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Legal aid provider survey: Help LAPG respond to the government consultation on the proposed Interest on Lawyers' Client Accounts Scheme

The UK Government (Ministry of Justice) is consulting on introducing an Interest on Lawyers’ Client Accounts Scheme (ILCA) in England and Wales. The scheme would require legal service providers to remit a portion of the interest earned on client money held in client accounts to Government, with the aim of raising funds to support the justice system.

The consultation seeks views on design details and potential impacts for lawyers, clients, banks, and regulated account providers. The full consultation can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/interest-on-lawyers-client-accounts-scheme/interest-on-lawyers-client-accounts-scheme

The government consultation closes on 9 February 2026.

LAPG is collating the views of legal aid providers in order to develop a response to this consultation. If you would like to contribute to this response, please answer the questions below by Monday, 2 February 2026.

Please note that the information you provide via this survey will remain confidential to LAPG. You can complete the survey anonymously but you have the option to provide the name of your organisation. The identity of survey respondents will not be shared or publicised.
Questions 1-3 will help us understand the profile of survey respondents, and enable us to assess whether the potential impact of the proposed ILCA will differ depending on the type or size of legal aid provider, or the nature of the work they do.
1.What type of legal aid organisation do you work for?(Required.)
2.Which legal aid contracts does your hold? (please choose all that apply)(Required.)
3.Please tell us how many Full-Time Equivalent fee earners undertake legal aid work in your organisation.(Required.)
The following question will help us understand the potential impact of the scheme, and in particular to respond to questions 19-25 of the consultation.
4.Please explain the likely impact that the proposed ILCA scheme would have on your organisation and, in particular, the sustainability of your legal aid work.(Required.)
The following question will help us to respond to q32-34 of the consultation, relating to Equalities Considerations.
5.Considering your response to question 4, please explain the likely impact that the propsed ILCA scheme will have on your clients.(Required.)
The following question will help us to respond to the various aspects of the consultation which explain how the proposed ILCA scheme will work in practice.
6.Please provide any other comments about the proposed scope, structure or purpose of the proposed ILCA scheme.
You have the option below to provide the name of your organisation. While this is optional, it is helpful for LAPG to know who has completed this survey so that we can verify that you are a provider of legal aid services in England and Wales.
7.Optional: please provide the name of your organisation.