Greater Manchester Law Centre

Almost 300 organisations express support for ECHR on 75th anniversary - Liberty

“Now is the time for a full-throated defence of the European Convention on Human Rights and Human Rights Act. No one has human rights, unless we all have human rights.”
GMLC has signed this statement.
#AccessToJustice
www.libertyhumanrights.org.uk/issue/almost...

Neuberger speaks of 'disturbing' plight of ordinary people caught up in the courts Former Supreme Court president bemoans failure to increase legal aid rates - and cost of public inquiries.

Lord Neuberger: "Legal aid for advice and representation in civil and family cases which was barely adequate in 1996 has been progressively shrunk in both scope and quantum over the past 30 years".
#AccessToJustice
www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/neuberg...

“It seems that the regulation of free expression is rarely out of the... There is no doubt that there are almost daily reports of free speech issues in the criminal courts, says Raj Chada.

𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀'𝘀 𝗙𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 📖

“It seems that the regulation of free expression is rarely out of the news.”

Raj Chada examines the growing criminalisation of speech and what it means for democracy and justice.

👉 Read the full story in the latest Legal Action magazine @hjacriminaldefence.bsky.social

Historic Renters’ Rights Act becomes law Renters’ Rights Bill receives Royal Assent today, securing a fairer future for 11 million private renters in England

The Renters Rights Act has finally passed. The Act makes changes to the way evictions, rent increases and tenancy agreements work. Some of its changes are welcome, but its effect in practice remains to be seen - and fought in the courts.
www.gov.uk/government/n...

Frozen housing benefit see families plunged into homelessness

The most sensible way to bring down the benefits budget would be to introduce rent controls. Raising housing benefit levels helps some tenants in the short-term - but it has a lot of pitfalls.
Only rent controls make long-term sense.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Greater Manchester Asylum Hotels Group: Our response to the protests outside hotels - GMIAU Statement from a group in Manchester who have lived experience of living in asylum accommodation responding to the racist far-right protests

Our colleagues at @gmiau.bsky.social have worked with asylum seekers in hotels to put together this letter from the lived experience of living in asylum accommodation.
"We believe it is time for people to hear our side of the story."
gmiau.org/greater-manc...

Text which reads: Anita was pregnant and living with her partner and two young children in a single, damp hotel room without hot water. They had been there for almost a year and were forced to share kitchen and bathroom facilities with strangers. Central England Law Centre challenged the council’s decision to keep the family in unsuitable accommodation, and helped Anita to secure Child Benefit she was missing out on. The family received compensation and were moved to new accommodation that was safe and secure. #Advice Saves An image of: A mother and two children sitting on a bench looking out to the landscape.

Text which reads: "Before coming to the Law Centre, I had no idea whatsoever of my rights and the process I was supposed to go through. I don't think enough people do know, and so they go into legal proceedings ill-equipped. “Some people end up homeless because they didn’t have the support I had. I know 100% I’m in my home because of the support of the Law Centre." —Emmanuel, South West London Law Centres client #AdviceSaves An image of: A man sat reading a book at a desk.

Text which reads: Anoushka was experiencing domestic violence. Her immigration status was tied to her abusive partner and she feared that walking away would leave her in an even more vulnerable position. Merseyside Law Centre helped Anoushka to make a Destitution Domestic Violence Concession application, and later an application for indefinite leave to remain. It worked: both applications were granted. Anoushka became eligible for public funds to help her access alternative accommodation, and her future in the UK is secure. #AdviceSaves An image of: A woman wearing a denim jacket, sat down and clasping her hands together.

Text which reads: Daniel had severe medical issues arising from his former job. He applied for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) but was awarded only the lower rate of daily living payment. Daniel struggled with both the additional cost of disability and with the emotional strain of not being able to live independently. Merseyside Law Centre represented Daniel at a tribunal to challenge the DWP’s decision. The panel awarded Daniel the highest possible award of PIP with the longest duration (10 years). An image of: A man with a walking stick being supported by a woman.

On #AdviceWeek, we’re sharing a few stories of hardship transformed.

This is the contribution that Law Centres make every day to our country. It’s a vital public service, but government underinvestment is limiting its potential.

It's time to give the advice sector the support it needs to thrive.

‘KEEP THE FLAME BURNING’ OPENS AT THE WORKING CLASS MOVEMENT LIBRARY

The exhibition, that has been co-produced by a group of volunteers, all aged 16 - 25 and working class, opens on Friday 18th July!

Follow the link for more info

wcml.org.uk/event/keep-t...

The government must scrap the benefit cap in its upcoming child poverty strategy. It pushes 300,000 children into even deeper poverty, does not achieve its purported aims and would only cost £300 million to abolish.
cpag.org.uk/sites/defaul...

'Legal aid saved me from my ex-husband' Norfolk Community Law Service warns that more people are being

The Law Society of England and Wales president Richard Atkinson has called on the government to further invest in the civil legal aid system to "begin eliminating legal aid deserts", saying it is a "crucial public service".
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

David Lammy rules out charging workers for employment tribunal claims Justice secretary says right to challenge unfair work behaviour is core to Labour’s work plan after union backlash

"It’s a fundamental principle that everyone, no matter their income, should be able to get access to justice to challenge unfair behaviour at work."
www.theguardian.com/money/2025/o...

📒 We have published a new Policy Briefing: Refugee Homelessness in Greater Manchester.

Please read and download the briefing here: gmiau.org/refugee-home...

Scrap the cap: the benefit cap in 2024 and why it needs to go – Greater Manchester Law Centre Today, GMLC releases its new research report, 'Scrap the cap: the benefit cap in 2024 and why it needs to go'.

GMLC calls for all those who want to see the end of child poverty to fight for the end to both of these policies for a fairer, less discriminatory social security system.
www.gmlaw.org.uk/2024/10/01/s...

Catastrophic caps • Resolution Foundation In the benefit system, entitlement and need are intertwined: the greater the need, the more benefit income a family is usually entitled to receive. But in the 2010s, two policies were introduced that ...

Removing the two-child limit but not the benefit cap will help a lot of households - and so it's worth doing, even on its own. But 34,000 families who could be helped by the change won't see an increase in their income if the benefit cap is left in place.
www.resolutionfoundation.org/publications...

Benefit changes and larger families We are a group of university-based researchers investigating how families with more than two children are coping with the benefit cap or the two-child limit.

GMLC meets people this policy affects regularly, usually single mums with young children. Often, the people we meet are facing eviction, homelessness and debt. The policy hits single parents hardest, and there is often no way out.
largerfamilies.study/publications...

Those families in the deepest poverty tend not only to be affected by the two-child limit, but the benefit cap as well. The benefit cap is a separate policy which limits the total amount of benefits a household can receive to a maximum of £1835 a month outside London.

However, now that the two-child limit is up for debate, GMLC urges ministers and commentators not to forget the detrimental effects of a second punitive benefits policy - the benefit cap.
www.turn2us.org.uk/get-support/...

GMLC wholeheartedly supports calls to scrap the limit. Many of our clients are living on reduced amounts of income as a result of the two-child limit, leading to hardship. This includes disabled parents and others who struggle to secure employment to improve their incomes.

Scrapping child benefit cap makes economic sense, Rachel Reeves told Senior Labour MP and leading economist urge the chancellor to scrap the two-child benefit cap.

The government is coming under renewed pressure to scrap the two-child benefit limit. The two-child limit deprives parents of further child benefit when their third or later child was born after 6/04/17. It now affects 1.67 million children.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

We recommend signing up for GMLC's newsletter!
t.co/KJ0wbqPKS5

This month's newsletter has great tips on finding free legal advice.

You can find further info on one of their recommendations, which is to join a union to receive support and employment law advice here: gmlaw.org.uk/employment-l...

We're delighted to have sent our Social Justice packs to this year's brilliant cohort of Legal Education Foundation's Justice First Fellows.

The Fellowship supports aspiring lawyers to pursue #SocialJustice law. We're proud to play a small part in this.

#AccessToJustice

We’re recruiting for 4 roles on our Disabled People’s Archive 🎉
Thanks to funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund (made possible by National Lottery players) we’re looking for an Archive Project Assistant (staff), plus freelance Oral Historian & Evaluator. (1/2)

Two-child benefit cap is 'punishing' working families, Labour warned Families hit by the two-child limit on benefits describe how "the system is truly unfair" for those with more than three children.

The two-child limit on benefits is a policy that gets worse over time - more and more children are plunged into poverty each year.
It's time for the government to scrap this policy once and for all.
www.bigissue.com/news/social-...

A year of Labour but no progress: JRF’s cost of living tracker, summer 2025 A year into the new Labour Government, key hardship measures show no improvement - over 7 million low-income families are still going without essentials.

The cost of living crisis hasn't ended just because the news has moved on.
There has been no improvement in the key measures of hardship over the last year, with over 7 million low-income families still going without essentials.
www.jrf.org.uk/cost-of-livi...

Family reunion for refugees is one of the last remaining 'safe routes' to the UK for those facing war, persecution and violence.
But the government has decided to suspend applications.
If you need to apply to bring your family here, do it today!
gmiau.org/refugee-fami...

North West Migrants' Rights Conference - Garden Court North Chambers Garden Court North will be co-hosting the Migrants' Rights Conference with Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit on 30 September.

Join @gmiau.bsky.social and Garden Court North for the upcoming North West Migrants’ Rights Conference on 30/09/25. Our solicitor Kathy Cosgrove will be speaking alongside knowledgeable speakers on asylum aid, trafficking, age assessments. Get your ticket here: gcnchambers.co.uk/event/migran...

English councils pay private landlords millions in incentives to house homeless families Exclusive: Data gathered by Generation Rent shows 37 councils spent £31m in 2024-25 in one-off payments to individual landlords

"Manchester city council spent the most on landlord incentives, spending £3.3m in 2024-25, with Enfield council in north London spending £2.7m, Ealing council in west London spending £2.3m and Birmingham city council spending £1.7m."
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

What we know about the UK–France ‘one in, one out’ small boats agreement - GMIAU What we know about the 'one in, one out' agreement on small boats between the UK and France, and what we think about it.

What we know about the UK–France ‘one in, one out’ small boats agreement - from @gmiau.bsky.social:
gmiau.org/one-in-one-o...

'Living on universal credit is a constant battle' - BBC News Keith Williams says he uses a food bank as his monthly £368 benefit payment lasts "about a week".

"[T]he participants receiving benefits struggled to access proper nutrition [...].
"We saw the kind of nutrient deficiencies that you see in developing countries and it seems this was driven solely by people's financial capabilities," he added."
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

‘It’s about justice’: the couple pushing for legal aid for Windrush scandal claims Home Office behaviour has convinced Hetticia and Vanderbilt McIntosh that only experts lawyers can change system

Research this year revealed claimants received huge increases in compensation offers – in one case jumping from £300 to £170,000 – after legal advice.
#AccessToJustice
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...