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Law centre locked in battle to survive
Advice chiefs say double whammy may cause closure
CAMDEN Law Centre is facing a double whammy of funding cuts which could see it close, councillors were warned on Tuesday night.
At a meeting at the Town Hall, organised by staff of the centre in Prince of Wales Road, legal advice workers claimed that proposed changes to voluntary sector funding could mean the end of the free service.
Budget plans laid out by the ruling Lib Dem Conservative alliance propose to cut cash by 40 per cent to advice bodies – and the Centre is already facing a cash squeeze from the Legal Aid Commission due to nationwide changes in legal aid arrangements.
Chair of the centres management committee Zubier Yazdani said the plans would mean the centre, which deals with thousands of calls each year, would shut and lead to a greater burden on other council services.
He said: “We hope to succeed in persuading the councillors of the vital role we play. If the law centre were to close, it would increase costs to the council and also mean greater social dislocation.”
The centre helps people facing issues over housing, benefits, immigration, employment and debt problems – and some of the cases they have fought have set legal precedents, benefiting thousands of vulnerable people.
And Mr Yazdani cited the experience of neighbouring Islington who slashed money to advice centres five years ago – and then reversed the decision this year.
He added: “We have 33 years of experience. It is a laudable idea to review funding but it has been done with the starting premise to cut the pot of money for the voluntary sector advice services. This is an incorrect starting point for consultation.”
The law centres current budget is around £1.4m and could be cut to £930,000.
The final decision about funding priorities will be taken at an executive meeting in the January with individual budgets finalised in the summer.
Council leader Kieth Moffitt added: “We are looking at new priorities. The electorate voted for a change in May, and this means there will be some changes. One of our aims is to increase environmental sustainability and we would like to give more assistance to these areas.”
But he said that following the presentation in the council chamber by centre staff, he understood the role they played for the poor and vulnerable.
He added: “It has given me some food for thought. We do not want to see it closed down. But I cannot guarantee we will continue to fund it as it is.”
Highgate ward Green councillor Adrian Oliver said: “When the leader of the council announced next year there would be a freeze in the Camden element of council tax, he also announced that there was a massive £18 million funding gap to close.
He said this would come through efficiency savings – but it seems obvious that it will be met by cuts in front line services.”
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