Ministry of Justice Civil Legal Advice Helpline

We are receiving many enquiries regarding debt and housing issues and these are areas of law where unfortunately we are unable to provide advice.

If you have any issues concerning Debt and Housing matters the best place to seek advice is at your local Citizens Advice Bureau… but did you know that there is a legal advice helpline that may also be able to provide advice?

It is called the Civil Legal Advice Helpline.

A Ministry of Justice review of Helpline, which has operated for approximately two years now, has been published recently. It has been reported in the legal press that fewer people than expected are using the mandatory gateway for civil legal advice because of a lack of awareness amongst the public.

The telephone service was introduced with the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act (LASPO) to help people find easier and more convenient ways of accessing targeted advice.

The MOJ said there is no evidence that ‘substantial’ numbers of people in need are not accessing the service, but there remains a general view it is unfamiliar, not widely publicised and difficult to find.

The gateway is run by the Civil Legal Advice helpline in England and Wales and is funded by Legal Aid and therefore users need to qualify for Legal Aid funding before seeking advice. It is available every weekday from 9am to 8pm and on Saturday morning, it provides advice in debt, discrimination, special educational needs, housing and family issues for people who qualify for civil legal aid.

There is more information on how to check if you qualify for legal aid and for the contact number for the helpline here: https://www.gov.uk/civil-legal-advice

If you require assistance on Debt and Housing matters and don’t qualify for Legal Aid our advice if to contact your local Citizens Advice Bureau : https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/