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Islington Tribune - by PETER GRUNER
Published: 13 March 2009

Habtom Tesfay and David Renton at the Islington Law Centre

Help! Law Centre’s caseload soaring

STAFF at Islington Law Centre have warned that the financial downturn is putting huge pressure on the number of cases they can take.
The centre in Hornsey Road, Holloway, is dealing with an unprecedented workload – it is currently receiving an average of 1,000 requests for help a week and the number is rising.
The biggest increase has been from those who have been made redundant and are concerned about debt and the prospect of losing their homes.
Where previously the average waiting time for cases to be seen was the same day or within a week last year, it is now two to three weeks.
With up to 500 staff being made redundant at nearby London Metropolitan University, many could be seeking help from the centre.
Habtom Tesfay and David Renton, both trained barristers, who work full-time on the employment side at the centre, said it was a very worrying time for a lot of people.
The centre has a staff of 20 dealing with welfare rights, housing, immigration and asylum, debt, education and employment, and prides itself on seeing clients face to face rather than dealing with them over the telephone.
Mr Tesfay said: “People who have lost their jobs are worried that they may lose their homes. They want to know what benefits they could be entitled to and do they have security of tenure. We will listen to their problems and give them advice on the next step.”
Mr Renton urged people who are being made redundant to seek a full explanation from employers.
“People can lose their jobs for a variety of reasons and sometimes it is very unfair,” he said.
“If you do decide to appeal to an employment tribunal you need all the facts.
“I’ve had a case where a pregnant young woman was chosen for redundancy despite being in the job longer than her colleagues. The suspicion was of course that she was being asked to go because she was pregnant and the employer didn’t want to provide statutory maternity pay.”
The Law Centre employs a number of volunteers and more are now being sought.
Mr Tesfay said it was the perfect voluntary experience for anyone studying law. “You’ll probably learn as much about the law by listening to a client and assisting caseworkers as anything in a textbook,” he added.

• Islington Law Centre is at 161 Hornsey Road, N7 6DU. 020 7607 2461

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