Redistribution of IAS unused matters

The collapse of the IAS has left their existing clients without representation – see our previous post for the LSC’s proposals on re-allocating the 8000 cases with ongoing work. But there is also the impact on future clients – the IAS had 8000 matter starts per year, and in some parts of the country were the dominant or even sole provider of immigration advice. Their absence risks creating huge levels of unmet demand in the coming months and years.

The LSC have therefore announced how they intend to reallocate the unused new matter starts previously awarded to IAS. They have identified 15 key access points, plus Removal Centres. In some, existing providers will simply be able to request additional matters from their contract manager. In others, the LSC will write to all providers who either did not get a contract, or did not get all the matters they bid for, following the 2010 tender exercise and will work down the list using the 2010 rankings allocating matters to those who want them. So, for example, if IAS came first and got 250 matters, provider X came second and got 100 of the 200 they bid for and provider Y came third and got 0 of the 300 they bid for, the LSC will go to X and offer them the additional 100 they bid for, and then go to Y and offer them the 150 left. Where this is not possible, a new tender exercise will be carried out.

Practitioners who want to take on additional matter starts should contact their contract manager in the first instance. The affected access points are:

• London
• Coventry
• City of Leicester
• South Staffordshire, Sandwell & Birmingham
• County Durham East & Teesside
• West Yorkshire
• Greater Manchester
• East & West Lancashire
• City of Bristol, South Gloucestershire & North Somerset
• Cambridgeshire
• South Yorkshire
• Derby & South Derbyshire
• Norfolk
• Suffolk
• Merseyside