Eligibility calculator (Civil)
This calculator is designed for LAA service providers. Members of the public should check if they can get legal aid on the GOV.UK website.
This tool helps work out eligibility for those levels of help where the provider is responsible for means assessment.
The civil legal aid means test was changed (for all levels of service including Legal Help) to coincide with the introduction of means testing in the Crown Court.
Providers should also refer to the LAA forms CW1, CW2, CIV MEANS 6 and CIV MEANS 7 which contain the relevant means information.
The calculator is also useful to work out eligibility for levels of service where the LAA is the assessing authority.
The calculator is not a replacement for the detailed financial eligibility guidance in Volume 2E of the Legal Aid Manual. This information is particularly useful for those levels of service which are not subject to a means test.
It is available as a pilot application and results cannot be taken as a final indication of whether the client will receive legal aid.
Using the calculator
The calculator guides users as you work through it. Some tips:
- enter figures into the boxes provided using your computer keyboard
- where check boxes are provided select your options by clicking with your mouse in the box or by using the Tab, Space and Enter keys on your computer keyboard
- boxes for which you do not need to type in a figure will appear in grey
- what boxes are provided will depend on the questions you answer at the beginning of the calculator
- at the end of the calculator you can print out the results page, which includes the figures entered and eligibility result. You can also print out a copy of certain LAA forms with the relevant sections filled in
- if ineligible for CLA funded help, the client could use the results page from the calculator when applying for Pro Bono help, for example
- if you cannot see Next and Back buttons at the bottom of your screen, it is possible that the calculator window has not filled the whole screen. To maximise the window, double-click the very top bar of the screen (which says Legal Aid Calculator) with the left button of your mouse.
Criminal legal aid contribution payments
A change has been made to the civil legal aid means test (for all levels of service including legal lelp) since the introduction of Crown Court Means Testing.
For assessments carried out from 11 January 2010 onwards you should disregard any monthly payment that the client (or their partner, if applicable) has to make under a contribution order towards the costs of representation in their criminal case.
The amount will be taken with other deductions for income tax, national insurance payments, housing costs etc when assessing disposable income.
There is no change to the rules for assessing gross income or to the upper eligibility limits for gross income, disposable income or capital.
Keycard 49 (details of eligibility limits)
Data protection
For data protection reasons none of the information entered into the calculator is saved. When you close the calculator window, or your browser, the information is deleted.
Please print the results at the end of the calculator if you want to keep the information.
For more information
Detailed information on financial eligibility for civil legal aid is in Volume 2E of the Legal Aid Manual.
Advisers should contact their regional office for queries regarding client eligibilty.
Members of the public should visit the gov.uk website to:
- use the legal aid eligibility calculator
- use the Find an Adviser directory to find a legal adviser.
