Civil Legal Advice (CLA) is a free helpline which allows access to confidential advice from legal advisors regarding a range of problems as part of legal aid.
If you're financially eligible, you can get help from CLA for:
- Housing problems such as homelessness, unlawful evictions and harassment from a landlord or neighbour
- Debt where you are at risk of losing your home due to mortgage arrears, bankruptcy or court orders
- Education issues relating to Special Educational Needs
- Discrimination matters under the Equality Act 2010
You can access CLA online by visiting gov.uk, by telephone at 0345 345 4 345 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 8pm, and Saturday, 9am to 12:30pm), or by post. Anyone worried about the cost of the call can ask the CLA Operator to call them back. You can also text ‘legalaid’ and your name to 80010 to ask CLA to call you back. This costs the same as a normal text message.
CLA offers interpretation in over 170 languages, British Sign Language via webcam, Text Relay, call-backs, freepost, and accessible correspondence formats.
How does CLA work?
When you contact CLA, you will be asked about your problem and financial circumstances. If you qualify, you will be transferred to a specialist adviser who will confirm eligibility and determine the appropriate type of advice (online, telephone, or face-to-face). You will need to provide evidence of your circumstances.