Factsheet 1 – Passporting Benefits

DOCUMENTS NEEDED TO MAKE A LEGAL AID APPLICATION

Once your online application is submitted and all your documents are correct, a decision on your case will be provided within 7 working days. Do not contact Direct Mediation Services within this period.

What is a Passporting Benefit?

If you are on one of the benefits listed below, it means that you will automatically receive Legal Aid to fund your mediation case:

• Universal Credit
• Income Support
• Guaranteed Pension Credit
• Income-related Job Seekers Allowance*
• Income-related Employment & Support Allowance*

*Please note that if you are on contribution-based benefit, you do not automatically qualify for Legal Aid. You will need to ask for FACTSHEET 2 – Making a Legal Aid application – Low Income & Non-passporting Benefits.

Evidence

You need to send evidence to show you are on one of these benefits. Here are the different documents you can provide:

1. Universal Credit – You will need to take a screenshot showing the words “Universal Credit”, your name, address, payment date and amount to be paid. (See Photo A for an example.)
2. Other benefits listed above – Award/entitlement letter from DWP confirming your benefit. This needs to be less than 6 months old. If you don’t have one, you can call DWP and they will send you one in the post. (See Photo B for an example.)
3. DWP Letter – If your DWP letter is older than 6 months you can submit it, but we will need the last four weeks’ bank statements showing your benefit going into your bank account. (See Photo C for an example.)

EXAMPLES OF EVIDENCE

Photo A – Screenshot of Universal Credit

On your photo we need to see:

1. The name of the benefit – Universal Credit
2. Your full name
3. Your full address
4. The amount and date of your last payment (within the last month)

Photo B – Award/Entitlement Letter

On your photo we need to see:

1. The name of the benefit
2. Your full name
3. Your full address
4. Date of letter (within the last 6 months)

Photo C – Bank statements

The easiest way to get your bank statements for the last four weeks is to go to your bank and ask them to print them out. If you have more than one bank and/or building society account, we need statements for all of these as well. This includes joint accounts

You may also be able to download them as a PDF

We need to see clearly:

1. The four edges of the page
2. Full pages
3. Your full name
4. Your full address
5. Account number
6. Period covering the last four weeks
7. Page number sequence 1, 2, 3 …

DO NOT SEND SCREENSHOTS OF YOUR ONLINE ACCOUNT FROM YOUR MOBILE