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<p>MoJ is continuing to work closely with the Legal Aid Agency and HMCTS to assess
the impact of Covid-19 on legal aid provision, and to support practitioners to work
remotely when possible.</p><p>The Government have taken measures to support the sector
include paying for virtual hearings in the same way as in-person hearings, halting
pursuit of outstanding debts, relaxing some evidence requirements, and encouraging
legal practitioners to use existing avenues of financial help, such as the ability
to apply for early payment for work already done on a case. These measures will help
Legal Aid providers adversely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.</p><p>PN 02/20, which
has been updated in PPN 04/20, requires contracting authorities to determine whether
a supplier is ‘at risk’. In making that determination, an authority will need to consider
what steps have been taken by a public-sector provider to access other available support,
because providers have no automatic entitlement to relief payments under the PPN and
should not use them to supplement or duplicate the wider support measures that have
been made available to UK businesses.</p><p>Data on legal aid expenditure on areas
such as housing possession is released quarterly by the Legal Aid Agency, with the
next release scheduled for September.</p>
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