Inflation and the spiralling cost of living is hitting people hard; those who are suffering the most are the least well off in society. Their income is insufficient to keep up with day to day living and they are turning to advice agencies to get the help they need.
This is why London Legal Support Trust has launched its “Heat or Eat” campaign to increase its support to free legal advice agencies, ensuring that they can cope with the record number of people coming to them every day for help. LLST are providing extra grants and more advisers to advice agencies to help the communities’ poorest people through a long hard winter.
South West London Law Centres’ Money Advice Team Leader said: “Despite the government help on offer, we remain seriously concerned about the impact of the rising cost of fuel on our clients and whether the help will actually reach those in most need.”
Donations to this campaign will see people’s lives become easier through providing specialist legal advice and the support desperately needed to navigate the crisis facing so many. These advice centres are vital. For instance, for every client in receipt of free advice from an advice centre, the government can expect to see a saving of £8,000 this year (source: Defending the Public Purse; the economic value of the free legal advice sector, Community Justice Fund, September 2021).
Yet, advice centres are struggling. One advice centre Team Leader explained, “We have so much work coming through that I cannot get work done on benefits and Crisis Navigation. I am turning multiple people away every day.”
To address this vital need, London Legal Support Trust are asking people to donate the cost of a day’s lunch, a day’s heating, or even more, to support those who are struggling to choose between eating and heating.
If you’d like to find out more, please visit here.
