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Annual Report 2013
Management Committee, Volunteers and Students
Management Committee Members 2012/2013
(R) – Resigned, (A) = Appointed
Michael Bauer Mike Hall: Treasurer (R) John Masson Michael Tittley: Chair
Richard Cave (Chair) (R) John Hunston: Treasurer (A) George Miller: (Vice Chair) (R) Lorraine Usher (R)
John Chuku (R) David Farmer John Nicol
Beth Furneaux (R) Viv Lewis: Vice Chair David Niven (R)
Susan Glencross Andy Malik Andrew Shaddock (R)
Volunteers 2012/2013
Paul Moffat Laura Goode Sarah Battersby Veronica Stockdale
Stuart Watson Joy Graham Stuart Glencross Liz Belford
Katherine Gribbon Hannah Stewart Katie Munjunga Brian Pease
Sandra Jackson Andrew Young Diane France Kieron Metcalfe
Dena Daly Clive Alcock John Ganley Juliana Gallop
6th Form and Law Project Students 2012/2013
Vicky Richards Kezia Robson Julie Ann Miller Thomas Bearn
Ellie Musgrave Henry Vane Hafiza Khatun Ellie Pugh
Tyler Hoyle Katherine Gribbon Fergal Leonard Rebecca Richardson
James Burgess Laura Goode Briony Chambers Towers Amy Nelson
Codie Slessor Hannah Stewart Julianna Gallop Jim Bewick
Holly Newton Steele Kieron Metcalf Hannah Birt
Cumbria Law Centre Staff
Claire Burton Senior Solicitor
Michael Delaboe Case Worker
Welfare Benefits
Supervisor
Jennie Earl Solicitor
Val Ferguson Triage Worker
Jane Hunter Solicitor
Employment
Supervisor
Eva Irving Solicitor
Housing Supervisor
Fiona McCrum Receptionist/
Volunteer
Coordinator
Pete Moran Head of Centre
Annette Oxley Office Manager
Jane Parkin Caseworker
Joanne Ratcliffe Legal Secretary
Laura Robinson Caseworker
Debt Supervisor
Laura Rutherford Solicitor
Chair’s Report 2013
Viv Lewis
It is my pleasure as acting Chair to introduce this year’s Annual Report,
although I am sad to relate that ill health prevents our current Chair,
Mike Tittley, from doing so. Our thoughts and our thanks go to him for
his efforts and commitment to the Centre.
Our last report was fronted with an image of storm clouds battling with
sunny skies for the ascendancy. We knew that the oncoming
decimation of legal aid for social welfare cases would be tough to
navigate. I write now in November 2013 and am delighted to report
that despite the storm we are surviving, even prospering! More on
those Legal Aid issues and our response can be read in the reports
from the Senior Solicitor and Head of Centre.
During the last year the Centre has adapted to change while
maintaining our commitment and level of service to those who need
and use us. In March we said goodbye to our Senior Solicitor Paul im
Thurn who has given so much to the Centre over the last 12 years. We
thank him for all his commitment and hard work to develop the Centre
to what it is today and we congratulate him on becoming a barrister.
With the passing of the new Legal Aid legislation, it was time for a root
and branch review of the Centre. The Management Committee
commissioned a temporary seconded post from within the staff team to
perform a detailed review of the new financial, social and political
landscapes we find ourselves in and recommend changes so that we
can adapt and thrive. I wish to thank Pete Moran for undertaking the
review, Claire Burton for stepping into the Senior Solicitor role, the
Management Committee for the considerable extra work that this
review brought with it and the commitment, tolerance and
understanding of the staff as we make changes to the way the Centre
is run. In September Pete was appointed as Head of Centre and
Claire’s role as Senior Solicitor was made permanent. I believe that we
now have all the ingredients to continue delivering the best possible
Law Centre provision in the county for years to come.
So, please read on and I hope you find interest in the following pages.
You will notice that although it is ‘all change’ in funding, in Legal Aid, in
welfare reform and even in the Centre itself, the real work essentially
remains the same. The human and social problems that we attempt to
relieve are perennial. As long as they exist, so must the Centre.
Cumbria Legal Walk 2013
On Thursday 12th September 2013, 55 legal professionals from across the County turned out (despite the miserable wet
weather!) for the second annual Cumbria Legal Walk to raise money for the North West Legal Support Trust, an organisation
which supports free legal advice services within the region.
The teams were from Cartmell Shepherd, Atkinson Ritson, Beaty & Co, Burnetts, Cumbria Law Centre, Nicola Hartley from
SLDC, Brockbanks, Paramount Legal Costs, Paisleys, Wragg Mark Bell and Crown Court Staff.
Head of Centre’s Report 2013
Pete Moran
My two year old son is prone to waking up suddenly in the dead of night
and making sure we wake up too (as they do!) At these times, I can catch
my semi-conscious mind feverishly trying to work though the conundrums
and dilemmas that confront not just our law centre, not just free legal
advice in general, but justice in Britain today.
As Legal Aid funding recedes from social welfare law, the practical task
ahead is to support our core work from new sources of income. This
means trusts and foundations, The Big Lottery, untapped sources of public
funding etc. Ideologically though, it is not so simple. The move to new
sources of funding brings inventive ways of delivering our legal advice, but
is also brings restrictions – for example on how much resource we can put
into a single case. Sometimes, frankly, I agonise about whether by
offering a restricted service to as many people as possible we are really
offering access to justice at all! Can you have some justice? I wonder,
occasionally whether we are, in some way, part of the fabric of this utter
destruction of legal rights for those people who happen to be economically
poor. What to do...?
Later, at the office, I walk downstairs to my post tray in reception and swap
a ‘hello’ with waiting clients. Suddenly my 4am ruminations seem quite
irrelevant. Our reception fills daily with anxious, confused and sometimes
desperate people. They often feel pretty powerless to deal with the lender,
the employer, landlord or public body whose worrying letters they bring
with them. Our workers offer them hope. Our clients’ stories are varied
(some follow in this report) but they share the fact that their incomes are
low and that makes ordinary life a precarious business. So, I go upstairs
and get on with the funding work.
I am delighted to say that Carlisle, Allerdale, Copeland and Eden Councils
continued to value and fund our work with no cuts to our grants, despite
their own financial challenges. Further funding came from the Equality and
Human Rights Commission, Francis C Scott, the Hadfield Trust, North
West Legal Support Trust, Big Lottery, Cumbria Community Foundation
and Comic Relief. We are grateful indeed to them all. A frantic end to the
year saw all casework and support staff go above and beyond to make
sure as many deserving people as possible could access Legal Aid before
it was lost and they deserve special mention for this.
In 2013 we will begin new projects working inside housing associations’
offices and funded by them to provide specialist benefits and debt advice
to their tenants. Eden Housing Association will be the pioneers. The Law
Centre has also led a successful bid to the Advice Services Transition fund
which will benefit the whole sector in Carlisle– more of that next year!
In all of the mess created by the welfare reform and Legal Aid cuts,
sometimes the task looks simple if not necessarily easy; we have a skilled
team with a precious knowledge of social welfare law, unique within the
county. We have growing demand at the front door. So, we keep the doors
open and we keep on going.
Senior Solicitor’s Report 2013
Claire Burton
It might be nice to have no occasion to use the familiar phrase “it’s been
an eventful year”, but it is perhaps truer than ever this time. We all now
have to live with the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders
Act 2012, and the swingeing cuts in legal aid. Some of the rules on what
work can be funded by Legal Aid, and what cannot, have nonsensical
results. For example, Legal Aid will cover an application at court to
adjourn eviction proceedings, but not assistance with the housing benefit
issues which are the reason for the adjournment, and which would solve
the problem for both tenant and landlord. Fortunately the Law Centre is
able to use alternative funds to carry on doing this essential work.
On the subject of housing, we have seen the impact of the ‘bedroom tax’
on many of our clients and the distress it causes to people on low income
who may quite literally have no means to prevent rent arrears accruing,
and yet cannot move because no smaller properties are available. Had it
not been for the local authorities stepping in with discretionary housing
payments we would undoubtedly be facing a significant increase in
homelessness.
Two changes in employment law have had a major effect. The first is that
employees must now have two years continuity of employment before they
are eligible to make an ordinary claim for unfair dismissal, and the second
is the recent introduction of tribunal fees. Legal Aid has been removed
from almost all of employment law, and people on low wages with claims
of relatively small monetary worth will find it difficult to find anyone willing
to take on their case. A recent client enquiry illustrates how these changes
can evaporate an employee’s access to justice. Mr B, left a job where he
had worked for many years to take up employment with another company.
All went well until one day Mr B raised an objection regarding a number of
health and safety issues. Immediately after this he was dismissed.
Fortunately his old employer took him back and he did not have to spend
any time unemployed. His problem was this; he did not have two years’
continuity of employment, so he could not claim unfair dismissal in an
employment tribunal. He could, however, rely on one of the limited
exceptions to this rule, but the argument is a rather technical one that
requires knowledge of legislation and case law. No Legal Aid is available
to advise him about his potential claim. Furthermore, the value of his claim
was such that it would be of no interest to a ‘no win no fee’ solicitor. The
fact that he had managed to get employment again so quickly meant that
he would not qualify for fee remission and would have to pay a fee to lodge
his claim, and a further fee before a Tribunal would agree to hear it. In
short, it simply was not feasible, or worth the financial risk, to seek justice.
The wider impact of such cases is worrying. It remains to be seen if we
will see a deterioration in the treatment of employees, as employers are
increasingly allowed to get away with poor behaviour.
Case Studies (names have been changed to protect identities)
Employment
Our solicitor Jennie was visited by Jimmie. He worked as a roofer for a
private firm for 22 years before the firm became insolvent. He was
dismissed as a result without any notice pay or redundancy pay. He
was left abandoned having been unable to extract any help from his
insolvent former employer. Jimmie was desperate. Thankfully, we
successfully helped him apply to the Redundancy Payments Office for
the money he was due. This is government body which will meet
certain liabilities of insolvent employers where employees are left
without recourse to the Employment Tribunal for the sums they are
due. He received over £15,000.00 from the RPO and used some of the
money to set up his own roofing business and is doing well.
Housing
Emma has two children and is a single parent. She has an 18-month
old daughter and a teenaged son who is disabled. Emma was unable
to work due to caring for her two children. Her marriage ended
suddenly when her husband left. As he had worked full time, he was
responsible of the rent account and many of the other facility finances
– but he had not been making the required payments. As a result
Emma’s rent account had fallen into arrears and her landlord had
issued possession proceedings. We assisted her to defend the
proceedings. The proceedings were initially adjourned for 8 weeks to
allow her to apply for Income Support and Housing Benefit and have
her claims backdated. When we returned to court arrears were still
owing. Despite this the court agreed not to make a possession order
against our client. Instead they adjourned the court proceedings
indefinitely so long as Emma made a payment of £3.55 per week
towards her rent arrears and paid her rent via her entitlement to
Housing Benefit. This was the best possible outcome for our client and
she was able to retain her home and much needed security and
stability for her family.
Housing
Ellen was facing eviction from her home. She had rented privately
since 1986 just after she had been forced into early retirement though
ill health. She had struggled with a personality disorder and one of the
ways this manifested itself was through compulsive hoarding. This had
brought her into conflict with her landlord and our solicitor Laura had to
intervene to halt the possession proceedings. The property did indeed
need attention but Ellen felt terrified at the prospect of losing what she
saw as her irreplaceable possessions. Laura worked with Social
Services, the Community Mental Health Team, Ellen and the landlord
to find a way forward. Cleaners where bought in. A psychological
assessment was made and Ellen received practical, social and
psychological support.
Case Studies (names have been changed to protect identities)
Debt
A young couple in their 20’s, John and Becky, came to see Laura.
They had two young children and another one on the way and like
many young parents, were struggling financially but managing. John
had a good, steady job in a factory and by and large they were just
about managing. However suddenly John began to lose his sight and
was already Registered Blind. He could see only colours and shapes
and could no longer work. The couple had debts which they had
managed to service when John was in full-time work but were now
struggling and under great stress. Laura worked on their behalf to have
a number of debts reduced or written off and managed to improve their
overall debt by £18k! This gave them a little peace as they face a new
and challenging future as a family.
Debt
Reg is 48 and has contended with severe learning difficulties all of his
life. He has always lived with his parents but his mother is now in her
80s and needs a great deal of care. His father sadly died several years
ago. Reg’s brother moved into the family home to try and help out but
this brought about a reassessment of Council Tax owed at the property
and the family were presented with a bill of almost £5000 which they
couldn’t pay. It related to an error made on a form by Reg’s father’s
social worker many years earlier. It brought great distress at a time
when the family were already facing difficulties. Laura went to the Civic
Centre and met with officers and a councillor to look into the reason for
the bill and the error was uncovered. The City Council were happy to
write-off the greater part of the bill – over £2000 – following another
reassessment. This made repayments manageable and removed the
threat of action against the family.
Debt
Alan took early retirement at 58 from the pub trade. He had been in
poor health for several years with serious heart problems and this had
seen his staff costs increase and his profits disappear. He accrued
some business debts, mainly to the brewery, and was finding it very
hard to reduce them. Eventually a final demand for a £1500 debt came
through and this was the final straw. Alan and his wife owed around
£30k in business debts that, with Alan’s poor health they could never
hope to pay. It was necessary to help them with a Debt Relief Order in
the case of Mrs Turnage and bankruptcy in the case of Alan. This
removed all of the debt burden and allowed them to enjoy their
retirement together. The couple had always worked hard and had tried
everything they knew to get on and service their debts. In the end the
action taken by us took away a huge source of distress which had
been life threatening for Alan. Now they manage on modest means but
with peace of mind.
Case Studies (names have been changed to protect identities)
Welfare Benefits
Mrs Jennings was referred to the Law Centre by her support worker
from the Rising Sun Trust. She had received DLA for a number of
years. When the claim was due for renewal the DWP stopped the
benefit altogether. The client’s Support worker had helped her appeal
against the decision, but at the appeal hearing, the case failed. It was
at this stage that we became involved, and we submitted an application
to the Upper Tribunal to challenge the decision made at the First Tier
Tribunal hearing. We were successful and the decision was set aside.
A new hearing was scheduled to hear the case, at which we were
successful, resulting in Mrs Jennings gaining entitlement to an award
of the higher rate of both the mobility component and the care
component, which is a greater award than she had received before it
had been stopped. The knock on effect of this also gave Mrs Jennings
entitlement to increased Income Support. The total gains in arrears of
benefit in this case reached over £18,000.
Welfare Benefits
Ms Orr contacted the Law Centre seeking help in connection with a
decision made by the DWP, which alleged that she was living with her
boyfriend, as husband and wife. As such, she was deemed to have been
overpaid Income Support, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit
totalling nearing £6,000, which she was asked to pay back. We appealed
against both the Income Support and Housing Benefit decisions.
Following a request for all computer records held by the DWP under the
Freedom of Information Act, we found evidence which proved that Ms
Orr had in fact telephoned the DWP to ask if it was OK for her boyfriend
to stay at her house, which at the time had been approved. As the only
evidence in the case consisted of proof that her boyfriend had stayed
at the property occasionally, the DWP no longer had a case, and the
appeals were successful.
Welfare Benefits
Mrs Davis sought advice from the Law Centre concerning a decision
made by the DWP that she was fit for work. We helped her submit an
appeal against the decision, but when we looked at her entitlement to
benefits, we realised that she wasn’t receiving the correct rates. We
notified the DWP of the mistake, but they initially refused to backdate
the increase. We successfully argued that the mistake was an official
error and Mrs Davis was awarded weekly benefit of £59.50, in addition
to arrears totally £4,300. Mrs Davis’s appeal was also successful.
Welfare Benefits
Mrs Roberts is a tenant of Eden Housing Association, who had
managed to maintain her tenancy without a problem for 19 years. Her
two children had grown up and left home in 2012, leaving her alone in
a 3 bedroom property. Her only income was Job Seekers Allowance of
£71 per week. In April 2013 the bedroom tax kicked in and her Housing
Benefit was reduced by 25%. By the end of August she had rent
arrears of £450, as she had been completely unable to pay anything
out of her meagre weekly Job Seekers payment. Her landlord had
notified her of their intention to commence possession proceedings.
We were asked by Eden Housing to meet with Mrs Roberts to see if we
could help. We successfully applied for Discretionary Housing
Payments, which were backdated to April, thereby completely
eradicating Mrs Roberts’ arrears.
Case Studies (names have been changed to protect identities)
Housing
Ella is in her late 70s. When we met her, she was still getting up at 5am to
walk to work. She was, however, beginning to experience memory loss.
Although she applied for Housing Benefit and paid some of the rent herself,
her adult son lived with her. This meant that the Housing Benefit section
had to make a deduction for her benefit so she began to accrue arrears.
Her social landlord issued several bailiffs’ warrants and eventually her son
moved out. Arrears continue to accrue because she was attempting to pay
other, non-priority debts at the same time. We referred her for floating
support and helped her apply for appropriate benefits and to make realistic
offers to other creditors. She had to accept that her working life was at an
end but, with our caseworker’s help, the court suspended the bailiff’s
warrant indefinitely as her income is now stable and her life with along with
it.
Housing
Mr Garrison lived alone in a property provided by a social landlord. He had
some problems with literacy and, as a result, ran into some problems by
failing to fill out important Housing Benefit forms. This resulted in a shortfall
in his Housing Benefit and created an overpayment from the previous
period, which he would be forced to pay back. Around this time, the under-
occupancy charge also kicked in. He found it very hard to communicate his
circumstances and soon had rent arrears and an ongoing deduction from
his Jobseekers’ Allowance. He was finally facing eviction. Our caseworker
managed to help him access Housing Benefit to cover his shortfall and the
previous overpayment. She negotiated the reduction of any claw-back of
benefits to a level he could manage and finally a Debt Relief Order was
made to remove £700 of rent arrears. Mr Garrison had done nothing wrong.
He simply found it impossible to engage with the system and needed some
specialist help to do so.
Employment
Mr White came to us when his company told him they had lost the contract
he was working on and he had lost his job. This appeared to be a simple
redundancy situation but it was not. The contract had been re-tendered and
a new Company had won it. The original Company argued that they did not
have to pay Mr White’s redundancy, notice and holiday pay because the
new Company should be taking him on under the Transfer of Undertakings
Provisions (TUPE). The new Company argued that TUPE did not apply
because the contract that was tendered was substantially different to the
original one in that the customer who needed the work had taken some of it
in-house, leading to a potential argument that they were liable to employ
the client. All the client wanted was his redundancy pay but no-one was
willing to take responsibility. He was not alone and we began a claim in the
Employment Tribunal, involving four claimants and four respondents. The
number of people involved resulted a huge amount of correspondence and
the bundle of documents for use at the hearing filled three lever arch files!
As the hearing date approached, the respondents began to discuss the
possibility of settling the case. Eventually, after much negotiation, it was
agreed that our client would receive £7,000, with the respondents each
paying their agreed share. Our client would not have been able to handle
the process himself and may well have decided that trying to bring a claim
was simply too difficult. Our costs were paid through Legal Aid which,
unfortunately, is no longer available for Employment Tribunal claims.
People like Mr White may be left to fight cases on their own, or worse still,
they may decide that the whole process is too difficult and stressful and
simply walk away without challenging their employers at all.
Statistics 2012/2013
0 100 200 300
Total Enquiries
Housing
Welfare Benefits
Other
Copeland
0 1000 2000 3000
Total Enquiries
Housing
Welfare Benefits
Other
Carlisle
0 100 200 300 400
Total Enquiries
Housing
Welfare Benefits
Other
Allerdale
0 50 100 150 200 250
Total Enquiries
Housing
Welfare Benefits
Other
Eden
Volunteer Investment Programme
Fiona McCrum
The Law Centre currently has 11 volunteers, undertaking reception
and administration duties, legal research and assisting caseworkers.
As well as this invaluable work, volunteers Paul Moffat and Diane
France have attended Law Centre awareness events in the local area.
Volunteers have publicised the work of the Law Centre through the
publication of a Law Centre Volunteers Newsletter.
John Ganley, Diane France, Sarah Battersby and Stuart Glencross
have obtained a variety of full and part time employment and Stuart
Watson and Diane France have gained NVQ 3 and NVQ 2 in Business
and Administration. Congratulations to them!
As part of Volunteers Week in June, Joy Graham, Paul Moffat, Stuart
Watson, Laura Goode, Sandra Jackson, Diane France and I attended
the celebrations organised by Cumbria Council for Voluntary Service. I
said a few words and the Law Centre, along with all organisations
attending, were presented with an award courtesy of the Cumberland
Building Society and Cumbria Council for Voluntary Service. I would
like to take this opportunity to thank Judith Holmshaw, CVS County
Volunteer Co-ordinator for her ongoing support of CLC Volunteers
Programme.
In August, Cumbria Law Centre held a lunch to thank the volunteers for
their ongoing commitment and dedication. Almost all volunteers and
staff attended, and a good time was had by all. Sincere thanks go to
all volunteers who donate valuable time, hard work and ceaseless
endeavour to ensure that Cumbria Law Centre provides the warm
welcome and first class service that it always has and always will.
The volunteers are an integral part of the Law Centre and of the
successes of both the Law Students and Schools project that the Law
Centre runs. I am very fortunate to work with such a dedicated group
of people, and they inspire me on a daily basis.
Law School Students’ Projects 2013
Fiona McCrum
The Law Centre continues to be part of the Law Programme where law
degree students spend time at the Centre during the summer. During
their time with us, they observed Triage, client appointments and Court
Duty. One student, Hafiza Khatun, was also able to observe Law
Works appointments. We had students from the Universities of
Reading, Nottingham, Liverpool, York and Northumbria. The project is
known far and wide, and it is something we are all very proud of!
The Law Students Project runs all year round, with all five students
who joined us studying at the University of Cumbria. As well as
observing and undertaking the same tasks as the law degree students,
they were also involved in the day-to-day running of the Law Centre -
covering Reception, updating drop-in spreadsheet s and researching
areas of law for Val Ferguson, our Triage Caseworker. One student
also spent a week of work experience with a local firm of solicitors in
Carlisle. We continue to be inspired by their ongoing commitment to
Cumbria Law Centre and believe that the experience they have had
with us will hold them in good stead as they begin their legal career.
We had a total of seven sixth form students from Caldew, Richard
Rose, Nelson Thomlinson and Queen Elizabeth Grammar Schools.
Work Experience is no longer a legal requirement on the National
Curriculum, however, we believe it is very important to encourage
young people as they begin thinking about their transition to working
life. All students thoroughly enjoyed their time with us, for some of
whom it being their first experience of life in the workplace.
We have a thorough induction programme for all our volunteers, sixth
formers and Law Students. At the end of their time with us, we
interview them and ask them to complete a feedback form so we
ensure that we continue to provide an interesting, stimulating and
worthwhile experience.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the students for their
positive contribution and enthusiasm. The staff enjoy having inquisitive
and willing students adults around the office, and we are sure that both
projects will go from strength to strength, watch this space!
Thanks must also go to all staff who have allowed students to observe
Triage, client appointments and Court Duty. This has been an
invaluable and enjoyable experience for all. The success of these
projects would not be possible without your assistance.
Feedback from Volunteers and Students
Laura Goode
As a law student I have found that my time at the Law Centre so far
has been a rewarding experience which has provided me with the
opportunity to observe how a legal working environment functions.
I have had regular contact with clients and staff and this has given me
an insight into the most pressing issues affecting people in the area
and how these issues are dealt with from a legal stand point.
Diane France
I have been a volunteer at the Law Centre since August 2012 and
enjoy it immensely. It is a brilliant organisation to work for and it helps
many people. The caseworkers cover various areas of law and attend
Court too. Staff treat each other and the volunteers with respect and
as equals which creates a pleasant and welcoming atmosphere to
work in, as well as for clients and the public attending the Centre.
Without the Law Centre, a lot people would not have anywhere to turn
for legal advice.
Katherine Gribbon
As a second year law student at the University of Cumbria, the
opportunity to observe at the Law Centre has been a motivational
experience that has aided my studies immensely. The experience has
allowed me to apply my academic knowledge to practical areas such
as employment and housing and engage in discussion about issues
that have arisen. The staff create a welcoming, professional
environment and the service they provide is used and valued by many
people.
Vicki Richards
It was an eye opening experience for me. I thoroughly enjoyed my
week at the Law Centre; it really puts things into perspective. It's great
that there's someone to help those people who can't afford to get legal
advice when they really need it.
Stuart Watson
I have been volunteering at the Law Centre for just over a year now. I
thoroughly enjoy my time here and have learnt many valuable skills. I
have recently completed an NVQ 2 in Business and Administration and
am now in the early stages of an NVQ 3 in Business and
Administration. I recommend volunteering as a way to learn new skills
and gain both confidence and experience.
Hannah Stewart
My time observing the Triage process at the Law Centre has been
beneficial to both my studies and me personally. Watching how the
“interview” process is carried out has helped me to adapt my own
interview technique and improve it for the better. Everybody at the
Centre puts you at ease and helps you feel comfortable enough to
show your own personality and ask questions. Instead of a tedious
work experience atmosphere. It has been a joy to be here.
Julie Ann Miller
I have attended the Centre a couple of times now and each time I have
been surprised and very interested in the number of issues which the
Law Centre provide advice for. The staff are inspiring.
Cumbria Law Centre Services
Free Legal Services in Carlisle
People in Carlisle have access to our telephone advice line on 01228 515129 to request a call back or make an appointment. We cover Employment, Housing and
Welfare Benefits. There is a drop-in service between 10am and 12.30pm Monday to Thursday and 11am to 12.30pm on Friday. We also run and outreach service
for young people at Carlisle Key Young People’s Advice Centre on Mondays between 12pm and 3pm for their service users. In addition, we provide a Duty Solicitor
at Carlisle County Court every Wednesday for people defending housing possession cases.
Free Legal Services in Allerdale
People in Allerdale have access to our daily telephone advice line on 01228 515129 to request a call back or make an appointment. The areas of law covered are
mainly Employment, and sometimes Housing. We also run outreach sessions with pre-booked appointments at Trades Hall Workington which are made via the Law
Centre on 01228 515129. In addition, we provide a Duty Solicitor at West Cumbria County Court (usually Tuesdays or Thursdays) for people defending housing
possession cases.
Free Legal Services in Copeland
People in Copeland have access to our daily telephone advice line on 01228 515129 to request a call back or make an appointment. The areas of law covered are
mainly Employment, and sometimes Housing. We also run outreach sessions with pre-booked appointments at Copeland CAB which are made via the Law Centre
on 01228 515129.
Free Legal Services in South Lakeland and Barrow People in South Lakeland and Barrow have access to our daily telephone advice line on 01228 515129 to request a call back or make an appointment. The area of
law covered is Housing. In addition, we provide a Duty Solicitor at both Kendal (Fridays) and Barrow County Courts (Tuesdays or Thursdays) for people defending
housing possession cases.
Free Legal Services in Eden
People in Eden have access to our telephone advice line on 01228 515129 to request a call back or make an appointment. We cover Employment, Housing and
Welfare Benefits. We also run an outreach service at the Citizens Advice Bureau in Penrith on Wednesdays and appointments may be booked via Penrith CAB or
Cumbria Law Centre. For Eden Housing Association tenants, we have outreach sessions and Wednesdays and Thursdays at EHA covering Welfare Benefits and
related Debt matters. Referrals are usually made via EHA.
www.cumbrialawcentre.org.uk
8 Spencer Street . Carlisle . Cumbria . CA1 1BG . Tel: 01228 515129 . Fax: 01228 515819
