The Civil and Criminal Legal Aid (Financial Eligibility and Contributions) (Amendment) Regulations 2016
This instrument amends regulations made under the Access to Justice Act 1999 (c. 22) (“the 1999 Act”) and the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (c. 10) (“the 2012 Act”) which deal with an individual’s financial eligibility for criminal and civil legal aid and for the liability of an individual to pay a contribution towards the cost of services received. The amendments reflect changes to the benefits system made by the Welfare Reform Act 2012 (c. 5) and the Welfare Reform (Northern Ireland) Order 2015 (S.I. 2015/2006 (N.I. 1)), which introduced universal credit in England and Wales, and Northern Ireland, respectively.