Communities and Culture Committee

Scrutiny Inquiry : Domestic Abuse

Response from Legal Services Commission

In response to your call for evidence we hereby submit details of the work that the Legal Services Commission (LSC) is doing to support victims of domestic abuse.

The Legal Services Commission is responsible for the administration of the legal aid budget in England and Wales and is committed to empowering the most vulnerable people in society to safeguard their rights. Victims of domestic abuse remain one of the LSC’s priority groups and we seek to actively support victims through increased access to legal advice.

Number of cases funded

During 2006/07 the LSC issued 529 certificates in Wales for representation in proceedings where the client was seeking an injunction in relation to domestic abuse. This equates to a total spend of £965,135.86.

Financial Eligibility

In April 2007 the eligibility waiver for domestic abuse victims was extended to apply to all eligibility limits. Only clients with disposable income of £290 per month or above are liable to pay a monthly contribution of a proportion of the excess over £285. The eligibility waiver applies to any application for Legal Representation for proceedings where the client seeks an injunction or other order for protection from harm to the person, or for committal for breach of any such order. The eligibility calculator on our website www.communitylegaladvice.org.uk can be used to calculate likely contributions.

Future Funding

In December 2007 we announced that more than half of a new £16.6 million funding pot would be spent on legal aid cases relating to domestic abuse - equivalent to 33,000 extra cases across England and Wales.

Future projects

The LSC is continuing to improve access to justice for victims of domestic abuse with a range of new initiatives. These include a current pilot for the delivery of family advice over the telephone which aims to reach those who find it more difficult to access traditional services, including women at risk. We are also soon to be piloting a scheme to deliver advice to women living in domestic violence refuges.

Further information

If we can provide you with any further information in relation to your enquiry, please do not hesitate to contact:

Tiana Williams, Wales Policy Manager

Tel: 029 2064 7162

Email: tiana.williams@legalservices.gov.uk

Legal Services Commission
4th Floor
Marland House
Central Square
Cardiff
CF10 1PF

DX 33006 Cardiff