Citizens Advice
03444 77 20 20 (Wales)
03444 111 444 (England)
TextRelay users should call 03444 111 445
citizensadvice.org.uk
Provides free, independent, confidential and impartial advice to everyone on their rights and responsibilities.
Civil Legal Advice (CLA)
0845 345 4345
gov.uk/civil-legal-advice
The Civil Legal Advice can tell you if you’re eligible for legal aid and can give you free and confidential legal advice in England and Wales.
The Equality and Advisory Support Service (EASS)
Tel: 0800 444 205
Text: 0899 444 206
Skype video BSL calls can access the helpline at radlegalservices.org.uk.
Monday to Friday 9am-8pm
Saturday 10am-2pm
equalityadvisoryservice.com
The helpline can advise and assist you on issues relating to equality and human rights, across England, Scotland and Wales.
Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC)
equalityhumanrights.com
The EHRC is responsible for monitoring and protecting human rights in Britain. It has useful advice and information about legal rights and discrimination on its website.
The website also has copies of the Equality Act 2010 Statutory Code of Practice for services and the Equality Act 2010 Statutory Code of Practice for Employment which give helpful guidance on how to apply the Equality Act.
Law Centres Network
lawcentres.org.uk
Law Centres offer legal advice, casework and representation to individuals and groups. To find your local Law Centre, you can look at their interactive Google map or see the Law Centres list.
For legal advice enquiries, visit the I am looking for advice page on their website.
The Law Society
020 7242 1222 (England)
029 2064 5254 (Wales)
lawsociety.org.uk
The Law Society provides details of solicitors in your area that you can contact for specialist legal advice.
LawWorks
lawworks.org.uk
LawWorks is a legal charity that lists on its website the Free Legal Advice Clinics in England and Wales. These clinics can give you one-off, face-to-face advice if you have legal problems about consumer disputes, housing, social welfare law or employment.
Office for Disability Issues
gov.uk/government/organisations/office-for-disability-issues
This is part of the Department of Work and Pensions and supports the development of policies to remove inequality between disabled people and non-disabled people. It has produced useful guidance on how you work out whether you have a disability.
Where can I get support?
Local Mind
Local Minds support over 280,000 people across England and Wales. Their services include supported housing, crisis helplines, drop-in centres, employment and training schemes, counselling and befriending. They may be able to help you find advocacy services in your area.
Find your local Mind here.
Find an advocate
An advocate is a person who can both listen to you and speak for you in times of need. Having an advocate can be helpful in situations where you are finding it difficult to make your views known, or to make people listen to them and take them into account.
For information on advocacy services and groups in your area, you could start by contacting the Mind Legal Line and your local Mind.
Read more about how advocacy might help you.
This information was published in February 2018. We will revise it in 2020.
