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They can't restore to the old system.

Hourly rates of £52.65 per hour, or less when you factor in the reduced rates for travel time, standard letters, and the fixed fees that see you not get paid for half the work you actually do, not to mention all the admin work getting the contract in the first place, getting audited, and then chasing payment. When I used to do certificated family work I worked out (in 2012) that my effective recovery rate was around £20 per hour.

There isn't going to be a rush of firms clamouring to do loss making work.

Enough is enough. The government should fund it properly, or be honest and acknowledge the truth, which is that it couldn't care less for those clients who need legal aid and the profession that wants to make a decent living providing the service.