Legal Services Corporation Income Eligibility Guidelines

Nearly a million poor people who seek help with civil law problems are turned away for lack of resources. The justice gap represents the difference between the level of civil legal aid available and the level needed to meet the legal needs of low-income individuals and families. According to LSC`s 2017 report, Documenting the Justice Gap in America, of the approximately 1.7 million civil law issues for which low-income Americans seek LSC-funded legal aid, 1.0 million to 1.2 million (62% to 72%) received inadequate or no legal assistance. This means that out of 100 issues for customers served by LSC programs, between 62 and 72 of the issues are unable to get the help they need. (2) In determining the financial eligibility of groups applying for legal aid with the assistance of a CSL, the recipient shall comply with the requirements set out in paragraph 1611.6(b) of this Part. Stateside Legal — the first website in the country to focus solely on federal rights and legal resources important to veterans — is funded by an LSC Technology Initiatives grant. This free service provides military families and veterans with access to a wide range of legal information and support. The Department of Veterans Affairs has published a policy encouraging the use of the site as part of homeless veterans` services. Generally, a claimant is financially eligible for legal aid from Indiana Legal Services if that person`s income falls within 125% of the federal poverty guidelines. The PDF chart below shows the income level of 125%. (For general information on federal poverty guidelines, see the Frequently Asked Questions.) For example, an applicant who has two people in their household (including herself) can earn up to $1,638.58 per month while still being financially eligible for ILS services. These guidelines were approved by the ILS Board of Directors on March 9, 2018. Under certain circumstances, an applicant may be financially eligible for assistance from Indiana Legal Services if they fall within the 200% federal poverty guidelines.

Thus, an applicant may be financially eligible even if their income is higher than the income listed above. Eligibility under the 200% income guidelines depends on the applicant`s expenses and the nature of the legal issue. The Income Policy PDF also lists these figures. In addition to income requirements, there are other eligibility criteria. Some of these rules are as follows: (a) A beneficiary may provide legal assistance to a group, company, association or other entity if it provides information indicating that it lacks funds and has no practical means of obtaining private legal assistance, and either: (c) The eligibility requirements set out in this document apply only to legal aid funded by LSC funds. provided that any legal counsel to a recipient, regardless of the source of funds in support of the assistance, is otherwise authorized under applicable laws and regulations. (d) where a recipient has determined that a client is financially eligible for a service in a particular case or matter, that recipient may request another recipient to provide legal assistance or act as a representative on behalf of that client in the same matter or matter, based on the initial determination of financial eligibility. In such cases, the recipient will not be required to verify or redetermine the financial eligibility of the client, unless there is a change in the financial law status in accordance with Article 1611.8 or there are serious reasons to doubt the validity of the original determination, provided that the reference recipient provides a copy of the inclusion form and the receiving recipient provides a copy of the Admission form, which documents the client`s financial right. 1. In determining whether a group, undertaking, association or other undertaking is entitled to legal services under point (a) of this Section, a beneficiary shall take into account the resources at its disposal, such as: the income and income prospects, assets and obligations of the Group, and either: Each year, LSC updates Schedule A of 45 CFR Part 1611 to provide standards for customer eligibility for revenue based on the latest guidelines. The 2021 figures below represent 125% of the forecast released by HHS on January 15, 2021.

(c) where there are reasonable doubts as to the accuracy of the eligibility information provided by an applicant or group, the beneficiary shall conduct an appropriate investigation to verify the information in a manner consistent with the customer relationship. (b) A beneficiary shall apply simple admission forms and procedures to obtain information from applicants and groups to determine financial eligibility in a manner that fosters the development of trust between lawyer and client. Forms are kept by the recipient. Legal aid is needed to address many issues affecting low-income individuals and families. (e) Notwithstanding other provisions of this Part or other provisions of the recipient`s financial eligibility policy, each recipient shall determine, as part of its financial eligibility policy, that in assessing the income or assets of an applicant who is the victim of domestic violence, the recipient shall consider only the property and income of the applicant and members of his or her household; that are not those of the accused of domestic violence and do not include property belonging to the accused of domestic violence that the applicant jointly owns with the accused of domestic violence, or property jointly owned by a member of the applicant`s household with the accused of domestic violence. (b) In accordance with the Recipient`s Financial Support Guidelines and this Part, the Recipient may determine that an applicant is financially eligible for legal aid if the Recipient`s assets do not exceed the Recipient`s applicable asset limit determined in accordance with section 1611.3(d)(1) or if the applicable asset limit has been waived in accordance with Article 1611.3(d)(2) and: (i) current revenue prospects; taking into account seasonal fluctuations in income; 2017 Income Eligibility for LSC-Funded Services (125% of federal poverty guidelines by household size, as determined by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)[fn]Click here for more information on HHS poverty guidelines. [/fn] c) “applicant” means a person who assists a recipient with LSC funds. The term does not include a group, society or association. If you have any questions about eligibility, please contact your nearest Alaska Legal Services Corporation office. (3) The availability and cost of legal services provided by the Private Bar Association and other providers of free or low-cost legal services in the region.

(a) A beneficiary may provide legal assistance supported by LSC funds only to persons whom it has deemed financially eligible for such assistance. However, this Part prohibits a recipient from providing legal aid to a person, regardless of income and assets, if the legal aid is funded entirely by funds from a source other than LSC and is otherwise authorized by applicable laws and regulations. (b) Where a recipient determines that an applicant is financially eligible and is receiving legal assistance under this Division, the recipient shall document the basis for determining eligibility. The recipient must keep records necessary to inform the Company of the specific facts and factors on which this conclusion is based. Maryland Legal Aid`s services are free for beneficiaries and are based on income and assets available to the household. Household income must be less than 125% of the federal poverty income guidelines. Consult the following guidelines to determine if you are eligible. (3) The applicant`s income shall not exceed 200% of the applicable amount of the Federal Guidelines on Poverty and, (a) The governing body of a recipient shall adopt policies consistent with this Part to determine the financial eligibility of applicants and groups. The management body shall review its financial eligibility policy at least once every three years and make adjustments if necessary. The recipient shall apply procedures in accordance with its policy. Section 1007(a)(2) of the Legal Services Corporation Act (Act), 42 U.S.C.

2996f(a)(2), requires the LSC to set maximum income levels for persons entitled to legal assistance. Section 1611.3(c) of the LSC Regulation sets a maximum income level equal to 125% of the federal poverty guidelines (guidelines) that HHS is responsible for updating and publishing. 45 CFR 1611.3(c). Nationally, LSC Fellows served nearly 1.9 million low-income individuals in 2014. Millions more have asked for help but have not received it due to lack of adequate funds. 2. The main activity of the group shall be the provision of services to persons in the Community who would be financially entitled to legal assistance financed by the LSC and the legal advice requested shall relate to this activity. (vii) Other important factors identified by the beneficiary affect the applicant`s ability to provide legal assistance. Alaska Legal Services Corporation provides free legal services to eligible clients based on income eligibility and case eligibility. Alaskans over the age of 60 are exempt from the eligibility guidelines, but seniors with the greatest social or economic needs are given priority. Government studies consistently show that a higher percentage (80%) of the civilian needs of the eligible population are not met. A recent study by the Boston Bar Association found that in Massachusetts, civil legal aid programs reject 64% of eligible cases.