Changes for Legal Aid in South Africa
Legal Aid South Africa has revised their means test to grant more people access to legal services.
The Legal Aid South Africa (Legal Aid SA) Means Test, used to determine if applicants qualify for legal aid, has been revised upwards to cater for increases in the Consumer Price Index. This will enable access to legal services to a wider group of people, Legal Aid SA said in a statement on Monday.
The changes come into effect on 1 April 2024.
Below is a summary of the new Means Test thresholds. Legal Aid SA considers what applicants earn, after tax, and own:
Applications for legal aid in criminal/civil cases – applicants must earn less than R8,700 per month.
Applications for legal aid in civil cases where the applicant is a member of a household – applicants must earn less than R9,500 per month.
If an applicant owns movable assets, they must not be worth more than R160,800.
If an applicant owns immovable assets, they must not be worth more than R754,400.
In criminal cases, children – minors below the age of 18 – continue to automatically qualify for legal aid and do not have to take the Means Test. If it is a civil case, the family of the child will need to take and pass the Means Test.
“Legal Aid SA looks forward to championing the rights of even more persons to access justice through the provision of independent, accessible, and quality legal aid services in criminal and civil legal matters, at no cost,” the organisation said.
[email protected]