How to get legal aid in welfare benefits cases

The total number of disabled people granted legal aid in welfare cases has plummeted from 29,801 in 2011-12 to just 308 in 2016-17.

See Disabled people lose legal aid in 99% of benefits disputes

This is because of the 2012 Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act, which removed more than £350m from the legal aid budget and ended the right to legal representation in many benefits cases.

But you can still get legal aid funding in certain circumstances including:

• advice and assistance for advice on whether or not to submit an application for permission to appeal to the Upper Tribunal (but not First-Tier Tribunal)
• preparation of an Upper Tribunal case prior to a hearing.
• Judicial review

The Public Law project has produced a guide on how to get legal aid in welfare benefits cases