Civil legal aid solicitors have been waiting nearly three decades for a pay rise - but the wait is nearly over for some. Today, the Ministry of Justice confirmed an extra £20m a year for housing and immigration work.
Following consultation with the sector, the ministry announced that providers would see significant increases in all fees, with overall spending increasing by 24% for housing work and 30% for immigration work.
The fixed fee for housing work will rise from £157 to £223. The fixed fee for asylum legal help from £413 to £559. These fee uplifts mark the first increases for the civil legal aid sector since 1996.
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Justice minister Sarah Sackman said: ‘This vital investment marks a turning point for civil legal aid by boosting funding to build capacity in the sector, helping to enable individuals, regardless of background or income, to uphold their legal rights. As part of our Plan for Change we are ensuring that our legal aid providers can deliver vital support where it's needed most.’
However, today’s announcement contained no mention of the other nine civil legal aid contract areas of law, such as mental health, education, community care and discrimination.
A separation consultation on a 12% pay rise for criminal legal aid colleagues will end this week.
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