City Community Legal Advice Centre

We are a University Community Legal Advice Centre based at The City Law School, City University which is part of the University of London. At City Community Legal Advice Centre, students, staff and external lawyers volunteer to provide advice and assistance to clients on a variety of legal issues. The service is run by the Director who is an experienced qualified practising solicitor. All students work under the supervision of qualified lawyers.

We offer free legal advice on certain areas of law to people who are not eligible for legal aid and cannot afford to pay. The service is advice only, which means we do not undertake casework or provide representation. We also offer referrals to other services who may be able to assist you if we cannot take your case. Our trained student advisers take details of your case in advance and if it is suited to our service we offer you an appointment with a qualified volunteer lawyer. We cannot take urgent or overly complex cases.

We also operate a form filling service for the welfare benefit personal independence payment. Trained student advisers work under the supervision of a qualified non-practising specialist lawyer to assist clients to make their PIP application.

Examples of the type of legal disputes we can provide assistance with (subject to capacity) are as follows:

• Private family law issues (for example: child contact, divorce, maintenance and domestic violence)
• Employment law disputes (for example: unfair dismissal, unpaid wages, discrimination and bullying at work)
• Housing Disrepair and allocations to social housing (tenants in council or housing association properties). Please note we do not advise on tenants facing imminent eviction or homelessness, and we do not advise homeowners or landlords.
• General Civil Litigation (for example, contractual disputes, consumer and small claims)
• Initial Immigration Advice - (for example, we can advise clients with:
  • Securing and maintaining permission to enter and remain in the UK
  • Verifying their immigration status
  • Guiding on applications for recourse to public funds - Please note, unfortunately, we cannot advise clients with handling applications for immigration appeals or helping those who have already overstayed their visa. We will try to provide signposting and referrals for those clients we cannot help.
• Small business issues (for example: formation of a company, data protection, partnership disputes)
• Personal Injury – accidents at work & in public places, road traffic accidents, and defective product claims (we only advise claimants/ plaintiffs and do not advise defendants)
• Personal independence form filling service (we do not undertake appeal work)
• General information (signposting and referrals on areas of law where we cannot offer advice)

We offer assistance with form filling for the welfare benefit personal independence payment (PIP). PIP can help with extra living costs if you have both:

• a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability
• difficulty doing certain everyday tasks or getting around because of your condition

You can get PIP even if you’re working, have savings or are getting most other benefits.

How PIP works

There are 2 parts to PIP:

• a daily living part - if you need help with everyday tasks
• a mobility part - if you need help with getting around

Whether you get one or both parts and how much you get depends on how difficult you find everyday tasks and getting around.

If you might have less than 6 months to live, you’ll automatically get the daily living part. Whether you get the mobility part depends on your needs. Find out how to claim and how much you’ll get if you might have 6 months or less to live.

If you think you might be eligible for the benefit you can check if you are eligible by looking at the following link: Personal Independence Payment (PIP): Eligibility - GOV.UK.

Daily living part

You might get the daily living part of PIP if you need help with:

• eating, drinking or preparing food
• washing, bathing and using the toilet
• dressing and undressing
• reading and communicating
• managing your medicines or treatments
• making decisions about money
• socialising and being around other people

Mobility part

You might get the mobility part of PIP if you need help with:

• working out a route and following it
• physically moving around
• leaving your home

You do not have to have a physical disability to get the mobility part. You might also be eligible if you have difficulty getting around because of a cognitive or mental health condition, like anxiety.

How difficulty with tasks is assessed

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will assess how difficult you find daily living and mobility tasks. For each task they’ll look at:

• whether you can do it safely
• how long it takes you
• how often your condition affects this activity
• whether you need help to do it, from a person or using extra equipment

How to obtain a PIP claim form

To access our service you must first have requested the PIP form which you can obtain by calling one of the numbers below. We cannot make this call for you.

To obtain a PIP claim form you can call the following numbers:

Telephone: 0800 917 2222
Textphone: 0800 917 7777
Relay UK (if you cannot hear or speak on the phone): 18001 then 0800 917 2222
British Sign Language (BSL) video relay service if you’re on a computer - find out how to use the service on mobile or tablet
Calling from abroad: +44 191 218 7766
Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm
Find out about call charges

Details of our PIP form filling service

Trained student advisers work under the supervision of a qualified non-practising specialist lawyer to assist clients to make their PIP application. Once your form has been finalised by the supervisor we take a copy for our files, and give you the original so that you can send it to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

How we handle your data?

To process your enquiry, the City Community Legal Advice Centre will need to collect some personal information from you to decide whether we help and if there is any conflict of interest. We collect, process, and use your personal information in compliance with data protection laws, if you consent.

Please note that if you do not provide certain personal information, we will not be able to carry out essential checks, and this could mean we cannot help you. We will ask you to agree to your data being stored when we speak to you to book your appointment.

Your files are stored confidentially on our case management system. Your data is handled in accordance with the CityCLAC Privacy Notice.

To access our PIP form filling service:

We take details of your request either by phone or email. There is NO NEED to fill in our online form to get help with your PIP form. Please just call or email us.

Our phone number is 020 7040 5414. The phone line is open Monday to Thursday 10-12pm and 2-4pm.

Clients can email us to request assistance via clac@city.ac.uk or they can fill in our online enquiry form.

Firstly, we consider whether your enquiry fits the remit of our service. If it does, trained Student Advisers or City Community Legal Advice Centre staff take details of your case by Zoom or telephone. Please note that you will not receive advice at this point.

The information you provide is then shared with the Director of the Centre (who is a qualified solicitor) and the volunteer lawyer. They consider your case to decide whether we can help. We then confirm your appointment, or we offer you other sources of help.

A group of students will be present during your appointment to observe the session and assist the volunteer lawyer. You will receive verbal advice about your case based on the information you have provided.

Please note we are unable to consider large quantities of documents, or provide ongoing casework support.

You will receive advice based on the information you provided to our student advisers during the initial triage call. You can also send us 2 or 3 important documents

To process your enquiry, the Legal Advice Centre will need to collect some personal information from you to decide whether we help and if there is any conflict of interest. We collect, process, and use your personal information in compliance with data protection laws, if you consent. Please note that if you do not provide certain personal information, we will not be able to carry out essential checks, and this could mean we cannot help you.

Please read the CityCLAC Privacy Notice for details of how we will deal with the information you provide in this form.

There are circumstances where we cannot advise you. These include:

• Where a case is outside the remit of our stated competence. E.g. criminal, debt, immigration, wills and probate
• Where there is a conflict of interest
• Where the case is urgent
• A dispute against the City, University of London, its Governors, employees and students
• Providing representation in court proceedings

When we cannot advise you, our trained Student Advisers will usually provide referral information by email to other sources of help.

Volunteer lawyers provide legal advice over the phone, and a short summary of your advice is confirmed in writing if we have capacity within  21 days of the advice session. If we cannot advise you on your case for whatever reason we will let you know and provide you with relevant referral sources and information.

Please note our students are trained but they are not yet professionally qualified. They will be working under the close supervision of fully qualified lawyers. Our lawyers are either City Law School staff, or volunteers from practice. All volunteers are covered by our insurance and provide advice on behalf of CityCLAC.

Are we a legal practice?

We are not regulated by the Law Society of England and Wales and do not hold ourselves out to be a solicitor's practice. We are however a member of LawWorks and are committed to Pro Bono Protocol.

The Director of our service is an experienced, qualified solicitor, regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and has oversight of all cases. Our volunteer lawyers are all qualified, experienced lawyers, committed to providing pro bono services to give back to the community.

Our law students are trained to take part in the Community Legal Advice Centre and can join from the first year of their undergraduate degree by observing advice sessions, and rising to Student Assistant in their final year. Our postgraduate students (who are studying to be barristers and solicitors) volunteer as Student Advisers, which typically involves interviewing clients, researching the law, and drafting documents such as an attendance note or an advice letter.

Unfortunately we are not able to provide advice to current staff or students. Students should approach the Student Union for advice and referral information.

Who is responsible for your case?

Your case will be allocated to two Student Advisers who will work on your case. The lawyer who has ultimate oversight for your case is the Centre Director Sally Gill, a qualified and experienced solicitor.

Supervision is also provided by qualified volunteers lawyers, and City Law School staff who are also qualified as either solicitors or barristers.

Thank you for considering our service to request legal advice.

The Lawworks website provides a list of clinics who provide free legal advice. Visit the Lawworks website here.

Advicenow are a charity who provide free helpful guides on areas of social welfare law. You can view the Advicenow website here.

You can contact your local law centre here.

The Law Society has a website where you can search for a solicitor.

Search for firms using postcode and subject area. You can also check which are recognised in certain areas of law by searching the Legal 500.

You might be eligible for free and confidential advice from Civil Legal Advice as part of legal aid if you are in England or Wales. You can check whether you qualify here If you are eligible legal aid covers the following areas:

• debt, if your home is at risk
• housing, if you’re homeless or at risk of being evicted
• domestic abuse
• separating from an abusive partner, when you’re making arrangements for children or sorting out money and property
• a child being taken into care
• special education needs
• discrimination
• some child abduction cases.

Civil Legal Advice telephone: 0345 345 4 345

Or Minicom: 0345 609 6677

Their helpline is open Monday to Friday, 9am to 8pm and Saturday, 9am to 12:30pm

You can also text ‘legalaid’ and your name to 80010 to ask for a call back. This costs the same as a normal text message.

Resolution - To find a family specialist lawyer
Telephone: 01689 820 272
Email: info@resolution.org.uk

Ministry of Justice Search

Family mediation helpline service.

Rights of Women

Advice on Family Law can be found on their website.

Domestic Violence

National Centre for Domestic Violence
Telephone: 0800 97002070
Text: NCDV to 60777
Email: office@ncdv.org

Refuge

Telephone: 0808 2000 247

National DA helpline website.

FLOWS - legal options for women survivors.

If you need help with an employment problem contact the ACAS Helpline on 0300 123 1100. The ACAS helpline is open Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm. The advice you receive is free but you may be charged for the call depending on your phone provider and whether you use a mobile or a landline.

The Acas website can be viewed here.

Employment Lawyers Association

Advice for employees can also be found on the Employment Lawyers Association website.

Yesslaw

If you have an employment matter you wish to settle – Yesslaw is a charity who provide fixed fee advice: Get in touch - Yesslaw.

If you need emergency or urgent help with housing please contact the Shelter helpline 0808 800 4444. The Shelter helpline Opening times are Monday to Friday, 8am - 8pm and weekends and bank holidays 9am - 5pm.

Call the helpline if you:

• are homeless
• have nowhere to stay tonight
• are worried about losing your home in the next two months
• are at risk of harm or abuse.

The Shelter’s website also has some other useful help if your case is not urgent.

You can also contact your local law centre by searching their website. Or you can visit your local citizens advice service or telephone 03444 111 444.

If you need help with a court hearing as a litigant in person contact the organisation Support through Court via their website

• St Lukes cost of living clinic - Appointments for the Form-filling clinics can be booked through St Luke's reception (020 7549 8181, info@slpt.org.uk)
• Turn 2 Us
  0808 802 2000 (9am – 8pm Monday – Friday)
• Advice Local -  Find out what welfare benefits you are entitled to, and where to get help if you have a problem with your claim
• IPR Advice – Islington People's Rights

Personal injury law

To search for a personal injury specialist lawyer of Personal Injury Lawyers

I have been injured (apil.org.uk)

Consumer Rights helpline

For advice on consumer rights contact the Consumer helpline at Citizens Advice.

Leasehold Issues

For help with leaseholder disputes visit the Leasehold Advisory Service Website or telephone: 020 7832 2500.

Immigration advice

For help with immigration problems see below for useful resources:

• Find an immigration adviser
• Southwark Law Centre - Immigration and Asylum
• Southwark Legal Advice Network - Immigration
• Lambeth and Southwark mind - Afro-Asian Advisory Service (AAAS)
• Migrants’ Rights Network
• Southwark Legal Advice Network - Migrant Legal Action

Support through Court

The Support through Court service provides support to litigants in person (people who do not have a lawyer representing them during a court case).

Telephone: 020 7947 7701/03 to book an appointment
Email:LondonService@thepsu.org.uk.

If you need urgent medical or psychological support:

• Contact your GP to book an emergency appointment
• Call the Samaritans on 116 123
• Visit your nearest A&E:Find Accident and emergency services services - NHS (www.nhs.uk)
• If more immediate urgent care is required call an ambulance by dialling 999