and Special Educational Needs marked a major shift in the delivery of publicly funded legal advice. This briefing looks at

Legal aid and access to early advice

The overview provided in this briefing paper identifies five key issues relating to the availability of early legal advice, which arise from the reforms to civil legal aid made by the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO).  This briefing paper reviews existing research conducted by other organisations that documents how the

Financial Barriers to Accessing Judicial Review: An Initial Assessment

In England and Wales, questions of money and finance have become more important in the discussion around judicial review in recent years. On the claimant side, there are widespread access to justice concerns relating ot the costs of bringing a judicial review. On the government side, there has been a view taken – which has