Following discussions with the Law Society last year, the Legal
Services Commission (LSC) has amended the monthly payment system
for legal aid work, and is now offering providers a choice as to
how they are paid for Civil (Legal Help) and Crime (Lower) work.
Rather than be paid under the existing reconciliation protocol,
providers can now opt for one of two alternative payment
arrangements:
- Option 1 - the 'variable monthly payment' option - the
LSC will not pay a 'standard' monthly payment. Instead they will
vary the amount paid each month depending on the value of the
firm's last monthly claim, plus the value of any exceptional cases
processed on the LSC computer system since the last monthly
payment.
- Option 2 - the 'narrowed reconciliation band' option
- allows firms to choose to have their account reconciled
using a narrower reconciliation band than at present. Under this
option a standard monthly payment adjustment will be triggered when
the account becomes plus/minus five per cent overpaid or
underpaid.
Read
detailed guidance on the LSC website