New funding prompts expansion of legal aid housing and debt services under civil contracts
Opportunities to deliver legal aid services in Housing and Debt have been extended following a Government funding announcement aimed at rebuilding the justice system.
The Legal Aid Agency confirmed it is seeking to attract additional providers in the Housing and Debt and Welfare Benefits categories of law under the 2024 Standard Civil Contract. The announcement follows confirmation on 1 December 2025 by Minister of State for Courts and Legal Services Sarah Sackman KC MP of new funding for civil legal aid.
The funding package includes an uplift of housing and immigration legal aid fees worth 18 million pounds a year. This represents the first major increase in civil legal aid fees since 1996. The Legal Aid Agency said the additional funding would support greater access to justice by expanding service provision in key areas.
Housing and Debt and Welfare Benefits opportunities are now available across a wide range of locations in England. These include Barnsley, Calderdale, Cheshire, the City of Kingston upon Hull, Doncaster, East Riding of Yorkshire, Hartlepool, Herefordshire and Worcestershire, Knowsley, Leicestershire and Rutland, North East Lincolnshire and North Lincolnshire, Northumberland, Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight, Rochdale, Rotherham, Sandwell, Surrey, Trafford, Warrington and Halton, West Lancashire and Wigan.
The Legal Aid Agency said organisations may access these opportunities through two routes. Providers may be awarded a 2024 Standard Civil Contract that includes specific authorisation to carry out Housing and Debt and Welfare Benefits contract work. Alternatively, existing contract holders may apply to add an authorised schedule allowing them to deliver outreach services.
Expressions of interest are being invited from organisations that wish to deliver Housing and Debt and Welfare Benefits services, including outreach provision. The opportunity will remain open until 30 June 2028.
The Legal Aid Agency said contracts or schedules awarded through this process are expected to commence as soon as possible after the necessary verification checks have been completed.
Organisations do not need to already hold a 2024 Standard Civil Contract to respond. However, the application process will vary depending on an applicant’s current status. Different routes apply to organisations that already hold authorisation under a 2024 Housing and Debt contract, those authorised under a 2024 Standard Civil Contract in another category of law, and those that do not currently hold a 2024 Standard Civil Contract.
The Legal Aid Agency said the expanded opportunities are intended to strengthen capacity in areas of high demand and ensure that individuals facing housing, debt and welfare issues can access timely legal support.