From the frontline

As a solicitors' firm operating in one of the most deprived areas of the country, the impact of the legal aid cuts is startlingly obvious to us. The Breckfield area of Liverpool where Paul Crowley & Co's head office is based is home to a close-knit community but one which knows the meaning of struggle.

Unemployment is an ongoing problem and where people do work minimum wage is the norm. Legal aid, by its very nature, was conceived for people like this and as such the clampdown on it is being felt heavily here.

Disproportionate impact

Last year an early study by the University of Liverpool's Charity Law and Policy Unit found Liverpool would feel a disproportionate impact from the cuts. 

Researchers at the University conducted interviews with 80 charity advice workers in Liverpool and found that the overwhelming majority believe that their organisations are now providing a worse service for their beneficiaries, with many citing staff cuts