Boosting government investment in the civil legal aid system could create spin-off savings in other sectors, a Law Society-commissioned study by Frontier Economics has calculated
For example, it estimates housing disrepair costs the NHS £355m per year due to lack of suitable accommodation creating bottlenecks in the system. If increasing access to legal aid could help resolve 5% of housing disrepair issues then £15m would be saved each year.
Speeding up the immigration and asylum process by boosting legal aid would allow people to enter the workforce more quickly. Moreover, reducing the number of people representing themselves in court would save money by resolving legal problems at an earlier stage and easing pressure on the courts.
The study, ‘Implications of research on the sustainability of civil legal aid’, published this week, is the last in a series of reports by Frontier Economics.
Law Society president Nick Emmerson said lack of access to legal aid ‘has implications on health, employment and our children’s education’.
