WORTHY OF HELP

I write in response to Andrew Grand's letter (see [2002] Gazette, 7 February, 19).

The aims of the legal aid eligibility reforms were to simplify the eligibility test for legal representation, while broadly maintaining eligibility levels with those achieved under the previous scheme.

For legal help, the aim was significantly to increase the number of eligible clients.

This is the first significant increase in eligibility for some years.The gross income cap was introduced to act as an initial filter for eligibility and to aid transparency in the eligibility test.

The level of the gross income cap was set following research by the Legal Services Commission's (LSC) research unit, and the Institute for Fiscal Studies.

As far as the current level of the gross income cap is concerned, the Lord Chancellor's Department and the LSC are reviewing the level, particularly the eligibility levels achieved under the new scheme.We are also looking at the operation of the gross income cap as it is applied to those relatively small numbers of clients with large families and those in receipt of benefits, which are disregarded when assessing disposable income.

Our reforms are intended to target resources at the neediest members of the community more effectively.

The reforms were not designed to work against the people we are trying to help.

In the rare cases where the changes have inadvertently led to any anomalies, the Lord Chancellor's Department would like to know about them.Contact Helen Johns at the Public Legal Services Division at the LCD, e-mail: helen.johns@lcdhq.gsi.gov.ukDA Hill, head of Public Legal Services Division, Lord Chancellor's Department