South West London Law Centres 2022
Our mission is to fight injustice, inequality and poverty. We do this by providing at scale free or low cost legal advice, casework and representation at all courts and tribunals. Our own solicitors and caseworkers advise and represent local people to help them uphold their rights, stay in their homes, clear debts, resolve employment problems, protect themselves and their families, and access social security payments to prevent them from being pulled into poverty. We hold the Lexcel quality mark and have been recognised in awards reflecting the quality and dedication of our work. Continue Reading South West London Law Centres 2022
Our mission is to fight injustice, inequality and poverty. We do this by providing at scale free or low cost legal advice, casework and representation at all courts and tribunals. Our own solicitors and caseworkers advise and represent local people to help them uphold their rights, stay in their homes, clear debts, resolve employment problems, protect themselves and their families, and access social security payments to prevent them from being pulled into poverty. We hold the Lexcel quality mark and have been recognised in awards reflecting the quality and dedication of our work.
SWLLC’s catchment area is the 6 London Boroughs of Wandsworth, Merton, Croydon, Sutton, Kingston and Richmond – a total population of 1,509,741 people.
On average we help around 7,500 people every year to resolve a wide range of social welfare legal issues.
Our clients are mainly on low incomes, zero hours contracts and/or benefits. 50% are disabled or have long-term ill health, including mental health conditions, or are caring for someone who does. 57% of clients come from a BAME background. Many of our clients come to us facing crisis and destitution.
Our work can be categorised as follows:
- Legal Aid and grant funded legal casework in social welfare law. Helping people obtain justice in the areas of Housing, Community Care, Welfare Rights, Debt, Employment and Immigration.
- On the day legal advice to those facing eviction at three London courts – preventing homelessness and improving housing conditions for the most vulnerable.
- Free community legal advice clinics – working in partnership with legal volunteers to provide advice on common legal problems to the community
Recent key achievements are as follows:
- The law centre was highly commended in the Law Society’s Excellence awards, 2021.
- Our debt team was awarded Debt Team of the Year 2021 at the inaugural Debt Free London Awards.
- Our Immigration and Asylum team received an excellence rating – the highest possible rating in Legal Aid Agency Peer Review.
- We pioneered Crisis Navigation, launching the service in March 2021. In the first year, our Crisis Navigators helped more than 250 people, achieving approximately £300,000 in financial outcomes for them.
For further information, visit our website.
