Briefing: Legal Aid Bill - Benefits and Homelessness amendments

By: Anne Baxendale
Published: March 2012

Briefing: Legal Aid Bill amendments - Housing Benefit

Under government proposals, all benefits work is to be removed from the scope of legal aid (except for cases that go to judicial review). Shelter and other advice organisations do not accept the argument that because benefits work concerns financial entitlement it should be a lower priority for funding, nor the belief that benefits work is practical rather than legal. As advice providers, we know that benefits matters are routinely both complex and legal in nature, and that addressing underlying benefits problems can be vital in preventing people from losing their home.