XN000022-1980-08-01 — Page 2

FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 1980

LEGAL AID ELIGIBILITY TO BE INCREASED

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PEOPLE WITH HIGHER GROSS INCOMES WILL BECOME FINANCIALLY ELIGIBLE FOR LEGAL AID ON SEPTEMBER 1, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE LEGAL AID DEPARTMENT SAID TODAY (FRIDAY).

CERTAIN ALLOWANCES IN THE LEGAL AID LEGISLATION, WHICH ARE EMPLOYED WHEN CALCULATING THE DISPOSABLE INCOMES OF LEGAL AID APPLICANTS, WOULD BE INCREASED BY MORE THAN 20 PER CENT.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT THIS, THE SECOND INCREASE THIS YEAR, WOULD BRING THE LEGAL AID MEANS TEST ALLOWANCES, IN RESPECT OF DEPENDANTS, INTO LINE WITH RECENTLY ANNOUNCED INCREASES IN THE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE RATES.

THE PRESENT MEANS TEST LIMITS FOR LEGAL AID ARE FOR CIVIL CASES, A MONTHLY DISPOSABLE INCOME NOT EXCEEDING $1 000 AND DISPOSABLE CAPITAL NOT EXCEEDING $10 000 AND FOR CRIMINAL CASES, A MONTHLY DISPOSABLE INCOME NOT EXCEEDING $1 500 AND DISPOSABLE CAPITAL NOT EXCEEDING $10 000.

+THE MEANS TEST CRITERIA FOR LEGAL AID REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT TO DETERMINE THE DISPOSABLE INCOME AND DISPOSABLE CAPITAL (WITH THE EMPHASIS ON THE WORD "DISPOSABLE') OF LEGAL AID APPLICANTS,+ THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

FOR EXAMPLE A PERSON EARNING MUCH MORE THAN $1 000 PER MONTH COULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR LEGAL AID FOR A CIVIL CASE. HIS FINANCIAL ELIGIBILITY WOULD DEPEND ON THE AMOUNT OF RENT (IF ANY) PAID BY HIM FOR HIS DWELLING AND ALLOWANCES IN RESPECT OF DEPENDANTS WHOLLY MAINTAINED BY HIM.

+IT IS THESE ALLOWANCES FOR DEPENDANTS THAT WERE BEING INCREASED, + HE SAID.

THE LEGAL AID (ASSESSMENT OF CONTRIBUTIONS) (AMENDMENT) (NO.2) REGULATIONS WHICH COME INTO FORCE ON SEPTEMBER 1 SPECIFY THE NEW RATES OF ALLOWANCE FOR DEPENDANTS,

DETAILS OF THE REAL MONTHLY ALLOWANCES, WITH THE OLD RATES IN BRACKETS, ARE

(1)

APPLICANT WITH NO DEPENDANTS

(2) APPLICANT AND FIRST TWO

DEPENDANTS

$280

($230)

$200 EACH

($165 EACH)

($140 EACH)

(3) THIRD, FOURTH AND FIFTH

DEPENDANTS

(4)

SIXTH AND ADDITIONAL

DEPENDANTS

$170 EACH IN ADDITION TO

(2)

$130 EACH

IN ADDITION TO (2) + (3)

IN ADDITION TO

(2)

($105 EACH)

IN ADDITION TO

(2) + (3)

THE SPOKESMAN