We are reposting our list of advice and legal resources with some additions- please contact us if you know of others that would be useful to add or any that are no longer working because of this Government’s cuts to legal aid
DPAC receive a large number of requests for advice and information on cuts and the WCA . We cannot give advice, but direct to web resources that we know.
We also have a DPAC Facebook page which includes many people struggling with issues of ESA, Atos assessments and DWP failures –it acts as an advice forum from those that may have been through the issues you might be experiencing it’s at https://www.facebook.com/groups/DPAC2011/418279398228320/?notif_t=group_activity
Useful web sites
http://www.advicenow.org.uk/
http://www.advicenow.org.uk/advicenow-guides/problems-with-benefits/turned-down-for-dla-aa-pip-think-youre-not-getting-enough/
www.benefitsandwork.co.uk
http://edinburghagainstpoverty.org.uk/
http://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/
http://www.citizensadvice.co.uk/en/ Northern Ireland
http://www.cas.org.uk/cta/find-your-local-cab Scotland
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Diol1/DoItOnline/DoItOnlineByCategory/DG_067277 Find your local CAB
http://www.turn2us.org.uk/information__resources/benefits/social_fund/short_term_benefit_advances.aspx
http://budgetingadvance.com/
WCA: how to prepare
http://www.socialworkfuture.org/articles-and-analysis/articles/242-survival-tips-for-the-work-capability-assessment
http://antp.org.uk/wcarules.htm
WCA Appeals: what you need to do
http://www.solfed.org.uk/?q=unwaged-workers/know-your-rights-failing-a-work-capability-assessment
Debt
National Debtline
Free and independent advice on debt
Telephone: 0808 808 4000 (Monday-Friday, 9am -9pm; Saturday, 9.30am-1pm)
Website: www.nationaldebtline.co.uk
Benefits/hardship payments/Short term Budgeting loans
DPAC: https://dpac.uk.net/2013/05/hardship-paymentsbudgeting-loans-and-short-term-advances
Homelessness
Shelter
A national telephone advice line staffed by trained housing advisers.
Telephone: 0808 800 4444 (8am-8pm Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm Saturday-Sunday)
Websites: http://england.shelter.org.uk and http://scotland.shelter.org.uk
Homeless UK
This has an online database search allows you to search, by area, for organisations providing benefits and debt advice.
Website: www.homelessuk.org
DIAL
There are around 120 local Disability Information and Advice Line services (DIALs) run by disabled people and now taken over by the SCOPE charity
For area coverage see: www.scope.org.uk/services/local-groups/dial-uk.
Part 2
Free legal assistance list with thanks to Inclusion London
Bar Pro Bono Unit
Who are they?
A charity that helps to find pro bono legal assistance from volunteer barristers for individuals and organisations who cannot afford to pay and who cannot obtain public funding (legal aid).
What do they do?
The Unit matches barristers prepared to undertake pro bono work with those who need their help. The office itself does not give advice.
The volunteer barristers can provide advice, representation and help at mediation; representation in any court/tribunal; give legal advice on any subject; and draft documents such as skeleton arguments.
How do you access the service?
- They cannot accept applications unless they come via a referrer (generally, an advice agency such as the CAB or a Law Centre, or a local MP)
- Visit the website www.barprobono.org.uk
- For more information if you are an individual needing help Click Here
- Submit a query via contact form Click Here
Community Legal Advice
Who are they?
A free and confidential advice service in England and Wales paid for by legal aid.
What do they do?
Provide free help or legal advice over the phone. They can help with family, debt, housing, employment, education, welfare benefits and tax credits problems.
They will check to see if you are eligible for legal aid and put you in touch with a specialist legal adviser, or refer you to other agencies of you do not qualify for their services.
Has a free translation service available in 170 languages.
How do you access the service?
- Telephone 0845 345 4 345 (Open Monday to Friday 9.00 am to 8.00 pm. Saturday 9.00 am to 12.30 pm. Calls cost 4p per minute from a BT landline; cost from mobiles will be more)
- Request a call back
-Via online form Click Here
-Text ‘legalaid’ then your name to 80010 (Call back within 24 hours)
Disability Law Service (England and Wales only)
Who are they?
A national charity run by disabled people, which specialises in free legal advice and information for disabled people, their families and carers.
What do they do?
They provide free legal advice and representation (e.g. in complaints, using the Ombudsman, tribunals and courts), specialising in Welfare Benefits; Community Care; Disability Discrimination in Employment, Access to Goods and Services; and using the Equality Duty to challenge public authorities.
They run a free legal advice line, open Mon-Friday, 10am–5pm, with an answering machine service for out of hours calls.
They run an Employment Law drop in at their office in Tower Hamlets, where a member of their legal team will assess whether you are financially eligible for legal aid under the Legal Services Commissions (LSC) Legal Help scheme.
They also have factsheets available to download on key areas of the law, such as Community Care; education; employment; goods and services; and welfare benefits. The factsheets are available for download in different formats – regular, large print, text only and audio file.
They commit to responding to telephone enquiries within 24 hours, and written enquiries within 7-10 days.
How do you access the service?
Free Representation Unit (FRU)
Who are they?
A charity that provides free legal representation for the public and advocacy experience for junior lawyers.
What do they do?
Provide legal advice, case preparation and advocacy in employment tribunals (and appeals from decisions of the employment tribunals); social security appeals in the first-tier tribunal (and appeals from such decisions); and criminal injury compensation cases.
How do you access the service?
- *Do not accept cases directly from members of the public – all cases must come through a referral agency. For a list of referral agencies, Click Here
- Visit the website www.thefru.org.uk
LawWorks
Who are they?
A charity that works with law firms and legal professionals to involve them in delivering pro bono work.
What do they do?
Aim to provide free legal help to those who cannot afford to pay for it and who are unable to access legal aid.
Services to individuals include free Legal Advice Clinics, free mediation to settle disputes out of court, and free casework assistance if you need more than one-off advice.
Who are they for?
Individuals
How do you access the service?
ProBonoUK.net
Who are they?
A charity that run a website for the promotion of pro bono legal work.
What do they do?
Act as a resource for news andinformation about pro bono work for individuals, advice workers and lawyers wishing to offer help.
How do you access the service?
RAD Legal Services: BSL
Who are they?
A dedicated legal advice service for Deaf BSL users provided by the Royal Association of Deaf People (RAD).
What do they do?
RAD Legal Services currently has three projects: a Discrimination Advice project, a Webcam Advice Project and a Money Advice Service project.
Discrimination Advice gives free specialist legal advice on discrimination issues in the areas of employment, housing, education and goods, facilities and services. This is provided by a Deaf solicitor, and can be delivered face to face, via webcam, email, telephone or instant messaging software.
Webcam Advice is the BSL version of the Community Legal Advice Helpline, and is available free of charge to people eligible for legal aid in the areas of welfare benefits, debt, housing and employment. As well as webcam, they can also provide advice via instant messaging software such as Windows Live Messenger, ooVoo, etc.
Money Advice Service has a qualified Money Adviser giving free, clear and ‘jargon-free’ Money Advice money advice to D/deaf and hard of hearing people who live in the South East. The Service covers the savings and investments; borrowings (credit cards, loans and mortgages); retirement planning and pensions; redundancy; tax and tax credits; insurance; debt; starting a family; and budgeting.
How do you access the service?
Other links
Advice Guide
Citizen’s Advice Bureau (CAB) online advice resource.
www.adviceguide.org.uk
Citizen’s Advice Bureau (CAB)
The website of the national advice agency, including Search for your nearest CAB.
www.citizensadvice.org.uk
Law Centres Federation
The umbrella organisation that supports and promotes UK Law Centres. For a list of London’s Law Centres, visit
www.lawcentres.org.uk/directory/location/London
Legal Adviser Finder
Find legal advisers or solicitors near you
http://legaladviserfinder.justice.gov.uk/AdviserSearch.do
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Download the list of Legal firms: Public Law Specialists
Download list of Legal Firms: Community Care specialists