Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 16
16
Wage inflation significantly reduced legal aid eligibility, making minimum wage earners often ineligible
Conclusion
Considerable wage inflation means the proportion of the population now eligible for legal aid has fallen. From 2012–13 to 2020–21, the proportion of UK income taxpayers eligible for civil legal aid decreased by 11 percentage points (73% to 62%). There was also a 16 percentage point decrease in those whose gross income made them eligible for legal aid for criminal cases in magistrates’ courts (53% to 37%).41 Evidence from Commons Law, a specialist criminal defence firm, told us that at present, someone working 40 hours a week at the minimum wage would earn too much to be eligible for support in the magistrates’ court.42 MoJ told us that its means test review, published in 2023, committed to implementing higher financial eligibility thresholds, which means that more people will be eligible for legal aid. MoJ expects this change to require an additional £25 million a year of legal aid funding.43
Government Response
A response document is linked to this report, dated 11 July 2025. Response attribution to this conclusion has not been verified. Read the response document ↗