The Legal Services Commission’s procurement plans for civil legal aid, published last week, have revealed that there will be no increase in the number of civil cases funded in the 2010/2011 financial year, to the dismay of solicitors.

To assist firms tendering for the civil contracts which will run from October 2010, the LSC has issued revised figures for the number of new cases, known as matter starts, that it will allocate in each field of law and geographical procurement area.

It said there would be a 10% increase in the number of new matter starts in areas where there had been a shortage last year, and a reduction in the number allocated in areas where there had been an excess.

Overall, the LSC said that with an unchanged budget of more than £200m, it aimed to fund one million cases of initial advice and assistance – the same number as last year.

Derek Hill, director of policy at the LSC, said the last year had seen a record number of cases funded, as the economic downturn had increased the need for advice in debt and housing.

‘We will continue to target resources to the areas of highest priority need, but this must be balanced with maintaining access to services in areas where demand levels are already high,’ he said. ‘We have a clear responsibility to work within a fixed budget and provide value for taxpayer money.’

Law Society president Robert Heslett said: ‘We are concerned that the total number of matter starts has not increased. Even during the current financial year, a number of legal aid providers have run out of matter starts, making it more difficult for potential clients to obtain the advice they need.’

He said the Law Society understood the financial constraints under which the LSC operates, but it was a false economy to limit access to legal advice at a time when rising unemployment and falling wages had increased legal aid eligibility and the number of social welfare problems.

‘We doubt that the effort and expense the LSC has gone to in drafting more than 120 procurement plans will provide any noticeable improvement in access to legal advice for clients,’ said Heslett.