1.-(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Legal Aid (Financial Conditions) Regulations 1987 and shall come into force on the day after the day on which they are approved by resolution of each House of Parliament.

(2) In these Regulations, "the Act" means the Legal Aid Act 1974.

2. For the yearly sum of £5415 specified in section 6(1) of the Act, there shall be substituted the sum of £5585.

3. For the capital sum of £4710 specified in section 6(1)(a) of the Act, there shall be substituted the sum of £4850.

4. For the yearly sum of £2255 specified in section 9(1)(a) of the Act(2), there shall be substituted the yearly sum of £2325.

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations increase the financial limits of eligibility for legal aid under Part I of the Legal Aid Act 1974.

The income limits are increased to make legal aid available to those with disposable incomes of not more than £5585 a year and available without payment of a contribution to those with disposable incomes of £2325 a year or less.

The upper limit of disposable capital, above which legal aid may be refused if it appears that the applicant could afford to proceed without legal aid, is increased to £4850. No change is made to the lower limit of disposable capital of £3000, below which no contribution in respect of capital may be required.