Cuts to legal aid mean thousands of people every year are going through court alone. Without representation, people are left struggling through complicated court forms and procedures.
Support Through Court (previously the PSU) helped people on over 45,000 occasions last year. Their trained volunteers provide vital, life-changing emotional and procedural assistance — helping people in cases involving their children, their livelihood, or their home. Their help means people going to court are not alone.
However, at a time when the cost of living is increasing, changes in how the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) fund charities supporting litigants in person have put Support Through Court’s vital face-to-face services at risk of closure. The MoJ is the charity’s largest funder, accounting for approximately a third of their income. Despite their efforts lobbying the MoJ for more information and support, they now face immediate cash flow problems. Without the support of the MoJ, they face a £400,000 shortfall in income for this financial year.
Support Through Court’s Chair, Peter Crisp, has written to firms across the country asking for support. The charity are calling on the legal community to help them keep the doors to justice open and ensure they can continue delivering their essential services.
You could help Support Through Court by:
Joining their Champion or Guardians Network and donating to support them over the next three years, making a one-off donation to maintain face to face support for litigants this year which can be done here and forwarding this message onto your CSR/ Charity committee to see if your firm can help support as a Guardian.