Free legal advice tried and tested to help people with financial problems | Media Pyro

The pilot in Middlesbrough and Manchester is extending the reach of the legal aid fund to more disadvantaged people to receive free legal advice, to help them deal with issues before they escalate. more of difficulty or cost.

The goal is to give people a better opportunity to solve legal problems quickly, so that they don’t get into trouble.

Meanwhile, many people don’t access legal advice until it’s too late and they end up in trouble, such as a court appearance, debt collection, or even to be homeless. The pilot investigates whether these issues can be avoided by providing legal advice in advance.

Pilot counseling is offered to people struggling with housing issues, paying bills or having trouble with their benefits, with no conditions or merit tests required. To find out how the pilot service can make a difference, participants of the pilot will receive three hours of free legal advice and support, or be referred to existing advice services.

Justice Minister Lord Bellamy KC said:

Legal advice is invaluable for people who are in trouble and in trouble, helping people in trouble avoid going into debt or ending up in court.

With this pilot we are paving the way for more people to get free, early legal advice so that their problems can be dealt with before they get worse.

A legal adviser can explain issues such as council tax debts, and provide more information about housing rights and how to apply for Universal Credit, if needed.

Applications to the scheme are made to people who have fallen behind on their council tax payments by Manchester City Council and Middlesbrough Council. Applicants will be asked to complete a confidential survey to determine if they have a legal issue to support.

After an initial 5-month testing phase, the Ministry of Justice will review the evidence gathered from the evaluation and use this to inform the design of a larger scale pilot.