Post by nickd on Aug 3, 2011 21:11:21 GMT 1
Devon CAB/Shelter gets a must needed boost
Click on www.legalaiddevon.org.uk and find out more about the work we do as be build our site up.
Article promoted by Sound off for Justice..
The housing charity Shelter – a Sound Off For Justice campaign partner – has joined forces with the Citizen’s Advice Bureau to launch a new website offering households in Devon free legal services and advice.
The new website will help local Devonshire residents who have problems with homelessness, debt or welfare issues, giving them free, independent legal advice. This initiative is to be applauded, particularly when you listen to the words of Shelter’s Devon advice manager, Ian Byworth who says, “When people fall on hard times and start to struggle, it can be very difficult to find out what help is available…many people don’t even realise that they can get free legal help”.
Raising awareness about the free legal help local residents in difficulty are entitled to is crucial. But it’s precisely this right to get their voice heard in court that the government’s proposed legal aid cuts will take away.
The government is slashing funding for hundreds of UK charities and voluntary groups who are often the first port of call for vulnerable citizens with legal problems – such as the homeless, elderly, mothers and children. Already facing severe pressure, services such as this will struggle to survive at all if the ill conceived Legal Aid, Sentencing & Punishment of Offenders bill becomes law.
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Devon Legal Aid is hot on the legal aid campaign trail
Devon Legal Aid and our campaigning work against legal aid cuts and other government changes through the Mylegal forum.
Nickd - Mylegal staff member is the welfare benefits legal aid contract supervisor for South Hams CAB which under Devon Legal Aid serves the 633 square mile districts of South Hams, Teignbridge and Torbay.
" We have the largest legal aid contract for welfare benefits in the county and work tirelessly to get good results for our clients. - we are currently inundated with an influx of ESA cases and typically achieve success rates of 75%"
"Devon legal aid delivers legal in welfare benefits for exceptionally good value for money.
Our services for the whole county for specialist
welfare benefit help costs just
One penny is all we need from each Devon inhabitant per year to fund our specialist legal help help, now that's what we call good value. Especially when research shows that for every £1 spent on welfare benefits advice; - the state saves £8.80!"
Read more about the Sound off for Justice campaign
soundoffforjustice.org/new-shelter-and-cab-advice-website
Read more about our local campaign
mylegal.org.uk/index.cgi?board=campaign&action=display&thread=316
Read more about how we're blowing the lid on the welfare reforms
mylegal.org.uk/index.cgi?action=display&board=frontline&thread=405&page=1#887
Read more about our New Statesman article 'tales from the front line' on the Justice for All campaign website.
www.justice-for-all.org.uk/News/Tales-from-the-frontline
Watch our campaigning in the Houses of Parliament before a cross party meeting on advice sector funding..
Devon might be a quiet and sedate part of the country, but just like everywhere else it has its share of problems, that's why Devon Legal Aid is being far from quiet.
But remember it's the power of the Ilegal and Myelgal forums which is often the focal point for picking up this information. What starts off as an article in the local paper is picked by an Ilegal viewer, in no time at all it's on twitter and before you know it, there it is on the national Sound off for Justice campaign website; - never under-estimate the power of these forums and social media - it's what spreads the word!
And remember on these forums, all this work is done by dedicated people who freely volunteer their time alongside their day jobs.