A Cardiff-based community interest company has secured National Lottery money to provide free advice to families applying to the Court of Protection to access child trust funds.
Qualia Law CIC has received a £10,000 grant covering the next 12 months to help families of children who lack mental capacity to manage their own affairs, who face challenges accessing the accounts.
Earlier this year, the Ministry of Justice opted against changing the Mental Capacity Act to make it easier for parents to access child savings accounts after the child turns 18. Instead, the department would raise awareness about the need to obtain legal authority before the child turns 18 and work with the Court of Protection to improve the application process.
Qualia Law CIC said the process for obtaining legal authority involves complex and costly applications to the court. The financial barrier faced by families seeking legal advice results in a lack of adequate advice before the application is submitted, which in turn leads to application errors and significant delays. The 'burdensome and expensive' process can also discourage families from applying.
Qualia Law CIC decided to apply for National Lottery funding to help families complete their Court of Protection applications. Solicitor and director Tom Evans said: ‘We firmly believe it is unjust for individuals to miss out on money that is legally theirs, especially during times of economic uncertainty.
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