The LAA has published its latest quarterly statistics, for October to December 2016, and they make grim reading.
- Legal Help cases have fallen 14% compared to the same quarter last year, though civil certificates increased by 5%;
- Crime has also fallen – with lower work down by 6% and higher by 4%. The effect of suspending the April 2016 fee cut meant that lower spend rose by 1%;
- Mediation cases fell by 14% compared with the same period last year;
- Total spend on crime in 2016 was £861million, and in civil £676million, of which £527million was family;
- The collapse of non-family civil legal aid continues, with mental health down 5%, immigration down 24% and housing down 12% since last year;
- Exceptional funding applications increased by 43%, and 58% of applications were granted – over half in immigration.
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