Community Legal Advice helpline

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About Community Legal Advice helpline
What happens when people call?
How much do calls cost?
For more information

About Community Legal Advice helpline

If eligible for legal aid people can call the Community Legal Advice helpline on 0845 3454 345 to get free advice over the phone.

The helpline is open from 9am to 8pm Monday to Friday and between 9am and 12.30pm on Saturday

Community Legal Advice can help people deal with everyday problems by giving high quality, confidential advice over the phone.

It is funded by legal aid, so if people live on a low income or benefits they can get free independent advice about debt, education, family, welfare benefits and tax credits, employment and housing problems.
Even if they are not eligible for legal aid, the helpline operators can put them in touch with other services that can help.

The service covers English and Welsh law.

What happens when people call?

Firstly they will speak to an operator. They are not legally trained but will ask questions about the problem to find out what kind of information and advice is needed.

If Community Legal Advice can help with the problem, the operator will ask some more questions about finances to see if they are eligible for free specialist advice.

If eligible and want advice over the phone they will be connected to a specialist legal adviser immediately. The specialist legal adviser will then take on the case. They will write letters on their behalf and speak to people like landlords and creditors. They can even prepare bundles of documents to take to an employment tribunal.

Clients can speak to an adviser, in confidence, as many times as they need to, until the problem is solved.

If Community Legal Advice can't help, they can put people in touch with other services that can.

Community Legal Advice never charge for their services. All advice and help is funded by legal aid.

How much do the calls cost?

Calls cost no more than 4p per minute from a BT landline. Calls from mobiles are usually more. If worried about the cost, people can ask an adviser to call them back, or book a call back by:

booking a call back online <link to call me back form on Directgov – live March 31>
texting 'legalaid' then name to 80010 and an adviser will call back within 24 hours. The cost of the text will be at the standard rate for your operator.

Is advice available in other languages?

The helpline has a free translation service for 170 languages.

Can people use Minicom or Typetalk?

Minicom and Typetalk calls are welcome.

Minicom is a telephone typewriter device for communication with or between deaf, hard-of-hearing, or speech-impaired people. The Minicom number is 0845 609 6677.

Typetalk enables those who have hearing difficulties to use a text phone to access telephone advice through a free operator service.

Is advice available in British Sign Language?

If eligible for legal aid and have access to a webcam clients can chat to a BSL specialist adviser about their problems. To contact a legal adviser using a web cam visit the RAD website.

Free independent advice is available on debt, employment, housing or welfare benefits problems. Clients can either chat immediately if an adviser is available or leave a video message. They will respond to messages within 24 hours.

This service is provided with the Royal Association for Deaf People (RAD) Legal Services department who are fluent in BSL, working in close partnership with a CLA specialist provider.

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Last updated: 08 April 2011