Government cuts causing ‘legal aid deserts’ leading to homelessness, says GM Mayor

Greater Manchester Mayor Tony Lloyd has called on the government to heed warnings about a ‘legal aid desert’ for people facing problems with housing and evictions.

The Law Society has said that families across large parts of England and Wales are denied state-funded advice on housing issues because of ‘legal aid deserts’ that have emerged due to drastic government cuts in spending.

Tony said: “Legal aid must be provided to those with housing needs, whether it’s help to challenge unscrupulous landlords, unacceptable living conditions, or repossession proceedings. Civil justice must be made available to all, not just those that can afford it.

“Government cuts to legal aid are leaving vulnerable people without representation. Families and individuals who are facing eviction and are on the brink of homelessness will find their whole lives hinging on whether they can get the legal advice and support that they are entitled to.”

The legal aid ‘heatmap’ produced by The Law Society reveals that some areas of Greater Manchester, including Tameside, Wigan and Bury only have one legal aid solicitor specialising in housing.

Having just one firm in a single area causes a variety of issues, including people finding it difficult to travel to and access the service, firms finding themselves overwhelmed and not able to cope with demand and, where there is a conflict of interest firms are unable to represent both the tenant and the landlord.

Law Society Chief Executive Catherine Dixon said: “The impact of homelessness on individuals can be huge – but it also hits the public purse. And, just as legal aid advice deserts have opened up, the demand for housing advice has escalated.

“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. The government needs to urgently commission an independent review into the sustainability of the civil legal aid system.”

The Law Society believes the review should also look at legal aid contracting arrangements. The government should also seek to commission a second provider in areas that currently only have one and take urgent steps where zero advisers are available.

This is not the first time the government has faced criticism over its handling of legal aid reforms. In January, following a series of protests, the then justice secretary Michael Gove was forced to abandon cuts to legal aid fees, and in April this year the government was forced to amend its legal aid restrictions for domestic abuse victims because the Court of Appeal declared them legally flawed.