Will I Get Legal Aid?

[AlmondMilk]

Hi I would like to understand the eligibility criteria for a defendant receiving legal aid in the Crown Court. I understand it states the defendant must have a disposable income no more than £37500 but what constitutes this? Is that a annual salary of no more than this?

Thanks

[AuntPollyGrey]

Disposable income normally means earned income minus Tax, Mortgage, loans and Utility Bills. For Example, if you earned £40K (after Tax) a year, and your bills came to £15k your disposable income would be £25k.

[Buenchico]

'Disposable income' is the total income of a defendant, from all sources, minus any deductions listed here
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2013/471/regulation/11/made
and here
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2013/471/regulation/12/made

[fiction-factory]

Interesting. That figure sounds remarkably high to me in that maybe 80% of the population would qualify including all nurses, teachers, many doctors,...

[AuntPollyGrey]

"An individual is eligible for legal aid if that individual's gross annual income does not exceed £12,475, or where their gross annual income is greater than £12,475 and disposable annual income is less than £37,500."

Makes no sense to me..........

[Theland]

Some can afford justice, some can't :-(

[THECORBYLOON]

This link may or may not help but there is a calculator and it also gives examples.

Must admit it is not the easiest of processes to understand.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/criminal-legal-aid-means-testing#initial-means-test