Funding cuts have led to legal aid ‘deserts’ with people struggling to access representation or advice on housing issues, solicitors have warned.
According to Inside Housing:
“The Law Society, a professional body for solicitors, has published research showing one in three administrative areas now only have one solicitor specialising in housing available through legal aid.
It warns that this risks denying legal advice and representation to people facing housing problems and it has called on the Conservative government to launch a review.
The previous coalition government made cuts to legal aid – state assistance for people who would otherwise be unable to pay their legal costs – to save £350m a year.
The Law Society said: “There is a serious risk the people that parliament insisted should be able to access legal help will be unable to get the advice and representation they need.” Since April 2013, legal aid has only been available for specific types of cases involving issues such as eviction, homelessness, harassment and disrepair.”