Legal aid cuts undermine social welfare system

A shortage of social welfare advice is undermining the welfare system and is leading to poorer health outcomes, the Low Commission has warned.

The commission's latest report reveals how advice services have been negatively affected by recent changes to legal aid and recommends that the government develops a national advice strategy.

Lord Low said: "Our report clearly shows that the advice deficit is growing - and this has consequences for welfare, health and other public services. But this is not irreversible. Fixing the advice deficit will take time, the starting point is for government to embrace a national advice strategy - we hope this can be taken forwards in the next parliament."

A major survey of 463 welfare rights advisers, such as those who work in Citizen Advice Bureaux and other organisations, was launched by the commission.

Two-thirds (62 per cent) of advisers surveyed reported that legal aid changes had had a substantial and negative impact on their capacity to support clients.

The report also contained a survey of medical professionals commissioned last year, which found that a majority of GPs reported huge increases in the numbers of patients who would have benefited from legal or specialist advice on benefit and debt issues.

A total of 88 per cent of the GPs questioned agreed that patients not being able to obtain legal or specialist advice would have a negative impact on their health.

The commission has called for joined up action between local government, the NHS and central government departments, such as the DWP and Ministry of Justice, to put in place comprehensive advice plans.

John van der Luit-Drummond is legal reporter for Solicitors Journal