The Low Commission on the Future of Advice and Legal Support.
The final report of the Low Commission calls for a fresh approach to social welfare law provision.
The independent commission, led by cross bencher Lord Low, demands urgent reforms to ensure ordinary people can get the help they need to deal with employment, debt, housing and other social welfare law problems.
In particular it calls for:
- a national strategy for advice and legal support, to replace the current piecemeal approach, which is failing to protect the poorest and most vulnerable.
- a £100m implementation fund with half the money coming from central government, and half raised from other sources, including a levy on payday loan companies.
- the creation of new, cross-departmental ministerial post, to oversee implementation of advice and legal support strategy.
- restoring legal aid for housing cases so people can get help before
- they face imminent eviction.
- urgent reform of the ‘safety net provisions’, introduced by the Legal Aid, Sentencing & Punishment of Offenders Act, which are proving unwieldy and unworkable.
You can download the report from http://www.lowcommission.org.uk/