Housing remains one of the biggest areas of unmet legal need, according to a report by lawyers who observed dozens of appointments at MP surgeries.
Volunteers from LawWorks, Hogan Lovells, Addleshaw Goddard, Eversheds Sutherland and Mishcon de Reya attended 37 MP surgeries and observed 279 appointments between October 2022 and March 2023. An online survey sent to MPs and caseworkers received 98 responses.
The research found that three-quarters of constituent appointments observed related to legal issues. As found in similar research conducted in 2016, housing was the most common legal issue, following by immigration and asylum. Of the 206 constituents who raised legal issues with their MPs, 79% had not instructed a lawyer.
Rehousing and disrepair appeared heavily in the housing cases. The most prevalent issues in the immigration and asylum cases identified related to applications for indefinite leave to remain or immigration status.
Over half of caseworkers who responded to the online survey said casework volumes had increased significantly since the pandemic.
One caseworker said: 'I cannot refer cases as there are not enough solicitors to represent everyone who needs it. When calling solicitors, they often say they don't have capacity.'
Recommendations include training for MPs and caseworkers on legal issues - something that can be provided by the all-party parliamentary group on access to justice.
The report says: ‘MPs are often the last resort for those facing legal issues that they are unable to resolve on their own. It is crucial to provide comprehensive training for MPs and caseworkers to enhance their ability to identify legal issues and make appropriate referrals. This includes education on legal aid availability and referral resources, enabling them to refer cases where full legal representation is accessible.’
MPs should be surveyed every five years with the support of the Speaker’s Office, the report also recommends. While 37 MPs took part in the research, the majority of MPs declined to participate or failed to respond to requests to engage.
Hogan Lovells associate Claire Dumbill said: ‘This research emphasises the continued pressing need for greater access to affordable legal advice across the country, particularly in relation to housing and immigration rights. It also highlights the impact that this unmet need for legal advice has on the huge volumes of casework that many MPs and their staff are now routinely faced with.’
The firms worked in partnership with LawWorks and the access to justice APPG.
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