Legal Aid Means Test Review
A review of the means test for civil and criminal legal aid.
In February 2019, the government announced a review of the means test for legal aid as part of the Legal Support Action Plan. This paper sets out for consultation our proposed changes to the means test for legal aid.
Means testing is a vital aspect of determining eligibility for most types of legal aid. It aims to ensure that legal aid is targeted at those most in need, and that those who can afford to contribute towards their legal costs do so.
Chapters 1 and 2 summarise the existing legal aid means tests and lay out our overarching approach to legal aid eligibility. Chapters 3, 4 and 5 detail our proposals in relation to civil legal aid. Chapters 6 and 7 detail our proposals in relation to criminal legal aid. Chapter 8 outlines our proposals for implementation and monitoring.
Our proposals are followed by accompanying questions. We welcome responses to those questions as well as to some wider questions on the potential impact of our proposals.
You will find the consultation document, a large print version and a Welsh summary below. We will shortly publish a full Welsh translation and an easy read version.
Contact us at: LegalAidMeansTestReview@justice.gov.uk