In addition to the low rates of apy, the contarct between providers and the govt is lopsided. The govt has power to audit, sanction, recover and withold payments with very limited recourse for providers. The govt has contract officers with deatield kwnoeldge pf te conytarct, which prov

Agree with Jawaid Luqmani on early advice - however, in family matters there should first be separated parent education, before mediation and before attending court, whether lawyers are involved or not. Currently parties are sometimes sent on Separated Parenting Information Programs (SPIPS). Usually this happens six months or longer into proceedings That is far too late. It needs to happen right up front. With a somewhat altered pathway where there are allegations of domestic abuse.

On the point that Rosaleen made re funding for authorities vs individuals - given the (high) success rate for claimants in welfare cases against the DWP, spending money defending some of these decisions seems like a really poor use of public funds (especially given that funding for the individuals involved has been completely taken away)

And Shelter Legal have suffered from the same problems as CLP, reduced income from HPCDS and reduction of WIP.

Advice deserts are certain to increase if there is no funding education, because without training pathways, and without adequate availability of supervisors, it becomes impossible to recruit, even when there is enough money to pay a salary. Advice deserts become self-perpetuating.

I meant funding intervention, not funding education

In family matters, proceedings are almost always related to welfare of children and courts make decisions specifically in the interest of children. Most litigants in the 50k private law cases each year are now in person (involving 84k children). The desert of advice is huge and parents rely in very rudimentary guidance and peer support from organisations such as 'Families Need Fathers - because both parents matter'.

I echo Rosaleen on difficulty of recruiting experienced housing lawyers. It is rare to find candidates who are ready to "hit the ground running" as it were.

A reminder to all attendees that this is the 3rd oral evidence session of the APPG on Legal Aid’s Westminster Commission on the Sustainability of Legal Aid. The next three sessions that make up the remainder of the Inquiry are:• The Publicly Funded Bar – 28 Jan 2021 https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-westminster-commission-on-legal-aid-the-publicly-funded-bar-tickets-128605653973• Access to Justice - 25 Feb 2021 https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-westminster-commission-on-legal-aid-access-to-justice-session-tickets-128607284851• Experiences of Junior Lawyers: Diversity, Inclusivity & Routes into the Profession - 25 Mar 2021 https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-westminster-commission-on-legal-aid-experiences-of-junior-lawyers-tickets-128607617847Thank you all for joining us today. We really do appreciate your support. Polly Sweeney up next.If you wish to feed into our work with any data, evidence, examples, thoughts or reflections about legal aid, please email rohini.teather@lapg.co.uk

Many people rely on CABs, but like us, they can only offer the most basic support.

I agree that the lack of professional education in social welfare law is a problem but I think this is a reaction to the fact that careers in social welfare law are not now viable. The witnesses have all been excellent, thank you. I just hope that someone in government is actually listening.