FRIDAY, JANUARY 27, 1978
PERSONAL ALLOWANCES IN LEGAL AID SCHEME TO BE INCREASED ******
THE LEGAL AID (ASSESSMENT OF CONTRIBUTIONS) REGULATIONS HAVE BEEN AMENDED TO INCREASE THE PERSONAL ALLOWANCES MADE WHEN ASSESSING THE DISPOSABLE INCOMES OF LEGAL AID APPLICANTS IN BOTH CIVIL AND CRIMINAL CASES.
IT WILL
THE INCREASE WILL BECOME EFFECTIVE FROM NEXT MONTH. ENABLE PEOPLE WITH HIGHER GROSS INCOMES TO BECOME FINANCIALLY ELIGIBLE FOR LEGAL AID.
A SPOKESMAN FOR THE LEGAL AID DEPARTMENT SAID: IT MEANS MORE PEOPLE WILL RECEIVE COMPLETELY FREE LEGAL AID, WHICH OTHERS WITH HIGHER INCOMES WILL PAY SMALLER CONTRIBUTIONS TOWARDS THE IR LEGAL COSTS.+
UNDER THE LEGAL AID SCHEME, WHEN CALCULATING THE DISPOSABLE INCOME AND CAPITAL OF AN APPLICANT FOR AID, ALLOWANCES ARE MADE IN RESPECT OF RENT FOR THE APPLICANT'S DWELLING AND FOR HIS BASIC LIVING EXPENSES, AND OF THE APPLICANT'S DEPENDENTS,
SINCE 1973, THE ALLOWANCES MADE FOR THE LIVING EXPENSES OF APPLICANTS AND THEIR DEPENDENTS HAVE BEEN AT THE GAME RATE AS THE BASIC PUBLIC ASSISTANCE RELIEF SCALES IN FORCE AT THE RELEVANT TIME.
THE SPOKESMAN SAID: +IT HAS RECENTLY BEEN ANNOUNCED THAT THE BASIC PUBLIC ASSISTANCE SCALES WILL BE INCREASED.
+ACCORDINGLY, THE RELEVANT LEGAL AID REGULATIONS HAVE BEEN AMENDED TO INCREASE THE PERSONAL ALLOWANCE LEVELS USED IN CALCULATING THE DISPOSABLE INCOMES OF APPLICANTS, SO AS TO KEEP THIS ALLOWANCE IN LINE WITH THE NEW PUBLIC ASSISTANCE RATES.+
THE EXISTING AND NEW SCALES OF ALLOWANCES ARE AS FOLLOWS:
(A) PERSON WITH NO DEPENDENT
(B) PERSON WITH FIRST TWO
DEPENDENTS
(C) THIRD, FOURTH AND FIETH
DEPENDENTS
(D) SIXTH AND ADDITIONAL
DEPENDENTS
EXISTING RATE
$180
NEW RATE
$200
$130 EACH
$145 EACH
$105 EACH
IN ADDITION TO (B)
$80 EACH IN ADDITION TO (B) AND (C)
$120 EACH
IN ADDITION TO (B)
$90 EACH IN ADDITION TO (B) AND (C)
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