https://github.com/bbc-data-unit/legal-aid
Legal aid advice network 'decimated' by funding cuts
https://github.com/bbc-data-unit/legal-aid
justice legal-advice legal-aid-agency ministry-of-justice shareddataunit
Last synced: 3 months ago
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Legal aid advice network 'decimated' by funding cuts
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/bbc-data-unit/legal-aid
- Owner: BBC-Data-Unit
- Created: 2018-12-10T09:39:38.000Z (over 6 years ago)
- Default Branch: master
- Last Pushed: 2018-12-14T15:40:10.000Z (over 6 years ago)
- Last Synced: 2024-12-27T08:40:13.609Z (4 months ago)
- Topics: justice, legal-advice, legal-aid-agency, ministry-of-justice, shareddataunit
- Homepage: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-46357169
- Size: 34.2 KB
- Stars: 1
- Watchers: 6
- Forks: 0
- Open Issues: 0
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
Awesome Lists containing this project
README
# Legal aid advice network 'decimated' by funding cuts
In December 2018 the BBC Shared Data Unit [reported](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-46357169) cuts to legal aid had created "deserts" of provision across England and Wales.
Our analysis showed up to a million people lived in areas with no legal aid provision for housing, with a further 15 million in areas with one provider.
We analysed Ministry of Justice and Legal Aid Agency data since 2011-12 and found:
- Around a million fewer claims for legal aid were being processed each year.
- More than 1,000 fewer legal aid providers were paid for civil legal aid work than in 2011-12.
- Four legal aid providers for welfare cover Wales and the South West while 41 covered London and the South East.
- Almost half of all community care legal aid providers were based in London.
This piece of content was produced by a regional newspaper reporter working alongside BBC staff.
The Shared Data Unit makes data journalism available to news organisations across the media industry, as part of a partnership between the BBC and the News Media Association. Stories generated by the partnership included:
* The Eastern Daily Press: [Legal aid funding cut by almost half in six years as advice network “decimated”](https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/politics/legal-aid-cuts-in-norfolk-and-waveney-1-5812739) *10 December 2018*
* Great Yarmouth Mercury: [Legal aid funding cut by almost half in six years as advice network “decimated”](https://www.greatyarmouthmercury.co.uk/news/legal-aid-cuts-in-norfolk-and-waveney-1-5812739) *10 December 2018*
* The Bury Times: [Bury's legal aid provision "decimated" by austerity Ministry of Justice data reveals](https://www.burytimes.co.uk/news/17288022.burys-legal-aid-provision-decimated-by-austerity-ministry-of-justice-data-reveals/) *10 December 2018*
* The Yorkshire Post: [Cuts to legal aid causing 'advice deserts', analysis shows](https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/cuts-to-legal-aid-causing-advice-deserts-analysis-shows-1-9484971) *10 December 2018*
* Rochdale Online: [Legal aid in Rochdale slashed](https://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/124601/legal-aid-in-rochdale-slashed) *10 December 2018*
* Bradford Telegraph & Argus: [Vulnerable struggling to get legal help after cuts bite](https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/17284433.vulnerable-struggling-to-get-legal-help-after-cuts-bite/) *10 December 2018*
* Stourbridge News: [Legal aid for Dudley civil cases falls by half, BBC Shared Data Unit reveals](https://www.stourbridgenews.co.uk/news/17286569.legal-aid-for-dudley-civil-cases-falls-by-half-bbc-shared-data-unit-reveals/) *10 December 2018*
* The Bolton News: [Bolton's legal aid provision "decimated" by austerity Ministry of Justice data reveals](https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/17286754.boltons-legal-aid-provision-decimated-by-austerity-ministry-of-justice-data-reveals/) *10 December 2018*
* Cornish Stuff: [Legal aid cuts make Cornwall an ‘advice desert’](https://cornishstuff.com/2018/12/10/legal-aid-cuts-make-cornwall-an-advice-desert/) *10 December 2018*
* The Kidderminster Shuttle: [Legal aid for civil cases in Wyre Forest falls by more than 40 per cent, BBC Shared Data Unit reveals](https://www.kidderminstershuttle.co.uk/news/17291109.legal-aid-for-civil-cases-in-wyre-forest-falls-by-more-than-40-per-cent-bbc-shared-data-unit-reveals/) *11 December 2018*
* The Swindon Advertiser: [Cuts to legal aid failing domestic abuse victims says chief of Swindon Women's Aid](https://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/17289488.cuts-to-legal-aid-failing-domestic-abuse-victims-says-chief-of-swindon-womens-aid/) *11 December 2018*
* The Bromsgrove Advertiser: [Legal aid for civil cases in Bromsgrove falls by 75 per cent, BBC Shared Data Unit reveals](https://www.bromsgroveadvertiser.co.uk/news/17291030.legal-aid-for-civil-cases-in-bromsgrove-falls-by-75-per-cent-bbc-shared-data-unit-reveals/) *11 December 2018*
* The Redditch & Alcester Advertiser: [Legal aid for civil cases in Redditch falls by half, BBC Shared Data Unit reveals](https://www.redditchadvertiser.co.uk/news/17291068.legal-aid-for-civil-cases-in-redditch-falls-by-half-bbc-shared-data-unit-reveals/) *11 December 2018*
* York: The Press: [Legal aid spending in York falls by more than half](https://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/17292647.legal-aid-spending-in-york-falls-by-more-than-half/) *12 December 2018*
* Examiner Live: [Legal aid cuts leading to more people representing themselves in Kirklees court](https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/west-yorkshire-news/legal-aid-cuts-leading-more-15541230) *12 December 2018*
* The Leader: [Fewer providers offering legal aid in Wrexham and Flintshire, according to study](https://www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/17294148.fewer-providers-offering-legal-aid-in-wrexham-and-flintshire-according-to-study/) *12 December 2018*
* The story was also used by the [BBC News Channel](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VsixK8t4q05G6bgufbYk5q20nljXUPGF/view?usp=sharing), BBC Radio 5 live, BBC Radio 4 - Today, BBC Radio 6 Music, BBC Radio Berkshire, BBC Cumbria, BBC Surrey, BBC Somerset, BBC Radio Cornwall, BBC Radio Solent, BBC Radio Shropshire
## Get the data
* [Legal aid provision](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1LnRTGviELxBuKXP1YrhyEMe_BGa4I3-sKjSMWDoxRNg/edit#gid=1580092475)
* [Legal aid cuts](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1bD00Oc4vYmmCxxq8kpOfG2CbgcBOebOk0YLsWztXldY/edit#gid=1923577785)
## Visualisation
* Map: Where civil legal aid providers are based
## Background and briefing
* [Project briefing](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NVVzlahCRBt2Dur5cEE6DvP8DYU39Ciozmecjp-Au5w/edit)