Researchers from the university’s Charity Law & Policy Unit surveyed 80 advice workers in Liverpool – approximately 50 per cent of the estimated number – and collected data from advice charities. Agencies are shifting from specialist to generalist advice. In addition, agencies are reducing eligibility for their services, their opening hours or the scope of the types of matters they can handle. The study also found that 98 per cent of advisers feel under more pressure in their jobs when trying to meet the needs of their clients.

Debra Morris, director of the Unit and co-author of the study, said: ‘The lack of access to welfare benefits advice is singled out, with 95 per cent citing this as an area where people need advice but cannot access it. All too frequently, determinations of benefit entitlements are incorrect. However, legal aid reforms have eliminated funding for challenges to these decisions. It is this sort of specialist case work that is being lost in the charitable advice sector.’

Dr Jennifer Sigafoos, co-author of the study, said: ‘Lots of the articles discussing what to do in the wake of legal aid reforms advise people to go to their local CAB [Citizens Advice Bureau] for advice. They have not considered that legal aid reforms have affected CAB and independent advice agencies as well.’

The study was a knowledge exchange partnership with Liverpool Specialist Advice Services.

■ The impact of legal aid cuts on advice-giving charities in Liverpool: first results, available at: ww.liv.ac.uk/media/livacuk/law/cplu/Impact,of,Legal,Aid,Cuts,on,Advice,Charities,in,Liverpool.pdf. Individuals, advisers, organisations and practitioners are invited to submit their accounts of the impact of the LASPO Act, particularly on people who are socially, economically or otherwise disadvantaged, for publication in this column. Submissions of up to 500 words will be published in full and, on request, anonymised. E-mail: vwilliams@lag.org.uk using the message title ‘Legal aid cuts impact statement’.