Page 116 - Reforming Benefits Decision-Making

themselves in rural community centres, some housing associations have in-
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house benefits advice, advice providers located in foodbanks, and benefits
advice provided by women’s centres.

4.41 In light of this we welcome the Government’s commitment in the Legal
Support Action plan to “work collaboratively with the sector to pilot, test
and evaluate the provision of holistic legal support hubs to more
effectively support earlier resolution of a person’s legal problems”. We
recommend that this should take the form of both co-location of advice
providers covering different areas of law as well as co-location of legal
advice with other services used by people who may be experiencing issues
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related to benefits. It should be driven by the advice sector and build
on existing models and initiatives that are working successfully.

The pandemic

4.42 The pandemic has also had a big impact on advice delivery. The measures
brought in by the Government and the societal responses have forced
organisations and individuals to adopt alternative working methods. As
unemployment has risen and personal finances have been squeezed, the
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demand for social welfare assistance has grown. The Administrative Justice
Council and JUSTICE carried out a survey of advice providers to understand
how they have responded to these unusual circumstances and what the effects
have been for providers and clients following the switch to remote advice
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provision. Drawing on responses to that survey as well as the experience of
Working Party members and consultees, it is clear that:

335 Eastbourne Foodbank, ‘Get Help, More than Food’.
336 One of the issues with previous attempts at colocation - Community Legal Advice Centres and
Community Legal Advice Networks was that these were not driven by the advice sector.
337 Citizens Advice, Life Through Lockdown (March 2021) p.17
338 Administrative Justice Council and JUSTICE, Welfare benefit advice provision during the
pandemic (see n. 249 above).

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