20 November 2009
The Law Gazette is reporting that claimants needing benefits advice under the legal aid scheme are being turned away because legal aid funding has run out.
The government was well aware that the credit crunch and changes to the benefits system, such as the introduction of employment and support allowance, would lead to a huge increase in the need for benefits, debt and housing advice this year. However, it has failed to increase the amount of money available to solicitors carrying out legal aid work.
The result is that many solicitors have used up their allocation for the year and are now turning away some of their most needy and vulnerable clients.
Read the full story on the Law Gazette blog
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