The East Ham MP Sir Stephen Timms launched a new report at Parliament while more funding for advice has been made available by London Mayor Khan, report Daisy Miles and Peter Landman
East Ham MP Sir Stephen Timms launched a specially commissioned report on the lack of legal services in Newham at the Houses of Parliament on 9 September.
Around 50 people, mostly from advice agencies alongside some councillors, heard from Heidi Alexander, Minister for Courts and Legal Services, who promised to make the case to the Government for more support for legal aid services. “We cannot shy away from this, “ she said, arguing that it has become a national issue.
The author of the report From Disparity to Fairness: Legal Access in Newham, Catriona Fisher, was on the panel alongside local community activist Janani Paramsothy, and Nick Beale from the Refugee and Migrant Forum of Essex and London.
Ms Fisher reported that the lack of accessible legal services on complex housing and immigration cases was reaching crisis levels, leading to more calls for temporary accommodation.
The recommendations call for more joined-up work by the Council, which Stephen Timms believes Keir Starmer’s mission declaration, ‘Five First Steps for Change’ could facilitate. It also suggests that training is extended to council officers working outside of public health.
For more information email: newhamlegaladviceproject@gmail.com.
At the same time there will be more advice available to Newham residents thanks to the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan who has put up an extra £3.5 million to boost the capital’s advice services support for low-income residents.
The money will be used across London, including Newham, to extend free advice and support services and will help people access financial support that they are entitled to but otherwise would not have claimed.
Over the past two years the Mayor’s funding has helped more than 60,000 low-income Londoners claim more than £25m they are due.
The funding will help continue free legal, financial and employment advice and support services. It includes £2.7m for London Citizens Advice and London Legal Support Trust to continue providing support at their network of advice centres and law centres.
The funding allows advice agencies to help more Londoners with welfare, debt, housing and employment needs, and trains local professionals to help people access support.
This has helped more than 52,000 Londoners to claim more than £20m they are entitled to.
It is estimated that there is nearly £23bn of support available to people across the UK that is not being claimed.
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