Fund discrimination casework
Responsible department: Home Office
Government has pushed through reforms to the EHRC, including withdrawal of its grants function. From April 2012, organisations who were funded to advise and assist individuals experiencing discrimination under the Equality Act will no longer be funded to do so. All cases must now be dealt with through legal aid, rather than through a specific funding pot. Most clients we deal with are not eligible for legal aid; those that are will be limited to support pre tribunal as tribunal advocacy is not funded, despite this being where most clients need help. No win no fee is rarely available because of low success rates and compensation levels are too low to make it viable to pay privately. The result will be fewer taking discrimination claims forward and less access to justice, despite the strengthened Equality Act. We are calling for the government to put in place specific arrangements for funding of this area of work.
CLICK TO GO TO WEBSITE & SIGN: http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/27071
