Disqualified from justice: legal aid means test

Research from the University of Loughborough, commissioned by the Law Society, has found that the legal aid means test is preventing families in poverty from accessing justice.

The research shows that people on incomes already 10% to 30% below the minimum income standard are being excluded from legal aid.

This means that poverty-hit families are being denied vital help to fight eviction, tackle severe housing disrepair and address other life-changing legal issues.

We are calling on the UK government to:

  • restore the means test to its 2010 real-terms level, and
  • conduct a review to consider what further changes are required to address the problems exposed by the report

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