Legal Aid Agency
Notices are being sent to all providers holding civil contracts:
- extension notices are being sent to Standard Civil Contract (except 2015 Standard Civil Contract) and Welfare Benefit contract holders will be sent extension notices
- early termination notices are being sent to holders of the 2015 Standard Civil Contract
What does this mean?
The effect of the notice on the 2010, 2013, 2014 Standard Civil Contracts and the 2013 and 2016 Welfare Benefits Contracts is to extend them until 31 August 2018.
Providers delivering a Housing Possession Court Duty Scheme will be sent an offer to extend their contract in due course.
Automatic extensions
Holders of the 2013 and 2016 Welfare Benefits Contracts and 2014 Standard Civil Contracts will receive notice that their contracts have been automatically extended by LAA to the new end date.
Offers to vary contracts
2010 and 2013 Standard Civil Contract holders will receive offers to vary their contracts. This amendment will allow providers to continue to deliver services under those contracts until the new end date of 31 August 2018.
The offers must be accepted by 6 December 2017.
What do contract-holders need to do?
Providers holding contracts which are being automatically extended do not need to do anything as the contract extension will be automatically applied.
Providers who receive an offer to vary the terms of their contract(s) will need to formally accept the extension offers to continue providing contract work.
Early termination of 2015 Standard Civil Contracts
All holders of the 2015 Standard Civil Contract will receive a notice of early contract termination.
These contracts will be terminated on 31 August 2018 as they will be replaced by the 2018 Standard Civil Contract which will start on 1 September 2018.
Supporting contract schedules and timings
Supporting contract schedules will be issued to cover the period from 1 April to 31 August 2018.
The new contract and schedules will be uploaded and available to view by 31 March 2018. Contract holders will be notified when the extension has been issued. Work completed in March 2018 can be reported from 1 April 2018.
A new schedule reference should be used for any claims for matters that start on or after 1 April 2018 and this will be advised when the new schedules are created.
Further information
Tender process for 2018 contracts opens 19 September GOV.UK news story