Weekly summary for COVID-19 Interim Payment Scheme requests by legal aid suppliers - week ending 31 July 2020
Date published:
The Legal Services Agency Northern Ireland (LSANI) launched the COVID-19 Interim Payment Scheme (IPS) on Thursday 7 May 2020. The figures contained below represent Management Information (MI) detailing activity under this scheme for both barristers and solicitor firms up to and including Friday 31 July 2020.
COVID-19 Interim Payment Scheme update
In keeping with the terms of the Interim Payment Scheme, the final date for submissions of claims will be 7 August 2020. Practitioners are encouraged to ensure that all claims submitted are in keeping with the terms of the Scheme.
COVID-19 Interim Payment Scheme barrister activity as at 31 July 2020
1. Payment requests received
- In the week ending Friday 31 July 2020, 274 IPS requests were submitted via LAMS. This compares with 129 requests during the previous week, bringing the overall number of IPS requests since the scheme began to 3,682.
- These 3,682 payment requests were submitted by 190 individual legal aid providers (including both Barristers and Solicitor Firms).
- Of these 3,682 payment requests submitted up to the week ending 31 July 2020, almost a quarter (23%; 861) were submitted by 72 separate Barristers.
- Figure 1 shows that 60 IPS requests were submitted by Barristers in the week ending 31 July 2020 (Week 12), an increase from 30 requests in the previous week (Figure 1).
- Overall (as at 31 July 2020), more than half of IPS requests from Barristers have been submitted against Rep Higher certificates (57%), with 42% submitted against Criminal certificates. The final 1% were submitted under Rep Lower (Figure 1).
Figure 1
2. Outcomes of requests received
- Of the 3,682 IPS requests received by LSANI up to the 31 July 2020, 3,629 (99%) have a completed status. While the majority of these (2,399) have been determined, 1,230 requests have been rejected for various reasons.
- Figure 2 shows that, as at 31 July 2020, 62% (533) of all Barrister requests with a completed status have been determined, while 38% (324) have been rejected.
Figure 2
- In the week ending 31 July 2020, a total of £24,083 was authorised for payment to Barristers, bringing the overall total paid to Barristers since the scheme went live to £208,482.
COVID-19 Interim Payment Scheme solicitor firm activity as at 31 July 2020
1. Payment requests received
- In the week ending Friday 31 July 2020, 274 IPS requests were submitted via LAMS. This compares with 129 requests during the previous week (note: there were two public holidays during the previous week - 13 and 14 July 2020), bringing the overall number of IPS requests since the scheme began to 3,682.
- These 3,682 payment requests were submitted by 190 individual legal aid providers (including both Barristers and Solicitor Firms).
- Of these 3,682 payment requests submitted up to the week ending Friday 31 July 2020, over three-quarters (77%; 2,821) were submitted by 118 separate Solicitor Firms.
- 214 IPS requests were submitted by Solicitor Firms in the week ending 31 July 2020 (Week 12), compared to 99 requests in the previous week (Figure 1).
- Since the scheme began up to 31 July 2020, over half of all IPS requests from Solicitor Firms have been submitted against Criminal certificates (53%), with 29% submitted against Rep Higher certificates. The final 18% were submitted under Rep Lower (Figure 1).
Figure 1
2. Outcomes of requests received
- Of the 3,682 IPS requests received by LSANI up to the 31 July 2020, 3,629 (99%) have a completed status. While the majority of these (2,399) have been determined, 1,230 requests have been rejected for various reasons.
- Figure 2 shows that, as at 31 July 2020, 67% (1,866) of all Solicitor Firm requests with a completed status have been determined, while 33% (906) have been rejected.
Figure 2
- In the week ending 31 July 2020, a total of £51,595 was authorised for payment to Solicitor Firms, bringing the overall total paid to Solicitor Firms since the scheme went live to £841,186.
Please note that printable PDF versions of these reports are located within the Important updates & notices page under the title Summary reports for COVID-19 IPS requests.