Just a handful of legal aid providers in Wigan – despite warnings of legal aid 'deserts' across England and Wales
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The figures come as a professional body warns large areas of England and Wales have no access to some forms of legal aid.
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.
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Hide AdData from the Legal Aid Agency shows there were eight legal aid providers in Wigan as of February.
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.
It estimates 53 million people – or 90 per cent of the population – do not have access to a local legal aid provider for education, and 84 per cent of the population do not have access to one for welfare and benefits issues.
Wigan was among areas without a legal aid provider for education law, and had no providers offering welfare and benefits services.
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Hide AdAcross England and Wales there were 21 local areas with no legal aid providers whatsoever.
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 six for crime and six for family law in Wigan.
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.
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Hide AdThe Law Society said a decade on, civil legal aid is suffering an "existential crisis".
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.