Tax Credits Act 2002 Schedule 3 paragraph 12

Amendment to section 11(2)(b) — clients' contributions exemption

Paragraph 12 of Schedule 3 amends section 11(2)(b) of the Legal Aid Act 1986, updating the list of benefits that exempt a person from having to make clients' contributions towards their legal aid costs.

• Section 11(2)(b) of the Legal Aid Act 1986 provides that persons receiving certain means-tested benefits are not required to make clients' contributions towards legal aid.
• Previously, the list of qualifying benefits included tax credits and other legacy benefits; this amendment narrows the qualifying benefits.
• After this change, only recipients of income support or income-based jobseeker's allowance (under the Jobseekers Act 1995) qualify for the exemption from clients' contributions.
• The removal of tax credits from this list reflects the broader restructuring of the benefits and tax credits system introduced by the Tax Credits Act 2002.