STUDY: highlights public's ignorance as government scuppers hopes of more legal aid cash

Millions of people are going without legal advice because they are unaware of their basic rights or do not know where to get help, the largest-ever study of legal need has shown.

But the findings were unveiled in the same week that the government dashed hopes of more money being pumped into the legal aid system.

The Legal Services Research Centre survey of 5,800 people showed that while one-third of the population will experience civil law problems at some point, one million problems are not addressed each year.

The report, which is based on data from 1998 to 2001, suggested that 83% of those living in temporary accommodation would have problems, followed by two-thirds of single parents and 54% of unemployed people.

Speaking at the launch of the report last week, Professor Hazel Genn of University College London, said problems often occurred in clusters - 46% of those with troubles had more than one - which resulted in 'cascades of catastrophe'.

This could see, for example, a personal injury result in unemployment and subsequently homelessness.

The report's author, Pascoe Pleasence, argued for a more holistic approach to legal advice to address the 'cluster' effect, including greater co-ordination between legal advice providers and non-legal sources of help, and more targeted education and information on rights.

Legal aid minister David Lammy said all government departments could do more to help, but warned they would have to work within the existing budget.

'We [need to] understand that there is a 2 billion budget and there is not likely to be an increase in the next period,' he said.

In Parliament last week, Mr Lammy revealed that 56% of the legal aid budget is now eaten up by crime.

Speaking after the launch, Law Society chief executive Janet Paraskeva said it is 'very worrying' that such a large section of the population is going without help and called for the civil budget to be ring-fenced from crime to ensure that the Community Legal Service (CLS) is properly funded.

Roy Morgan, chairman of the Legal Aid Practitioners Group, suggested that the problem had escalated since the fieldwork was undertaken; he insisted that the way forward was extra funding.

'The Treasury's refusal to provide the CLS with the resources it requires to meet the needs identified by this hard evidence is a matter of great regret,' he added.

Legal Services Commission chief executive Clare Dodgson said she did not believe that the problem had worsened over the last three years, but agreed that ring-fencing the civil budget from the criminal fund might be of benefit if it were done transparently.

'If we could even free up a small amount of resources, it could help other areas of provision,' she suggested.

Paula Rohan