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<p>We continue to work to ensure that civil legal aid advice remains accessible to
those who need it. The Legal Aid Agency keeps market capacity under continual review
to ensure adequate provision across England and Wales. Wherever you are in England
and Wales, legal advice is available through the CLA telephone service.</p><p>We are
currently considering the sustainability of the civil legal aid market broadly, looking
at a range of factors, from the current remuneration rates, to the pipeline into a
career in legal aid, as well as the ability of providers to offer legal aid services
into the future. We intend to continue working very closely with stakeholders to increase
our understanding of the challenges currently faced by the whole sector.</p><p> </p><p>Legal
Aid is central to access to justice, but it is only one part of a broader picture.
We know that early intervention is key to help people resolve their legal problems
as swiftly as possible, potentially without the need to receive legally aided advice
or attend court at all. We are delivering pilots for early resolution of legal problems
and to test what works. This includes looking at how we can improve signposting and
enhance access to existing online and in person legal support services, and a targeted
expansion of funding for early legal advice in a specific area of social welfare law
to test its impact.</p><p> </p><p>Charities in the advice sector play a crucial role
to help people resolve their legal problems across England and Wales, which has been
vital throughout Covid-19. MoJ has provided £5.4m in funding for not-for-profit providers
of specialist legal advice. £3m was given to Law Centres and the remaining £2.4m to
the Community Justice Fund administered by the Access to Justice Foundation. In 2020,
we launched the two-year, £3.1m Legal Support for Litigants in Person Grant. We’re
delighted to be working in partnership with the Access to Justice Foundation to deliver
the grant, which is designed to fund services provided at local, regional and national
levels with the aim of understanding more about how they can combine to help people.</p>
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