Source · Select Committees · Home Affairs Committee
Recommendation 42
42
Deferred
Paragraph: 139
There are strong arguments for facilitating access to legal advice for people who wish to...
Conclusion
There are strong arguments for facilitating access to legal advice for people who wish to seek help with their claim. Having access to funded legal representation may help more people to feel confident accessing and engaging with the scheme. It would also facilitate a greater number of comprehensive, well-ordered claims which can be processed more efficiently by caseworkers.
Government Response Summary
The government response discusses the cap-less nature of Urgent and Exceptional Payments and updated guidance on information sharing for these payments, but does not address the recommendation for facilitating access to funded legal representation for claimants.
Paragraph Reference:
139
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government
Deferred
The policy on Urgent and Exceptional Payments does not have a cap; while the policy states that payments will not normally exceed £5000, any decision is always based on what is needed in each individual case. Where there are instances where it is appropriate to pay more than £5000, we have and will continue to do so. We continue to inform individuals of our decision as soon as possible. However, there are occasions where follow-up contact and further information is required in order to establish why a person requires urgent support. The published policy on Urgent and Exceptional Payments provides detailed guidance to individuals on what information they may wish to share at the point of making a request, in order to help our team to make a decision more quickly.