Legal Outreach

Bringing Specialist Legal Advice into Trusted Community Spaces

Release’s community legal outreach service supports more than 1,000 people each year, bringing specialist legal advice directly into the places where people already feel known and supported.

We work on-site in alcohol and drug treatment centres, homelessness services and sexual health services so that people can access help without having to navigate unfamiliar systems or travel to yet another appointment.

Housing / Accommodation

Homeless (including street homeless)
Eviction notice & possession proceedings
Disrepair
Harassment
Tenancy advice
Transfer
And more

Debt

Court Fines
Rent arrears
Loans
Hire Purchase
Catalogue Shopping
Credit & Store Card
Mobile phone contracts
TV & Internet
Gas, Electricity & Water
Council Tax
And more

Welfare

Universal Credit
Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
Child Benefit and Tax Credits
Council tax reduction
Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
Housing Benefit
Jobseeker’s Allowance
Pension Credit
Working Tax Credits
Sanctions, deductions and over-payments
FREE representation in ALL Social Security Tribunals

Access to justice for all

Our core services – debt, housing, and welfare benefits – are completely free at the point of delivery, providing unfettered access to justice.

Our immigration service is also free at the point of delivery but is only available in our London services at the moment.

  • “It was a huge help. I was so stressed before but now I don’t feel like I’m alone anymore, I have people in my corner and feel like I have fight left in me.”
    Legal client who was homeless & we helped secure accommodation
  • “My debt adviser is very supportive and very quick at getting things done, to a high standard. I suffer with anxiety and she makes everything run smoothly whenever I have asked for help.”
    Legal client facing financial hardship
  • “I suffer with mental health issues and I have fallen into crisis through out this battle. My solicitor was so supportive and understanding, she literally saved my life. We are so grateful for her assistance and are sure we would haven’t had the result we have without her.”
    Legal client threatened with eviction

Each host service receives a quarterly report within 6 weeks of the end of the qurater that includes:

  • Anonymous client details (e.g. age range, gender, or where clients are based)
  • Types of legal issues handled (e.g. housing cases, benefits appeals, debt advice)
  • Number of cases opened and closed (e.g. 45 new cases opened, 38 cases closed in the quarter)
  • Financial results (e.g. £12,000 in backdated benefits secured, £8,500 of debt written off)
  • Two client case studies (e.g. a short story showing how support helped a client resolve a housing issue or access owed benefits)

The legal outreach services at Release are delivered by qualified solicitors and paralegals, working closely with the drugs team at the organisation, the team are experts in legal issues faced by those who use alcohol/drugs problematically.

We are keen to expand the legal outreach provision both across London and to other areas of the country to help as many people as possible.

The new immigration service (registered (N202331711) with the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA) is currently only available in our London services and provides FREE legal advice and support to those service users whose immigration status is threatened, coming to an end, or who are without immigration status in the UK at all. Our legal team can assist with a wide variety of immigration issues such as:

  • Applications for leave to remain for those who have lived in UK for 20 years without leave.
  • Applications to lift NRPF restrictions on a person’s existing leave.
  • Some applications for European Union (EU) nationals applying to remain in the UK under EUSS.

Interested in our legal work?

If you’re interested in Release providing legal outreach services in your area or centre, contact Keith Edwards.

Email Keith Edwards