Figures show a lack of legal aid providers in south Gloucestershire

Data from the Legal Aid Agency shows there were six legal aid providers in South Gloucestershire in February.

Legal aid is given to those who cannot afford it to cover the costs of legal advice, mediation and representation – with funding ultimately coming from the Government.

The Law Society – a professional association for solicitors – has warned key areas of law such as education, welfare, community care, immigration and housing are suffering from a lack of free legal advice and representation.

South Gloucestershire has no legal aid provider for education law, and had no providers offering welfare and benefits services.

Assistance with crime and family law are the most common types of legal aid, with 1,684 and 1,434 practices offering them respectively.

There were three for crime and four for family law in South Gloucestershire.

The Law Society said a 2012 law which cut the availability of legal aid has had a disastrous impact on the ability of victims to seek justice, with funding for free support drying up in many areas.

The number of legal aid cases dropped from more than 900,000 in 2009-10 to 130,000 in 2021-22, while the number of people going to court without representation trebled.

Law Society of England and Wales president Lubna Shuja said: “For rights to be real, everyone who qualifies for state-funded legal advice must be able to get that advice when they need it, so that they can uphold and enforce their rights."

“The survival of these services is in the balance. People can’t get the legal support they need, when they need it,” she added.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “Everyone in England and Wales can access legal help and advice either face-to-face or through the Civil Legal Aid telephone service.”

“Last year, we invested £813 million to make sure civil legal aid gets to those who need it most and are reviewing the sector to ensure the system is sustainable well into the future,” they added.