Legal aid supplier update – weekly summary reports for COVID-19 Interim Payment Scheme requests as at close of the scheme - 7 August 2020

Legal Services Agency NI (LSANI) launched the COVID-19 Interim Payment Scheme (IPS) on Thursday 7 May 2020 and the scheme was closed for receipt of payment requests on 7 August 2020. The figures contained in this report represent Management Information (MI) detailing activity under this scheme up to its close on Friday 7 August 2020 (and subsequent assessment of payment requests received up to closure of the scheme).

COVID-19 Interim Payment Scheme - barrister activity as at close of the scheme - 7 August 2020

1. Payment requests received

• In the week ending Friday 7 August 2020, 429 IPS requests were submitted via LAMS. This compares with 274 requests during the previous week, bringing the overall number of IPS requests since the scheme began to 4,111. This was the largest number of requests submitted in one week, since the second week of the scheme’s operation.
• These 4,111 payment requests were submitted by 207 individual legal aid providers (including both Barristers and Solicitor Firms).
• Of these 4,111 payment requests submitted up to the close of the scheme (week ending Friday 7 August 2020), almost a quarter (24%; 982) were submitted by 84 separate Barristers.
• Figure 1 shows that 121 IPS requests were submitted by Barristers in the week ending 7 August 2020 (Week 13), an increase from 60 requests in the previous week. Only the first week of the scheme had a larger number of requests submitted by Barristers in any one week (Figure 1).
• Throughout the period that the scheme was in operation (7 May 2020 to 7 August 2020), three-fifths of IPS requests from Barristers have been submitted against Rep Higher certificates (60%), with 39% submitted against Criminal certificates. The final 1% were submitted under Rep Lower (Figure 1).

Figure 1

2. Outcomes of requests received

• Of the 4,111 IPS requests received by LSANI up to the close of the scheme (Friday 7 August 2020), 4,095 (99.6%) have a completed status and the remaining 16 requests were aborted. The majority (2,739; 67%) of these 4,095 completed requests were determined, while 1,356 (33%) requests were rejected for various reasons.
• Figure 2 shows that, as at close of the scheme (when all requests had been assessed), 65% (639) of all Barrister requests with a completed status were determined, while 35% (343) were rejected.

Figure 2

COVID-19 Interim Payment Scheme solicitor firm activity as at close of the scheme - 7 August 2020

1. Payment requests received

• In the week ending Friday 7 August 2020, 429 IPS requests were submitted via LAMS. This compares with 274 requests during the previous week, bringing the overall number of IPS requests since the scheme began to 4,111. This was the largest number of requests submitted in one week, since the second week of the scheme’s operation.
• These 4,111 payment requests were submitted by 207 individual legal aid providers (including both Barristers and Solicitor Firms).
• Of these 4,111 payment requests submitted up to the close of the scheme (week ending Friday 7 August 2020), over three-quarters (76%; 3,129) were submitted by 123 separate Solicitor Firms. 
• 308 IPS requests were submitted by Solicitor Firms in the week ending 7 August 2020 (Week 13), compared to 214 requests in the previous week. Only the first three weeks of the scheme had larger numbers of requests submitted by Solicitor Firms in any one week (Figure 1).
• Throughout the period that the scheme was in operation (7 May 2020 to 7 August 2020), over half of all IPS requests from Solicitor Firms have been submitted against Criminal certificates (52%), with 29% submitted against Rep Higher certificates. The final 19% were submitted under Rep Lower (Figure 1).

Figure 1

Figure 2

• In the week ending Friday 7 August 2020 (after all requests had been assessed), a total of £92,506 was authorised for payment to Solicitor Firms, bringing the overall total paid to Solicitor Firms throughout the duration of the scheme to £933,692.

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