Apply

for

a

veterans

badge

You

can

get

an

armed

forces

veterans

badge

if

you

’ve

served

in

any

of

the

UK

armed

forces

there

’s

no

fee

Eligibility

You

can

apply

if

you

were

in

the

army

Royal

Navy

Royal

Marines

Royal

Air

Force

RAF

volunteer

or

regular

reserves

You

can

not

apply

if

you

served

in

the

armed

forces

of

another

country

served

alongside

the

UK

armed

forces

for

example

in

the

Canadian

Navy

or

Royal

Australian

Air

Force

If

you

’re

applying

on

behalf

of

someone

who

’s

died

You

can

only

apply

on

behalf

of

a

veteran

who

’s

died

if

you

get

either

a

War

Widow

’s

or

Widower

’s

Pension

compensation

under

the

Survivors

Guaranteed

Income

Payment

SGIP

How

to

apply

Download

and

fill

in

the

application

for

an

armed

forces

veterans

badge

You

can

also

call

the

enquiries

line

to

get

a

paper

application

form

sent

to

you

You

’ll

need

to

give

as

much

information

on

the

form

as

possible

such

as

the

force

you

served

in

for

example

the

army

or

Royal

Navy

service

number

period

of

service

Post

the

form

to

the

Ministry

of

Defence

MOD

Medal

Office

the

address

is

on

the

form

Do

not

send

the

form

by

email

After

you

’ve

applied

You

’ll

usually

get

your

veterans

badge

within

to

weeks

of

applying

You

can

also

apply

for

a

medal

if

you

’re

eligible

If

you

lose

your

badge

you

can

apply

for

a

replacement

Get

help

If

you

need

to

contact

MOD

about

your

veterans

badge

application

you

can

phone

fax

or

send

an

email

to

dbs-modmo-vetsbadge@mod.gov.uk

You

can

not

apply

for

a

veterans

badge

by

email

Apply

for

a

medal

You

can

apply

for

a

medal

if

you

served

in

the

armed

forces

and

are

eligible

Find

out

the

types

of

medal

the

Ministry

of

Defence

MOD

issues

You

can

only

apply

for

World

War

medals

if

the

original

was

returned

Eligibility

You

can

apply

if

you

were

awarded

a

medal

for

service

in

any

of

the

following

the

army

the

Royal

Navy

the

Royal

Marines

the

Royal

Air

Force

RAF

the

Home

Guard

the

reserve

forces

You

must

meet

the

eligibility

requirements

for

the

medal

you

’re

applying

for

If

you

’re

applying

for

someone

else

’s

medal

You

can

apply

on

behalf

of

a

veteran

if

you

have

lasting

power

of

attorney

If

the

veteran

has

died

you

must

be

the

official

next

of

kin

The

general

rules

for

the

official

next

of

kin

are

the

person

’s

spouse

or

civil

partner

has

the

first

claim

to

the

medal

and

then

the

eldest

child

if

there

’s

no

spouse

or

child

the

parent

is

entitled

to

apply

if

there

’s

no

spouse

child

or

parent

the

eldest

grandchild

is

entitled

to

apply

How

to

apply

Download

and

fill

in

the

medal

application

form

Apply

through

your

unit

if

you

’re

still

serving

in

the

armed

forces

If

you

’re

applying

on

behalf

of

someone

else

you

must

include

a

copy

of

either

your

lasting

power

of

attorney

or

a

death

certificate

Post

the

form

along

with

any

supporting

documents

to

the

MOD

Medal

Office

the

address

is

on

the

form

Do

not

send

the

form

by

email

After

you

’ve

applied

You

’ll

usually

get

your

medal

within

weeks

of

sending

the

application

form

You

can

apply

for

a

replacement

medal

if

the

original

’s

been

stolen

or

accidentally

destroyed

for

example

in

a

fire

Get

help

If

you

need

to

contact

MOD

about

your

medal

application

email

dbs-medals@mod.gov.uk

Replace

a

badge

or

medal

You

can

get

the

first

replacement

veterans

badge

for

free

You

may

be

able

to

get

a

replacement

medal

it

depends

how

it

was

lost

You

’ll

have

to

pay

for

the

replacement

medal

plus

a

fee

Replace

a

veterans

badge

Follow

the

instructions

for

applying

for

a

veterans

badge

you

can

use

the

same

form

You

’ll

usually

get

your

replacement

veterans

badge

within

to

weeks

of

applying

You

do

not

have

to

pay

a

fee

if

it

’s

the

first

veterans

badge

you

’re

replacing

Replace

a

medal

You

can

only

get

a

replacement

medal

from

the

Ministry

of

Defence

MOD

if

it

was

stolen

or

destroyed

for

example

in

a

fire

or

flood

The

medal

must

have

been

awarded

for

service

after

World

War

You

’ll

need

to

show

proof

by

providing

a

copy

of

either

a

police

crime

report

successful

insurance

claim

listing

the

individual

items

You

can

also

buy

replacement

medals

from

a

licensed

medal

dealer

How

to

apply

Download

and

fill

in

the

medal

application

form

to

ask

for

a

replacement

medal

Post

the

form

to

the

MOD

Medal

Office

along

with

a

letter

explaining

how

the

medal

was

stolen

or

destroyed

a

copy

of

the

police

report

or

insurance

claim

The

address

is

on

the

form

Contact

your

unit

’s

human

resources

HR

department

if

you

’re

currently

serving

in

the

armed

forces

After

you

’ve

applied

You

’ll

get

a

letter

from

the

Medal

Office

usually

within

working

days

of

when

your

application

’s

received

You

’ll

be

told

how

much

the

replacement

will

cost

and

how

to

pay

if

your

application

’s

successful

The

cost

depends

on

the

type

of

medal

It

includes

an

administration

fee

You

’ll

get

the

replacement

within

weeks

from

the

Medal

Office

getting

your

payment

Apply

for

a

UK

merchant

seafarers

veterans

badge

You

can

apply

for

a

UK

merchant

seafarers

veterans

badge

if

you

were

a

Merchant

Navy

seafarer

or

fisherman

served

in

a

vessel

used

to

support

the

UK

Armed

Forces

If

you

’re

applying

on

behalf

of

someone

who

’s

died

You

can

only

apply

on

behalf

of

a

veteran

who

’s

died

if

you

get

a

War

Widow

’s

or

Widower

’s

Pension

How

to

apply

You

can

apply

for

a

badge

through

the

Merchant

Navy

Association

Members

of

the

Royal

Fleet

Auxiliary

If

you

’re

a

member

of

the

Royal

Fleet

Auxiliary

apply

for

the

armed

forces

veterans

badge

Apply

for

a

UK

merchant

navy

medal

You

can

apply

for

a

UK

merchant

navy

medal

if

you

were

a

member

of

the

merchant

navy

and

you

served

in

a

vessel

used

to

support

the

UK

armed

forces

meet

the

eligibility

requirements

for

the

medal

you

’re

applying

for

How

to

apply

Complete

the

application

form

and

send

it

to

the

address

on

the

form

You

’ll

also

need

to

send

your

seaman

’s

discharge

book

If

you

’re

applying

for

someone

else

’s

medal

You

can

apply

for

someone

else

if

either

they

’ve

died

you

have

lasting

power

of

attorney

You

must

include

a

copy

of

the

death

certificate

or

your

lasting

power

of

attorney

If

the

veteran

has

died

you

must

be

the

official

next

of

kin

The

general

rules

are

the

person

’s

spouse

or

civil

partner

has

first

claim

to

the

medal

and

then

the

eldest

child

if

there

’s

no

spouse

or

child

the

eldest

grandchild

is

entitled

to

apply

After

you

’ve

applied

You

’ll

get

a

decision

within

working

days

of

your

application

being

received

Get

help

Email

if

you

need

help

with

your

application

Replace

a

lost

or

stolen

medal

You

’ll

need

to

complete

the

application

form

if

your

medal

is

lost

or

has

been

stolen

If

you

want

to

appeal

or

complain

You

can

write

to

or

email

the

Ministry

of

Defence

MOD

Medal

Office

if

you

want

to

appeal

a

decision

complain

about

how

you

’ve

been

treated

You

should

include

any

new

evidence

you

have

if

you

make

an

appeal


Overview

If

your

sports

club

is

eligible

you

can

become

a

community

amateur

sports

club

CASC

You

’ll

get

tax

relief

on

income

gains

and

profits

from

some

activities

Gift

Aid

repayments

on

donations

business

rates

relief

To

benefit

you

must

register

with

HM

Revenue

and

Customs

HMRC

You

can

claim

relief

on

money

you

use

to

promote

and

provide

facilities

for

eligible

sports

These

are

known

as

qualifying

purposes

You

ca

n’t

remove

a

CASC

from

the

register

deregistration

though

you

can

close

it

if

the

club

’s

members

vote

and

agree

CASCs

and

charities

You

must

choose

whether

to

register

as

a

CASC

or

a

charity

A

registered

CASC

ca

n’t

be

recognised

as

a

charity

for

tax

purposes

CASCs

are

n’t

regulated

by

the

Charity

Commission

Eligibility

To

register

as

a

CASC

you

must

provide

facilities

for

eligible

sports

and

encourage

people

to

take

part

Under

the

new

rules

from

April

at

least

of

members

must

take

part

You

must

also

be

set

up

with

a

formal

constitution

known

as

a

governing

document

be

open

to

the

whole

community

and

have

affordable

membership

fees

be

organised

on

an

amateur

basis

be

set

up

and

provide

facilities

in

the

UK

the

EU

Iceland

Liechtenstein

or

Norway

but

in

one

country

only

be

managed

by

fit

and

proper

persons

Governing

document

This

is

the

document

that

sets

out

the

purpose

and

structure

of

your

club

It

may

also

be

called

a

memorandum

and

articles

of

association

It

must

set

out

how

you

meet

the

eligibility

criteria

for

registering

as

a

CASC

state

that

any

assets

left

after

the

club

closes

are

only

used

by

another

registered

CASC

charity

or

related

community

sport

Open

to

the

whole

community

CASCs

must

be

open

to

people

of

all

ethnicities

nationalities

sexual

orientations

religions

or

beliefs

sexes

ages

and

ability

except

when

a

certain

level

of

physical

ability

is

needed

to

take

part

in

a

sport

Membership

fees

CASCs

ca

n’t

charge

more

than

a

week

for

membership

and

clubs

that

charge

more

than

a

week

must

provide

help

eg

a

discount

for

people

who

ca

n’t

pay

You

can

charge

different

fees

for

different

types

of

members

like

juniors

or

students

as

long

as

you

’re

not

discriminating

against

groups

or

individuals

Organised

on

an

amateur

basis

CASCs

must

not

make

a

profit

unless

this

is

reinvested

in

the

club

and

spent

only

on

promoting

participation

and

providing

facilities

for

eligible

sports

not

pay

more

than

in

total

to

all

players

in

a

year

before

April

CASCs

could

n’t

pay

players

at

all

provide

only

the

benefits

normally

associated

with

an

amateur

sports

club

eg

use

of

equipment

coaching

post

match

refreshments

only

pay

expenses

for

matches

and

tours

where

players

take

part

in

and

promote

the

club

’s

sport

before

April

clubs

could

n’t

pay

any

expenses

Register

Register

as

a

community

amateur

sports

club

CASC

by

filling

in

form

CASC

if

your

CASC

is

eligible

You

ca

n’t

withdraw

an

application

once

it

’s

been

made

What

you

need

to

complete

the

form

You

must

be

the

club

’s

authorised

official

or

responsible

person

to

fill

in

the

form

You

’ll

also

need

details

of

at

least

other

officials

including

National

Insurance

and

telephone

numbers

the

name

and

address

of

the

club

a

correspondence

address

if

that

’s

different

the

number

of

members

or

subscriptions

company

or

VAT

references

if

applicable

details

of

a

nominee

or

agent

if

the

club

has

one

the

club

’s

bank

details

details

of

the

club

’s

income

Within

days

of

applying

you

must

send

copies

of

the

club

’s

accounts

from

the

last

months

bank

statements

from

the

last

months

rules

or

articles

of

association

You

must

include

a

translation

of

any

documents

not

in

English

Send

them

to

the

address

on

the

form

How

long

the

application

takes

You

should

get

a

response

within

weeks

If

your

application

is

refused

HMRC

will

explain

the

reasons

and

what

you

need

to

change

You

can

appeal

in

writing

to

HMRC

within

days

of

their

decision

if

you

think

it

’s

wrong

If

you

’re

not

satisfied

with

the

outcome

you

have

a

further

days

to

appeal

to

the

tax

tribunal

Help

with

registering

You

can

get

more

help

and

information

from

HMRC

’s

charities

helpline


Overview

As

a

charity

you

do

not

pay

VAT

when

you

buy

some

goods

and

services

Community

amateur

sports

clubs

CASCs

do

not

qualify

for

the

same

VAT

reliefs

as

charities

How

to

get

VAT

relief

You

must

prove

to

the

person

who

’s

selling

the

goods

or

services

to

you

that

you

’re

eligible

for

relief

You

do

not

need

to

be

registered

for

VAT

When

you

must

register

for

VAT

You

must

register

for

VAT

if

your

charity

’s

VAT

taxable

turnover

the

total

value

of

everything

you

sell

that

is

n’t

exempt

from

VAT

is

more

than

You

can

choose

to

register

if

it

’s

below

this

for

example

if

you

want

to

reclaim

VAT

on

your

supplies

Get

help

with

VAT

Contact

HM

Revenue

and

Customs

HMRC

if

you

have

questions

about

VAT

for

your

charity

What

qualifies

for

VAT

relief

Charities

pay

VAT

on

all

standard

rated

goods

and

services

they

buy

from

VAT

registered

businesses

They

pay

VAT

at

a

reduced

rate

or

the

zero

rate

on

some

goods

and

services

What

qualifies

for

the

reduced

rate

Your

charity

pays

VAT

on

fuel

and

power

if

they

’re

for

residential

accommodation

for

example

a

children

’s

home

or

care

home

for

the

elderly

charitable

non

business

activities

for

example

free

daycare

for

disabled

people

small

scale

use

up

to

kilowatt

hours

of

electricity

a

month

or

a

delivery

of

litres

of

gas

oil

If

less

than

of

the

fuel

and

power

is

for

something

that

qualifies

you

’ll

pay

the

reduced

rate

of

VAT

on

the

qualifying

part

and

the

standard

rate

on

the

rest

Qualifying

fuel

and

power

includes

gases

electricity

oils

and

solid

fuels

such

as

coal

It

does

not

include

vehicle

fuel

What

qualifies

for

the

zero

rate

Find

out

about

the

conditions

you

must

meet

so

that

your

charity

pays

no

VAT

the

zero

rate

when

you

buy

advertising

and

items

for

collecting

donations

aids

for

disabled

people

construction

services

drugs

and

chemicals

equipment

for

making

talking

books

and

newspapers

lifeboats

and

associated

equipment

including

fuel

medicine

or

ingredients

for

medicine

resuscitation

training

models

medical

veterinary

and

scientific

equipment

ambulances

goods

for

disabled

people

motor

vehicles

designed

or

adapted

for

a

disability

rescue

equipment

VAT

free

goods

from

outside

the

UK

Charities

do

not

pay

VAT

on

goods

imported

from

outside

the

UK

as

long

as

they

’re

benefiting

people

in

need

by

providing

basic

necessities

equipment

and

office

materials

to

help

run

your

organisation

for

the

benefit

of

people

in

need

goods

to

be

used

or

sold

at

charity

events

You

can

check

which

goods

you

can

claim

VAT

relief

for

as

well

as

how

to

claim

How

to

claim

VAT

relief

To

get

VAT

relief

you

must

give

your

supplier

evidence

that

you

’re

a

charity

a

written

declaration

or

certificate

confirming

that

you

’re

eligible

for

the

relief

Evidence

of

charitable

status

This

can

be

either

your

Charity

Commission

registration

number

letter

of

recognition

from

HM

Revenue

and

Customs

HMRC

Scottish

and

Northern

Irish

charities

must

provide

their

letter

of

recognition

from

HMRC

Written

declaration

You

must

give

your

supplier

an

eligibility

declaration

or

certificate

when

they

sell

you

goods

or

services

at

zero

rate

VAT

There

are

examples

of

declarations

and

certificates

for

different

goods

If

you

’re

buying

building

or

construction

services

at

zero

VAT

the

certificate

must

follow

a

set

format

The

written

declaration

or

certificate

should

be

separate

from

the

order

form

or

invoice

for

the

goods

or

services

your

charity

is

buying

Charities

and

VAT

registration

As

a

charity

you

must

register

for

VAT

with

HM

Revenue

and

Customs

HMRC

if

your

VAT

taxable

turnover

is

more

than

You

can

choose

to

register

if

it

’s

below

this

for

example

to

reclaim

VAT

on

your

supplies

If

you

’re

registered

for

VAT

you

must

send

a

return

every

months

Work

out

your

taxable

turnover

To

work

out

your

VAT

taxable

turnover

add

up

the

total

value

of

everything

you

sell

in

a

month

period

that

is

not

exempt

from

VAT

outside

the

scope

of

VAT

Check

what

VAT

rate

applies

to

your

charity

’s

activities

Exempt

from

VAT

You

can

not

charge

VAT

on

exempt

goods

and

services

such

as

the

provision

of

welfare

services

You

can

not

normally

reclaim

VAT

on

any

goods

and

services

purchased

in

relation

to

an

exempt

business

activity

You

can

not

register

for

VAT

if

all

your

business

activities

are

exempt

from

VAT

Outside

the

scope

of

VAT

Income

from

non

business

activities

is

outside

the

scope

of

VAT

you

can

not

charge

or

reclaim

VAT

on

them

This

includes

donations

where

nothing

is

given

in

return

grant

funding

given

to

support

your

charitable

activities

where

nothing

is

given

in

return

activities

where

your

organisation

does

not

make

a

charge

Read

more

about

what

counts

as

a

business

activity

Charging

VAT

Once

you

’ve

registered

you

must

charge

VAT

at

the

correct

rate

on

everything

you

supply

Reclaiming

VAT

If

you

’re

registered

you

may

be

able

to

reclaim

VAT

when

you

file

your

VAT

Return

You

can

reclaim

the

VAT

you

were

charged

on

goods

and

services

relating

to

your

taxable

business

activities

Exports

outside

the

UK

If

you

supply

goods

outside

the

UK

free

of

charge

for

example

as

aid

you

can

treat

this

as

a

zero

rate

business

activity

VAT

so

you

can

reclaim

the

VAT

on

any

associated

costs


Overview

This

fund

is

currently

closed

Find

out

if

you

can

get

help

with

disability

related

expenses

from

the

EnAble

Fund

for

Elected

Office

instead

You

could

get

a

grant

of

between

and

if

you

’re

disabled

and

standing

for

election

to

or

selection

as

a

candidate

in

the

UK

Parliament

English

local

government

Greater

London

Assembly

mayoral

elections

England

only

Police

and

Crime

Commissioner

English

parish

and

town

councils

You

will

not

have

to

pay

back

any

money

you

receive

The

fund

is

for

disability

related

costs

you

pay

as

part

of

standing

for

election

it

does

not

cover

general

campaigning

costs

like

leaflets

or

living

costs

What

you

'll

get

This

fund

is

currently

closed

Find

out

if

you

can

get

help

with

disability

related

expenses

from

the

EnAble

Fund

for

Elected

Office

instead

You

could

get

between

and

in

any

calendar

year

January

to

December

to

cover

disability

related

costs

For

example

transport

needs

if

you

have

difficulty

using

public

transport

sign

language

interpreters

extra

travel

or

accommodation

costs

if

you

need

a

carer

You

can

apply

more

than

once

but

together

the

applications

must

not

total

more

than

in

any

calendar

year

Your

grant

can

be

backdated

up

to

months

before

the

date

of

your

offer

letter

You

can

not

use

the

money

for

general

campaigning

or

living

costs

Read

guidance

on

campaign

spending

and

donations

from

the

Electoral

Commission

website

How

you

’re

paid

If

your

application

is

successful

you

must

send

in

any

original

invoices

or

receipts

for

the

items

you

listed

in

your

application

The

money

will

be

paid

after

you

provide

proof

of

your

spending

Payments

are

made

on

the

second

and

last

Friday

of

every

month

Eligibility

This

fund

is

currently

closed

Find

out

if

you

can

get

help

with

disability

related

expenses

from

the

EnAble

Fund

for

Elected

Office

instead

You

can

apply

to

the

Access

to

Elected

Office

Fund

if

you

’re

eligible

to

stand

for

election

you

can

prove

your

disability

for

example

with

a

letter

from

a

doctor

you

can

prove

you

’re

involved

or

interested

in

civic

community

or

relevant

activities

for

example

volunteering

or

student

politics

your

application

is

supported

by

a

member

of

your

political

party

or

an

independent

referee

if

you

do

not

have

a

political

party


Get

on

the

electoral

register

The

electoral

register

sometimes

called

the

electoral

roll

lists

the

names

and

addresses

of

everyone

who

’s

registered

to

vote

Use

the

register

to

vote

service

to

get

on

the

electoral

register

update

your

details

for

example

change

your

name

or

address

To

check

whether

you

’re

already

on

the

register

contact

your

local

Electoral

Registration

Office

if

you

live

in

England

Scotland

or

Wales

the

Electoral

Office

for

Northern

Ireland

EONI

if

you

live

in

Northern

Ireland

What

happens

if

you

do

not

register

You

must

register

to

vote

if

you

’re

asked

to

do

so

and

you

meet

the

conditions

for

registering

for

example

you

’re

or

over

and

you

’re

British

or

a

national

of

an

EU

or

Commonwealth

country

If

you

’re

asked

to

register

and

do

not

you

could

be

fined

You

will

not

be

fined

if

you

have

a

valid

reason

for

not

registering

for

example

a

long

stay

in

hospital

or

you

have

severe

learning

difficulties

When

you

can

register

in

more

than

one

place

It

’s

sometimes

possible

to

register

at

addresses

though

you

can

only

vote

once

in

any

election

For

example

if

you

’re

a

student

with

different

home

and

term

time

addresses

you

may

be

able

to

register

at

both

Register

to

vote

twice

if

you

live

at

addresses

The

annual

canvass

From

July

each

year

Electoral

Registration

Offices

EROs

contact

households

to

check

if

the

details

on

the

electoral

register

are

correct

This

is

called

the

annual

canvass

You

will

be

contacted

by

post

email

phone

or

by

someone

knocking

on

your

door

Canvass

in

Northern

Ireland

From

July

the

electoral

register

in

Northern

Ireland

will

be

renewed

as

part

of

the

national

canvass

If

you

want

to

vote

in

future

elections

you

must

register

to

vote

after

July

even

if

you

’ve

registered

before

Opt

out

of

the

open

register

There

are

versions

of

the

electoral

register

the

full

version

and

the

open

register

known

as

the

edited

register

in

Northern

Ireland

If

you

registered

to

vote

anonymously

your

details

will

not

appear

on

either

version

of

the

electoral

register

You

will

still

be

able

to

vote

How

to

opt

out

of

the

open

register

You

can

opt

out

of

the

open

register

This

is

the

version

of

the

register

that

’s

available

to

anyone

who

wants

to

buy

a

copy

To

opt

out

either

use

the

register

to

vote

service

even

if

you

’re

already

registered

contact

your

local

Electoral

Registration

Office

if

you

live

in

England

Scotland

or

Wales

contact

the

Electoral

Office

for

Northern

Ireland

EONI

if

you

live

in

Northern

Ireland

Opting

out

does

not

affect

your

right

to

vote

When

you

opt

out

of

the

open

register

your

details

will

still

appear

on

the

full

version

of

the

electoral

register

The

full

version

and

what

it

can

be

used

for

Everyone

’s

name

and

address

goes

on

the

full

version

of

the

electoral

register

and

you

can

not

opt

out

This

is

the

version

of

the

register

that

’s

used

for

elections

and

referendums

The

full

version

of

the

register

can

only

be

used

for

electoral

administration

purposes

such

as

sending

out

poll

cards

before

elections

campaigning

activities

for

example

candidates

and

political

parties

sending

election

communications

to

voters

surveying

opinions

or

fundraising

preventing

and

detecting

crime

checking

applications

for

loans

or

credit

jury

summoning

in

England

Wales

and

Northern

Ireland

You

can

find

out

more

about

the

difference

between

the

open

register

and

the

electoral

register

View

the

electoral

register

Contact

your

local

Electoral

Registration

Office

if

you

live

in

England

Scotland

or

Wales

the

Electoral

Office

for

Northern

Ireland

EONI

if

you

live

in

Northern

Ireland

They

will

tell

you

where

you

can

view

the

current

electoral

register

it

’s

often

available

in

libraries

The

register

will

list

everyone

who

’s

registered

to

vote

in

the

local

area

Search

historical

versions

of

the

electoral

register

You

can

find

out

about

historical

versions

of

the

electoral

register

for

example

if

you

want

to

research

local

or

family

history


What

you

can

appeal

You

can

appeal

to

the

magistrates

court

against

your

sentence

if

you

pleaded

guilty

conviction

and

sentence

if

you

pleaded

not

guilty

You

should

talk

to

your

legal

representative

if

you

have

one

or

get

help

from

a

legal

adviser

before

you

appeal

Ask

the

court

to

reconsider

a

decision

If

you

think

the

decision

was

wrong

you

can

ask

the

court

to

reconsider

a

sentence

or

conviction

For

example

if

there

was

a

serious

mistake

or

the

court

did

not

follow

the

right

steps

If

you

disagree

with

the

decision

but

there

has

been

no

mistake

you

will

normally

need

to

appeal

to

the

Crown

Court

If

you

did

not

know

about

your

court

case

If

you

did

not

know

about

your

case

before

a

decision

was

made

you

can

make

a

statutory

declaration

to

a

magistrates

court

to

reopen

your

case

Change

the

amount

you

’ve

been

fined

You

can

ask

the

court

to

change

the

amount

you

’ve

been

fined

if

your

financial

circumstances

have

changed

the

court

did

not

know

your

income

at

the

time

of

your

conviction

Ask

the

court

to

reconsider

a

decision

You

can

ask

the

court

to

reconsider

your

conviction

sentence

or

court

order

if

you

think

the

decision

was

wrong

for

a

legal

reason

for

example

if

the

court

did

not

give

proper

reasons

for

its

decision

or

back

up

the

decision

with

facts

apply

the

law

properly

This

is

different

to

making

an

appeal

to

the

Crown

Court

If

you

pleaded

guilty

you

can

not

ask

the

court

to

reconsider

your

conviction

How

to

get

a

decision

reconsidered

Submit

your

request

as

early

as

possible

by

writing

to

the

magistrates

court

where

you

had

your

hearing

You

must

include

information

about

your

conviction

sentence

or

court

order

why

you

think

the

decision

should

change

what

the

conviction

sentence

or

order

should

be

changed

to

Send

a

copy

of

your

application

to

the

prosecutor

’s

office

you

can

find

the

address

of

the

prosecutor

by

contacting

the

magistrates

court

where

you

were

convicted

The

court

will

decide

if

a

hearing

is

needed

If

you

did

not

know

about

your

case

If

a

magistrates

court

convicted

you

without

you

knowing

you

can

make

a

statutory

declaration

before

a

magistrates

court

or

to

a

commissioner

for

oaths

for

example

a

solicitor

If

the

court

accepts

your

declaration

they

will

start

the

proceedings

again

Your

conviction

or

sentence

will

no

longer

apply

When

to

make

your

declaration

You

must

give

your

completed

declaration

to

the

court

within

days

of

finding

out

about

your

case

If

you

want

to

give

a

declaration

after

days

you

’ll

have

to

ask

the

court

if

they

’ll

accept

it

Making

a

statutory

declaration

Download

a

statutory

declaration

called

an

ignorance

of

proceedings

form

or

ask

for

a

copy

at

your

local

magistrates

court

Fill

out

the

form

telling

the

court

when

and

how

you

heard

about

your

court

case

You

’ll

need

to

provide

details

of

your

case

including

where

your

hearing

was

held

and

on

what

date

Arrange

an

appointment

to

make

your

statutory

declaration

before

a

solicitor

or

any

magistrates

court

Sign

and

date

your

form

Give

your

declaration

to

the

court

or

ask

your

solicitor

to

do

it

If

your

case

was

decided

by

a

magistrate

without

a

hearing

you

’ll

need

to

give

a

written

plea

or

a

completed

single

justice

procedure

notice

if

you

have

one

to

the

court

or

your

solicitor

along

with

your

statutory

declaration

Get

a

fine

reviewed

You

can

ask

the

court

to

change

a

fine

if

your

financial

circumstances

have

changed

the

court

did

not

know

your

income

when

they

convicted

you

Your

original

conviction

or

record

of

your

offence

will

not

change

How

to

ask

for

a

review

Write

to

the

court

or

go

to

your

court

hearing

with

evidence

of

your

income

and

living

expenses

If

your

income

has

changed

since

you

were

sentenced

you

need

to

also

provide

your

income

on

the

date

you

were

sentenced

You

can

ask

your

legal

adviser

if

you

’re

not

sure

what

documents

you

need

What

happens

next

The

court

will

decide

if

the

decision

should

be

reconsidered

You

may

need

to

attend

court

for

another

hearing

They

’ll

let

you

know

when

the

hearing

will

take

place

Appeal

to

the

Crown

Court

If

you

disagree

with

a

decision

but

there

has

been

no

mistake

you

can

appeal

to

the

Crown

Court

Download

and

fill

in

the

Appeal

to

the

Crown

Court

form

that

relates

to

your

crime

or

sentence

Send

the

form

by

post

or

email

The

address

is

on

the

form

If

you

were

convicted

at

a

magistrates

court

but

sentenced

at

a

Crown

Court

follow

the

rules

for

appealing

a

Crown

Court

decision

If

you

pleaded

guilty

you

can

only

appeal

against

your

sentence

When

to

appeal

You

must

appeal

within

days

of

the

date

you

were

sentenced

If

you

want

to

appeal

after

days

you

’ll

have

to

ask

the

Crown

Court

for

permission

before

you

can

appeal

The

magistrates

court

where

you

were

sentenced

will

tell

you

how

to

do

this

Talk

to

your

legal

representative

if

you

have

one

or

get

help

from

a

legal

adviser

before

you

appeal

The

court

hearing

The

Crown

Court

will

make

a

decision

on

your

appeal

at

a

hearing

You

’ll

get

a

letter

within

days

of

making

your

appeal

to

let

you

know

when

and

where

the

hearing

will

take

place

The

hearing

is

usually

held

at

your

nearest

Crown

Court

What

happens

at

the

hearing

You

’ll

have

the

chance

to

present

your

case

to

the

judge

and

magistrates

Representatives

from

the

prosecution

will

present

the

case

against

you

The

judge

might

also

ask

you

questions

during

the

hearing

You

’ll

be

told

whether

you

’ve

won

your

appeal

at

the

hearing

You

’ll

also

be

sent

a

copy

of

the

judge

’s

decision

by

post

Stopping

your

appeal

You

can

apply

to

stop

your

appeal

before

the

hearing

Your

appeal

can

not

be

restarted

once

it

’s

been

stopped

Send

a

notice

of

abandonment

of

appeal

to

the

magistrates

court

where

you

sent

your

appeal

and

the

Crown

Court

where

your

hearing

will

take

place

You

must

also

send

a

copy

to

any

other

parties

involved

in

the

case

for

example

a

prosecutor

If

you

win

your

appeal

If

you

win

your

appeal

against

your

conviction

your

sentence

will

no

longer

apply

You

might

be

able

to

apply

to

get

compensation

If

you

win

your

appeal

against

your

sentence

it

will

be

reduced

The

court

might

decide

you

can

get

some

of

your

legal

costs

paid

back

for

example

your

solicitor

’s

fee

If

you

lose

your

appeal

Your

original

sentence

or

conviction

might

change

Check

with

your

legal

adviser

if

you

can

appeal

again

You

might

have

to

pay

extra

costs

if

you

do


Overview

You

may

be

able

to

appeal

to

the

Upper

Tribunal

Tax

and

Chancery

Chamber

if

you

think

there

was

a

legal

mistake

with

a

decision

made

against

you

by

certain

lower

tribunals

and

organisations

You

might

be

able

to

appeal

if

your

case

was

heard

by

the

First

tier

Tribunal

Tax

for

cases

about

tax

General

Regulatory

Chamber

for

cases

about

charities

The

tribunal

is

independent

of

government

and

will

listen

to

both

sides

of

the

argument

before

making

a

decision

Financial

services

cases

There

’s

a

different

process

if

you

’re

challenging

a

decision

made

by

Financial

Conduct

Authority

Prudential

Regulation

Authority

Pensions

Regulator

Bank

of

England

HM

Treasury

Ofgem

Decisions

by

the

Secretary

of

State

or

Trade

Remedies

Authority

There

’s

a

different

way

to

challenge

a

decision

made

by

the

Secretary

of

State

for

International

Trade

or

the

Trade

Remedies

Authority

Help

you

can

get

You

may

want

to

get

help

and

advice

before

you

appeal

You

can

represent

yourself

or

find

a

legal

adviser

including

a

lawyer

tax

adviser

or

accountant

to

help

with

your

appeal

You

can

get

free

advice

from

Citizens

Advice

TaxAid

TaxHelp

for

Older

People

if

you

’re

over

Call

or

email

the

tribunal

if

you

have

any

questions

about

the

process

The

tribunal

can

not

give

you

legal

advice

How

to

appeal

You

must

get

permission

if

you

want

to

appeal

the

decision

of

another

tribunal

Ask

the

tribunal

that

made

the

decision

for

permission

within

days

of

the

date

on

the

decision

letter

for

tax

cases

days

of

the

date

on

the

decision

letter

for

charities

If

you

’re

given

permission

download

and

fill

in

the

relevant

appeal

form

Send

it

to

the

address

on

the

form

within

one

month

of

the

date

on

the

permission

letter

Read

the

guidance

on

appealing

If

you

’re

refused

permission

You

can

ask

the

Upper

Tribunal

to

give

you

permission

if

you

were

refused

it

or

only

given

permission

on

some

grounds

Download

and

fill

in

the

permission

form

Send

it

to

the

address

on

the

form

You

must

include

a

copy

of

the

first

tier

tribunal

’s

full

decision

the

written

decision

refusing

permission

or

only

giving

you

permission

on

some

grounds

the

accompanying

letter

saying

you

’ve

been

refused

permission

or

only

given

permission

on

some

grounds

You

must

do

this

within

one

month

of

the

letter

of

refusal

being

sent

A

tribunal

judge

will

read

your

appeal

form

and

decide

if

you

should

be

given

permission

to

appeal

or

permission

on

additional

grounds

You

can

ask

for

the

decision

to

be

reconsidered

at

a

hearing

if

you

’re

refused

permission

You

’ll

get

a

letter

from

the

tribunal

after

the

judge

has

made

a

decision

telling

you

what

to

do

next

The

tribunal

hearing

You

usually

have

to

attend

a

hearing

where

you

or

your

representative

and

the

other

parties

will

present

your

cases

to

a

judge

at

the

tribunal

The

tribunal

will

decide

which

party

wins

the

case

You

’ll

normally

be

told

the

outcome

of

the

case

within

months

of

the

hearing

You

’ll

most

likely

have

to

pay

the

other

party

’s

costs

if

you

lose

but

the

other

party

will

be

asked

to

pay

your

costs

if

you

win

If

you

’re

appealing

a

decision

about

a

charity

case

made

by

the

General

Regulatory

Chamber

the

tribunal

can

only

order

you

to

pay

the

other

party

’s

costs

if

they

think

you

acted

unreasonably

Preparing

for

the

hearing

You

’ll

be

sent

instructions

on

how

to

prepare

for

the

hearing

and

what

documents

you

’ll

need

to

provide

You

’ll

also

be

told

when

and

where

the

hearing

will

be

held

Hearings

normally

take

place

in

London

Edinburgh

or

Belfast

You

can

check

the

register

of

cases

to

find

out

if

anything

has

changed

Decisions

without

hearings

You

can

ask

for

a

decision

to

be

made

without

a

hearing

but

the

other

party

must

also

agree

Getting

a

time

extension

You

may

be

able

to

get

a

time

extension

if

you

need

more

time

to

prepare

write

to

the

tribunal

You

must

have

a

good

reason

for

example

you

’re

having

problems

finding

a

document

or

you

’re

ill

If

you

lose

your

case

You

may

be

able

to

appeal

to

a

higher

court

if

you

think

there

was

a

legal

mistake

made

by

the

tribunal

You

can

get

legal

advice

if

you

’re

unsure

about

this

including

from

a

lawyer

You

can

also

speak

to

an

accountant

or

tax

adviser

Ask

for

permission

You

must

write

to

the

tribunal

and

ask

for

permission

before

you

appeal

You

must

do

this

within

one

month

of

the

date

on

the

decision

letter

Once

you

have

permission

you

should

appeal

to

the

relevant

higher

court

The

Court

of

Appeal

in

England

and

Wales

The

Court

of

Session

in

Scotland

The

Court

of

Appeal

in

Northern

Ireland

You

must

do

this

within

days

of

the

date

on

the

permission

letter

You

may

have

to

pay

court

fees

and

the

other

party

’s

costs

If

you

’re

refused

permission

You

can

ask

the

relevant

higher

court

for

permission

You

must

do

this

within

days

of

the

date

on

the

refusal

letter

Legislation

and

previous

decisions

Read

the

rules

the

tribunal

must

follow

and

its

decisions

on

previous

cases

Previous

decisions

Search

the

decisions

database

to

see

how

and

why

previous

decisions

have

been

made

Legislation

The

tribunal

will

make

a

decision

based

on

The

Tribunal

Procedure

Upper

Tribunal

Rules

Read

the

tribunal

’s

practice

directions

for

more

guidance

on

how

the

tribunal

makes

decisions


Overview

You

can

be

taken

to

an

employment

tribunal

by

an

employee

or

someone

else

for

example

a

job

applicant

or

trade

union

over

various

issues

including

pay

dismissal

discrimination

This

guide

is

also

available

in

Welsh

Cymraeg

The

tribunal

is

independent

of

government

and

will

listen

to

you

the

respondent

and

the

other

party

the

claimant

before

making

a

decision

You

may

have

to

pay

compensation

or

reinstate

the

claimant

if

you

lose

the

case

Solve

the

dispute

without

a

hearing

You

’ll

be

contacted

by

the

Advisory

Conciliation

and

Arbitration

Service

Acas

if

someone

wants

to

make

a

claim

against

you

They

’ll

offer

to

work

with

you

and

the

claimant

to

try

to

solve

the

problem

without

it

going

to

a

tribunal

this

is

called

conciliation

Call

Acas

for

help

and

advice

Respond

to

a

claim

The

tribunal

will

send

you

a

letter

known

as

a

response

pack

if

a

claim

has

been

made

against

you

and

conciliation

has

not

worked

You

can

respond

either

online

by

filling

out

and

returning

the

response

pack

you

’re

sent

by

downloading

and

filling

in

the

response

form

and

sending

it

to

the

tribunal

office

dealing

with

the

case

Read

the

response

guidance

before

you

fill

in

the

form

You

must

respond

to

the

claim

within

days

You

may

be

able

to

get

more

time

to

respond

ask

the

tribunal

If

you

’re

late

or

do

not

respond

the

tribunal

may

make

a

decision

against

you

without

a

hearing

Offer

the

claimant

compensation

You

can

try

to

settle

the

case

at

any

time

by

offering

to

pay

compensation

to

the

claimant

known

as

a

settlement

agreement

Get

help

or

legal

advice

You

may

want

to

get

legal

advice

if

a

claim

is

made

against

you

Call

the

employment

tribunal

enquiry

line

for

general

guidance

on

how

the

process

works

They

can

not

give

you

legal

advice

If

you

’re

in

Northern

Ireland

Your

case

will

be

dealt

with

by

the

Office

of

Industrial

Tribunals

and

the

Fair

Employment

Tribunal

Before

the

hearing

You

’ll

be

given

at

least

days

notice

before

the

hearing

you

’ll

get

a

letter

confirming

this

You

must

prepare

documents

and

arrange

for

witnesses

to

attend

in

advance

Preliminary

hearing

You

may

be

asked

to

go

to

an

initial

hearing

called

a

preliminary

hearing

with

the

judge

to

decide

on

things

like

the

date

and

time

of

a

hearing

how

long

the

hearing

should

take

The

tribunal

will

let

you

know

if

you

’ll

have

to

give

evidence

or

provide

any

extra

information

Arrange

documents

You

can

ask

the

claimant

for

documents

that

will

help

you

with

the

case

and

they

can

request

documents

from

you

Examples

of

documents

include

a

contract

of

employment

pay

slips

details

of

a

pension

scheme

notes

from

relevant

meetings

Usually

the

tribunal

will

issue

an

order

setting

out

a

timetable

for

when

you

should

exchange

documents

You

’ll

be

sent

a

letter

telling

you

how

many

copies

of

each

document

to

bring

to

the

hearing

Organise

witnesses

You

can

bring

witnesses

to

the

hearing

if

they

can

give

evidence

directly

relevant

to

the

case

If

you

ask

a

witness

to

attend

and

they

do

not

want

to

you

can

ask

the

tribunal

to

order

them

to

come

You

must

apply

in

writing

to

the

tribunal

office

dealing

with

the

case

giving

the

name

and

address

of

the

witness

details

of

what

the

witness

may

be

able

to

say

and

how

it

will

help

the

case

the

reason

the

witness

has

refused

to

attend

if

they

gave

you

one

You

’ll

most

likely

be

responsible

for

paying

the

witness

’s

expenses

At

the

hearing

Cases

are

normally

held

at

the

employment

tribunal

office

closest

to

where

you

worked

You

must

take

the

documents

you

’re

using

to

support

the

case

You

can

not

claim

for

expenses

for

going

to

the

hearing

What

happens

at

the

hearing

You

’ll

present

the

case

to

the

tribunal

someone

else

can

do

this

for

you

such

as

a

lawyer

friend

or

family

member

The

claimant

will

present

their

case

against

you

You

may

be

asked

questions

by

the

judge

the

claimant

other

tribunal

members

only

in

certain

tribunals

Get

a

decision

You

’ll

be

sent

the

decision

in

the

post

a

few

days

or

weeks

after

the

hearing

The

decision

will

be

published

on

GOV.UK

In

certain

cases

you

may

also

be

given

the

decision

at

the

hearing

If

you

win

the

case

In

most

cases

you

will

not

be

awarded

any

compensation

if

you

win

However

if

the

claimant

acted

unreasonably

or

if

their

case

had

no

hope

of

success

you

can

ask

to

be

awarded

costs

by

the

tribunal

If

you

lose

the

case

If

you

lose

the

tribunal

can

order

you

to

do

certain

things

depending

on

the

type

of

case

Examples

include

giving

the

claimant

their

job

back

paying

compensation

if

you

can

not

give

the

claimant

their

job

back

paying

witness

expenses

paying

damages

or

loss

of

earnings

Pay

compensation

Paying

compensation

is

the

most

common

outcome

of

a

tribunal

There

can

be

limits

to

the

amount

of

money

a

tribunal

can

award

There

’s

no

limit

in

cases

of

discrimination

The

tribunal

usually

works

out

the

amount

based

on

the

financial

loss

the

person

has

suffered

as

a

result

of

your

actions

Interest

is

calculated

from

the

day

the

judgment

is

received

but

you

will

not

have

to

pay

interest

if

you

pay

the

full

compensation

award

within

days

You

can

be

taken

to

court

and

forced

to

pay

You

can

also

be

fined

and

named

online

by

the

government

if

you

do

not

pay

Pay

back

state

benefits

You

might

have

to

pay

back

any

Jobseeker

’s

Allowance

Income

Support

or

Employment

Support

Allowance

ESA

that

the

claimant

claimed

while

taking

their

case

to

the

tribunal

This

is

to

prevent

them

from

getting

paid

twice

The

tribunal

and

the

Compensation

Recovery

Unit

will

tell

you

what

you

need

to

do

and

how

much

to

pay

If

you

disagree

with

a

tribunal

decision

You

can

ask

the

tribunal

to

reconsider

the

decision

if

you

lose

the

case

You

must

write

to

the

tribunal

office

within

days

of

getting

the

decision

saying

why

you

want

it

to

be

reconsidered

You

need

to

give

good

reasons

such

as

the

tribunal

made

a

mistake

in

the

way

it

reached

its

decision

you

were

not

told

about

the

hearing

new

evidence

has

turned

up

since

the

hearing

Send

your

letter

to

the

tribunal

office

that

dealt

with

the

case

Appeal

to

the

Employment

Appeal

Tribunal

You

can

also

appeal

to

the

Employment

Appeal

Tribunal

if

you

think

the

employment

tribunal

made

a

legal

mistake

Legislation

The

Employment

Tribunal

follows

certain

rules

and

processes

that

you

also

have

to

follow

You

can

also

read

other

relevant

tribunal

rules

and

regulations

The

tribunal

has

issued

guidance

and

practice

directions

which

provides

more

information

about

specific

areas

such

as

postponing

hearings

and

serving

documents

You

can

also

read

guidance

about

specific

cases


When

you

can

take

a

course

You

can

be

offered

a

rehabilitation

course

to

reduce

your

driving

ban

if

you

’re

found

guilty

of

a

drink

drive

offence

your

ban

is

for

months

or

more

You

have

to

pay

to

take

the

course

It

can

cost

up

to

Reducing

the

length

of

your

ban

Your

ban

will

be

reduced

if

you

complete

the

course

within

a

certain

time

The

ban

is

usually

reduced

by

a

quarter

Deciding

to

take

a

course

You

have

to

decide

in

court

if

you

want

to

take

a

course

or

not

You

can

not

change

your

mind

later

There

’s

a

different

process

for

taking

a

drink

drive

course

in

Northern

Ireland

Choose

a

course

Before

you

go

to

court

find

a

drink

drive

course

that

you

want

to

take

if

you

’re

found

guilty

and

offered

a

course

The

court

will

send

your

details

to

the

course

provider

They

’ll

then

send

you

details

of

the

available

course

dates

when

you

must

complete

your

course

by

You

’re

responsible

for

completing

the

course

by

the

deadline

Changing

courses

You

can

change

to

another

course

with

a

different

provider

at

any

point

before

you

book

It

’s

free

to

change

your

course

Ask

the

provider

of

the

course

you

’d

originally

chosen

to

arrange

this

How

the

course

works

The

course

aims

to

stop

you

from

drink

driving

again

They

are

face

to

face

take

place

over

hours

usually

run

on

days

spread

over

weeks

will

have

other

drink

drive

offenders

at

them

The

course

syllabus

tells

you

more

about

what

’s

covered

during

the

course

After

the

course

You

’ll

get

a

certificate

of

course

completion

from

the

course

provider

when

you

complete

the

course

They

’ll

also

send

a

copy

to

the

court

that

sentenced

you

The

court

will

tell

DVLA

so

that

your

driving

ban

is

reduced

Your

driving

ban

will

not

be

reduced

if

you

do

not

complete

the

course

or

do

not

pay

for

your

course

If

you

’re

a

high

risk

offender

You

need

to

reapply

for

a

driving

licence

and

take

a

medical

if

you

’re

classified

as

a

high

risk

offender

Check

with

your

course

provider

if

you

’re

not

sure

if

you

are

Complain

about

a

course

Complain

to

the

course

provider

if

you

’re

not

happy

with

the

course

Contact

the

Driver

and

Vehicle

Standards

Agency

if

you

can

not

sort

out

the

problem

with

the

course

provider


Overview

Legal

aid

can

help

meet

the

costs

of

legal

advice

family

mediation

and

representation

in

a

court

or

tribunal

You

’ll

usually

need

to

show

that

your

case

is

eligible

for

legal

aid

the

problem

is

serious

you

can

not

afford

to

pay

for

legal

costs

You

could

for

example

get

legal

aid

if

you

or

your

family

are

at

risk

of

abuse

or

serious

harm

for

example

domestic

violence

or

forced

marriage

you

’re

at

risk

of

homelessness

or

losing

your

home

you

’ve

been

accused

of

a

crime

face

prison

or

detention

you

’re

being

discriminated

against

you

need

family

mediation

you

’re

adding

legal

arguments

or

bringing

a

case

under

the

Human

Rights

Act

You

’ll

usually

need

to

show

that

you

can

not

afford

to

pay

for

this

help

You

may

have

to

pay

some

money

towards

the

legal

costs

of

your

case

or

pay

costs

back

later

Check

if

you

can

get

legal

aid

to

get

help

with

civil

cases

Your

legal

adviser

will

usually

apply

for

legal

aid

on

your

behalf

Legal

aid

rules

are

different

in

Scotland

and

Northern

Ireland

What

you

can

get

You

could

get

help

with

the

costs

of

legal

advice

or

getting

someone

to

speak

or

negotiate

for

you

You

may

have

to

pay

some

money

towards

the

legal

costs

of

your

case

If

your

problem

is

covered

by

legal

aid

and

you

qualify

you

could

get

advice

on

your

rights

and

options

help

with

negotiations

and

paperwork

help

if

you

’re

accused

of

a

crime

for

example

advice

at

a

police

station

a

solicitor

or

barrister

to

get

your

case

ready

and

speak

on

your

behalf

in

court

and

some

tribunals

What

you

can

get

legal

aid

for

You

might

be

able

to

get

legal

aid

for

problems

like

homelessness

or

losing

your

home

or

if

it

’s

in

serious

disrepair

protecting

yourself

or

your

child

from

abuse

or

harassment

for

example

domestic

violence

or

forced

marriage

poor

quality

care

you

or

a

family

member

are

getting

due

to

age

disability

or

special

educational

needs

needing

advice

on

finances

children

or

divorce

if

you

’ve

been

in

an

abusive

relationship

a

child

in

your

family

being

at

risk

of

being

taken

into

care

family

mediation

for

example

if

you

’re

separating

or

getting

a

divorce

discrimination

challenging

the

way

the

government

has

made

a

decision

about

you

seeking

asylum

or

if

you

’ve

been

the

victim

of

human

trafficking

being

arrested

charged

or

questioned

by

the

police

needing

representation

at

a

mental

health

tribunal

or

inquest

appealing

a

decision

made

by

the

social

security

tribunal

about

your

benefits

to

the

Upper

Tribunal

Court

of

Appeal

or

Supreme

Court

Exceptional

case

funding

You

may

be

able

to

get

legal

aid

in

other

exceptional

cases

if

you

can

show

that

being

refused

legal

aid

would

infringe

your

rights

under

the

European

Convention

on

Human

Rights

ECHR

your

EU

rights

to

legal

representation

Get

advice

from

a

legal

adviser

about

whether

you

’re

eligible

and

how

to

apply

You

can

also

apply

directly

to

the

Exceptional

Case

Funding

team

at

the

Legal

Aid

Agency

Eligibility

Whether

you

qualify

for

legal

aid

will

depend

on

the

type

of

case

your

financial

circumstances

Civil

non

criminal

cases

Civil

cases

include

things

like

debt

family

or

housing

problems

To

get

legal

aid

you

usually

need

to

show

you

can

not

afford

to

pay

for

legal

costs

and

your

problem

is

serious

You

’ll

usually

have

to

give

details

and

evidence

of

your

income

benefits

savings

and

property

and

those

of

your

partner

If

you

’re

under

you

may

need

to

give

information

about

your

parents

or

guardians

income

Your

financial

situation

is

not

taken

into

account

for

cases

about

mental

health

tribunals

children

in

care

child

abduction

You

may

also

have

to

provide

evidence

about

your

problem

for

example

in

a

divorce

case

by

providing

a

court

order

or

GP

letter

showing

that

you

or

your

child

have

been

a

victim

of

abuse

Check

if

you

qualify

for

legal

aid

to

get

help

with

civil

cases

Paying

the

costs

of

your

case

Legal

aid

might

not

cover

all

the

costs

of

your

case

You

may

have

to

pay

some

of

the

costs

upfront

pay

back

some

of

the

cost

if

you

win

money

or

property

from

your

case

Read

about

paying

for

legal

aid

The

Legal

Aid

Agency

LAA

will

make

a

charge

or

claim

known

as

the

statutory

charge

on

any

money

or

property

you

win

If

this

is

your

home

payment

can

be

deferred

and

the

debt

placed

as

a

charge

on

your

home

similar

to

a

mortgage

Your

legal

adviser

will

explain

how

this

works

Contact

the

LAA

’s

Secured

Debt

Team

to

discuss

how

to

pay

If

legal

aid

is

withdrawn

you

may

have

to

repay

the

full

legal

costs

Criminal

cases

You

have

the

right

to

free

legal

advice

if

you

’re

questioned

at

a

police

station

You

’ll

automatically

get

legal

aid

for

legal

representation

in

court

if

you

’re

under

or

under

and

in

full

time

education

or

on

certain

benefits

Alternatives

to

legal

aid

If

you

can

not

get

legal

aid

you

may

be

able

to

get

free

advice

from

the

Law

Centres

Network

Citizens

Advice

AdviceNow

You

can

also

pay

for

advice

from

a

local

legal

adviser

or

solicitor

How

to

claim

Check

if

you

can

get

legal

aid

in

England

or

Wales

Search

for

a

legal

aid

solicitor

if

you

’re

in

Scotland

or

Northern

Ireland

Your

legal

adviser

or

family

mediator

will

apply

for

legal

aid

on

your

behalf

If

you

qualify

the

government

will

pay

their

costs

directly

Getting

legal

aid

in

an

emergency

You

can

get

emergency

help

if

you

need

urgent

representation

in

court

for

example

to

keep

you

and

your

children

safe

from

domestic

abuse

Your

legal

adviser

will

apply

for

Emergency

Legal

Representation

to

cover

any

immediate

action

You

still

need

to

apply

for

legal

aid

in

the

normal

way

for

any

ongoing

work

Criminal

cases

A

police

custody

officer

will

help

you

get

legal

aid

if

you

’ve

been

arrested

and

held

at

a

police

station

You

’ll

be

offered

free

advice

by

telephone

if

the

offence

is

less

serious

from

the

police

station

’s

duty

solicitor

from

your

own

legal

adviser

If

you

’re

charged

or

go

to

court

A

solicitor

will

check

if

you

qualify

for

legal

aid

if

you

’re

charged

with

a

crime

or

have

to

go

to

court

You

can

then

get

advice

from

the

same

organisation

that

helped

you

at

the

police

station

ask

to

speak

to

the

court

duty

solicitor

find

your

own

criminal

legal

aid

solicitor

What

you

need

to

bring

to

your

legal

adviser

You

’ll

need

to

give

information

about

the

following

for

both

yourself

and

your

partner

benefits

including

benefits

statements

income

savings

and

spending

including

pay

slips

and

bank

statements

National

Insurance

numbers

You

’ll

also

need

copies

of

evidence

relating

to

your

case

eg

court

documents

marriage

and

birth

certificates

for

family

cases

relevant

letters

Tell

your

legal

adviser

if

any

of

your

financial

circumstances

change

Domestic

abuse

or

violence

You

might

be

able

to

get

legal

aid

if

you

have

evidence

that

you

or

your

children

have

been

victims

of

domestic

abuse

or

violence

and

you

can

not

afford

to

pay

legal

costs

You

do

not

have

to

get

evidence

before

talking

to

a

legal

aid

solicitor

or

Civil

Legal

Advice

CLA

but

they

’ll

need

to

see

it

before

deciding

whether

you

can

get

legal

aid

What

counts

as

domestic

abuse

for

legal

aid

You

or

your

children

must

have

been

victims

of

either

domestic

abuse

or

violence

financial

control

for

example

being

stopped

from

accessing

a

joint

bank

account

What

counts

as

evidence

You

’ll

usually

need

to

show

that

you

or

your

children

were

at

risk

of

harm

from

an

ex

partner

You

can

ask

for

evidence

from

the

courts

the

police

a

multi

agency

risk

assessment

conference

MARAC

social

services

a

health

professional

for

example

a

doctor

nurse

midwife

psychologist

or

health

visitor

a

refuge

manager

a

domestic

violence

support

service

your

bank

for

example

credit

card

accounts

loan

documents

and

statements

your

employer

or

education

or

training

provider

the

provider

of

any

benefits

you

’ve

received

How

to

get

evidence

You

can

download

and

print

a

sample

letter

to

send

to

the

police

courts

or

medical

and

social

services

This

helps

you

get

the

proof

you

need

depending

on

whether

you

’ve

been

a

victim

your

children

have

been

victims

Give

the

letter

to

the

person

you

’re

asking

to

provide

evidence

They

’ll

be

able

to

fill

in

the

details

for

you

You

might

have

to

pay

a

fee

for

this

When

you

have

the

evidence

Show

the

evidence

to

your

legal

aid

solicitor

or

CLA

adviser

Legal

problems

abroad

You

can

apply

for

legal

aid

in

Albania

Austria

Azerbaijan

Belgium

Bosnia

and

Herzegovina

Bulgaria

Cyprus

Czech

Republic

Denmark

Estonia

Finland

France

Georgia

Greece

Ireland

Italy

Latvia

Lithuania

Luxembourg

Montenegro

Netherlands

North

Macedonia

Norway

Poland

Portugal

Romania

Serbia

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

Turkey

Ukraine

You

can

get

help

with

your

application

from

a

publicly

funded

solicitor

including

getting

documents

translated

Contact

the

embassy

or

consulate

of

that

country

or

the

Legal

Aid

Agency

to

find

out

how

to

apply


Overview

You

have

the

right

to

speak

for

yourself

in

court

without

a

solicitor

or

other

legal

professional

You

may

choose

to

do

this

because

you

think

it

’s

better

to

talk

directly

to

the

judge

jury

or

magistrates

yourself

you

can

not

afford

to

pay

legal

fees

If

you

’re

considering

representing

yourself

because

you

can

not

afford

legal

costs

check

if

you

can

get

legal

aid

instead

You

’ll

be

known

as

a

litigant

in

person

if

you

represent

yourself

You

’ll

also

be

known

as

an

applicant

respondent

or

defendant

depending

on

whether

your

case

is

heard

in

a

family

civil

or

criminal

court

Read

Advicenow

’s

guides

to

going

to

court

for

advice

on

how

to

conduct

your

case

There

are

different

courts

and

rules

in

Scotland

Someone

with

you

in

court

You

may

be

allowed

to

have

someone

to

help

you

in

court

by

taking

notes

and

giving

advice

but

they

can

not

speak

for

you

interfere

with

proceedings

sign

documents

on

your

behalf

This

person

is

known

as

a

McKenzie

friend

The

judge

will

decide

whether

you

can

have

a

McKenzie

friend

with

you

in

court

Read

guidance

on

what

a

McKenzie

friend

can

and

can

not

do

Get

legal

advice

You

can

still

get

legal

advice

to

help

you

with

your

case

even

if

you

choose

to

represent

yourself

in

court

Find

a

solicitor

Read

advice

on

what

you

should

consider

before

going

to

court

for

a

debt

dispute

or

personal

injury

claim

Divorce

and

separation

involving

children

You

’ll

be

referred

to

as

the

applicant

if

you

brought

the

case

for

example

you

filed

the

divorce

papers

You

’ll

be

known

as

the

respondent

if

you

’ve

received

divorce

papers

or

a

request

for

a

separation

or

a

contact

order

or

residence

order

for

a

child

Before

you

go

to

court

You

must

normally

go

to

mediation

before

you

go

to

court

The

court

will

not

hear

your

case

until

you

send

them

a

form

Read

guidance

about

whether

you

should

take

your

case

to

court

Read

the

Guide

for

Separated

Parents

Children

and

the

Family

Courts

Find

out

more

about

how

to

apply

for

a

court

order

the

types

of

court

order

you

can

apply

for

or

respond

to

what

the

court

does

after

you

apply

for

a

court

order

getting

free

and

independent

help

with

forms

and

documents

Divorce

and

separation

money

and

property

You

’ll

be

referred

to

as

the

applicant

if

you

brought

the

case

for

example

you

filed

a

divorce

petition

respondent

if

someone

else

has

brought

the

case

Find

out

what

you

must

do

before

you

go

to

court

if

you

’re

divorcing

or

separating

and

you

’ve

a

dispute

about

money

or

property

You

must

normally

consider

mediation

before

you

go

to

court

The

court

will

not

hear

your

case

until

you

send

them

a

form


Arriving

at

prison

When

someone

arrives

at

prison

they

have

at

least

one

interview

and

assessment

with

a

qualified

professional

so

they

know

what

their

rights

are

get

help

with

their

physical

and

mental

health

for

example

with

sexual

health

or

drug

and

alcohol

problems

are

told

what

courses

they

can

do

in

prison

understand

prison

rules

and

procedures

The

prisoner

gets

a

prisoner

number

and

their

property

is

recorded

and

put

somewhere

safe

until

they

’re

released

Security

categories

Prisoners

are

given

a

security

category

based

on

how

likely

they

are

to

try

to

escape

their

risk

of

causing

harm

to

other

prisoners

and

prison

staff

A

prisoner

may

be

transferred

to

another

prison

with

a

different

security

category

at

any

time

Prisoner

privileges

and

rights

Prisoners

who

follow

rules

can

earn

privileges

This

is

called

the

Incentives

and

Earned

Privileges

Scheme

A

prisoner

may

be

able

to

get

more

visits

from

family

or

friends

be

allowed

to

spend

more

money

each

week

Privileges

are

different

in

each

prison

staff

can

explain

to

the

prisoner

how

the

scheme

works

Rights

Prisoners

have

rights

including

protection

from

bullying

and

racial

harassment

being

able

to

get

in

contact

with

a

solicitor

healthcare

including

support

for

a

mental

health

condition

All

prisoners

should

be

able

to

spend

between

minutes

and

an

hour

outside

in

the

open

air

each

day

Punishments

A

prisoner

who

breaks

prison

rules

is

normally

punished

They

can

be

kept

in

their

cell

for

up

to

days

given

up

to

extra

days

in

prison

on

top

of

their

original

sentence

The

prison

can

take

away

privileges

for

example

removing

a

TV

from

a

cell

Healthcare

in

prison

Prisoners

get

the

same

healthcare

and

treatment

as

anyone

outside

of

prison

Treatment

is

free

but

has

to

be

approved

by

a

prison

doctor

or

member

of

the

healthcare

team

Prisons

do

not

have

hospitals

but

many

have

in

patient

beds

Most

problems

are

dealt

with

by

the

healthcare

team

If

they

can

not

the

prison

may

get

an

expert

to

visit

the

prison

arrange

for

treatment

in

an

outside

hospital

The

healthcare

team

can

ask

the

prisoner

’s

family

doctor

for

their

records

but

only

if

the

prisoner

agrees

to

it

Special

help

and

support

Prisoners

can

get

specialist

support

for

example

if

they

have

drug

or

alcohol

problems

have

HIV

or

AIDS

are

disabled

or

have

a

learning

difficulty

Refusing

medical

treatment

A

prisoner

can

refuse

treatment

However

the

healthcare

team

may

choose

to

give

treatment

if

the

prisoner

is

not

capable

of

making

decisions

themselves

for

example

they

have

a

mental

health

condition

Wherever

possible

the

healthcare

team

will

discuss

this

with

the

prisoner

’s

family

first

Vulnerable

prisoners

Staff

are

trained

to

spot

prisoners

at

risk

of

bullying

suicide

or

self

harm

The

prisoner

may

get

their

own

case

manager

who

will

make

sure

they

are

asked

about

their

mental

health

for

example

if

they

’re

feeling

depressed

get

regular

support

from

a

health

specialist

Most

prisons

also

have

listener

schemes

that

offer

emotional

support

in

confidence

normally

from

fellow

prisoners

Psychiatric

hospitals

A

prisoner

can

be

moved

to

a

secure

psychiatric

hospital

for

their

own

safety

This

only

happens

if

they

meet

certain

conditions

under

the

Mental

Health

Act

Once

the

prisoner

gets

better

they

return

to

prison

If

you

’re

worried

about

a

prisoner

If

you

’re

worried

about

a

prisoner

tell

a

member

of

prison

staff

when

you

visit

contact

the

prison

’s

Safer

Custody

Team

Some

prisons

run

confidential

Safer

Custody

hotlines

where

you

can

leave

a

message

explaining

your

concerns

Find

a

prison

and

check

the

contact

section

for

details

Pregnancy

and

childcare

in

prison

Women

who

give

birth

in

prison

can

keep

their

baby

for

the

first

months

in

a

mother

and

baby

unit

A

prisoner

with

a

child

under

months

old

can

apply

to

bring

their

child

to

prison

with

them

Social

Services

arrange

for

children

over

months

to

be

cared

for

for

example

by

the

prisoner

’s

parents

or

fostering

Applying

for

a

place

in

a

mother

and

baby

unit

The

prisoner

can

apply

for

a

space

in

a

mother

and

baby

unit

when

they

enter

prison

An

admissions

board

will

decide

if

it

’s

the

best

thing

for

the

child

If

there

are

no

places

in

the

prison

the

mother

first

goes

to

they

may

be

offered

a

place

in

another

unit

If

there

are

no

spaces

in

any

unit

arrangements

must

be

made

for

the

child

to

be

cared

for

outside

prison

If

the

mother

is

refused

a

place

they

can

appeal

the

prison

will

explain

how

Separation

plans

are

made

when

the

mother

enters

prison

if

the

child

will

reach

months

before

her

sentence

is

over

For

prisoners

with

sentences

of

months

or

over

arrangements

are

normally

made

for

the

child

to

be

cared

for

outside

prison

Prisons

with

mother

and

baby

units

The

following

prisons

have

mother

and

baby

units

Bronzefield

Eastwood

Park

Styal

New

Hall

Peterborough

Askham

Grange

Education

and

work

in

prison

Courses

are

normally

available

to

help

prisoners

get

new

skills

for

example

learning

to

read

and

write

use

computers

and

do

basic

maths

Most

prisoners

get

an

Individual

Learning

Plan

listing

courses

and

training

Qualifications

and

skills

Most

courses

lead

to

qualifications

that

are

recognised

by

employers

outside

prison

for

example

GCSEs

or

NVQs

Prisoners

may

be

able

to

do

a

distance

learning

course

for

example

Open

University

A

prisoner

can

learn

skills

for

example

woodwork

engineering

or

gardening

Working

in

prison

Many

prisoners

get

the

chance

to

work

while

carrying

out

their

sentence

for

example

making

clothes

and

furniture

or

electrical

engineering

This

is

done

in

prison

workshops

and

is

normally

paid

work

Prisoners

can

also

work

around

the

prison

itself

for

example

in

kitchens

and

laundries

A

low

risk

prisoner

may

be

allowed

to

work

in

the

community

You

can

find

out

what

education

and

work

opportunities

each

prison

offers


Your

rights

You

have

the

right

to

contact

the

police

and

be

kept

informed

about

the

investigation

if

you

’re

the

victim

of

a

crime

a

close

relative

of

someone

who

died

because

of

a

crime

for

example

their

partner

child

or

sibling

You

have

different

rights

if

you

’re

the

victim

of

a

crime

in

Scotland

or

Northern

Ireland

When

you

report

the

crime

The

police

must

give

you

written

confirmation

of

the

crime

you

’ve

reported

a

crime

reference

number

contact

details

for

the

police

officer

dealing

with

your

case

They

must

also

tell

you

clearly

what

will

happen

next

tell

you

how

often

they

’ll

give

you

an

update

on

their

investigation

carry

out

a

needs

assessment

to

find

out

what

support

you

should

get

ask

a

victim

support

organisation

to

contact

you

within

days

They

must

also

ask

if

you

want

to

write

a

statement

about

how

the

crime

has

affected

you

This

is

called

a

victim

personal

statement

It

can

be

used

later

when

the

court

is

deciding

on

a

punishment

During

the

police

investigation

The

police

must

give

you

updates

on

their

investigation

and

tell

you

within

days

when

a

suspect

is

arrested

or

charged

set

free

or

released

on

bail

given

a

caution

reprimand

final

warning

or

penalty

notice

When

the

police

have

finished

their

investigation

they

can

pass

the

information

to

the

Crown

Prosecution

Service

CPS

who

then

decide

if

there

’s

enough

evidence

to

take

the

case

to

court

If

the

police

or

the

CPS

decide

to

drop

the

charge

they

must

tell

you

within

days

You

can

ask

for

a

review

if

you

disagree

with

their

decision

Privacy

The

police

might

give

some

information

about

the

crime

to

the

media

to

help

with

the

investigation

They

’ll

normally

ask

your

permission

before

they

do

this

If

you

’ve

been

the

victim

of

a

sexual

assault

or

rape

it

’s

against

the

law

for

anyone

to

publish

your

name

photo

or

anything

else

that

could

identify

you

If

the

case

goes

to

court

Your

local

Crown

Prosecution

Service

CPS

must

tell

you

immediately

where

and

when

the

trial

will

be

If

you

’re

asked

to

give

evidence

the

police

will

pass

your

details

to

a

Witness

Care

Officer

who

will

support

you

before

and

during

the

trial

If

the

defendant

is

found

guilty

you

may

be

able

to

read

your

victim

personal

statement

to

them

After

the

trial

ends

your

Witness

Care

Officer

must

tell

you

the

verdict

within

hours

what

sentence

the

offender

gets

if

they

’re

found

guilty

if

the

offender

appeals

their

conviction

or

sentence

You

can

also

claim

compensation

if

the

crime

was

violent

get

free

help

and

advice

from

the

Victims

Information

Service

or

Victim

Contact

Scheme

meet

the

offender

restorative

justice

contact

your

local

victim

support

organisation

to

arrange

this

If

the

crime

was

serious

or

you

're

vulnerable

You

may

get

extra

support

if

you

are

the

victim

of

a

serious

crime

are

under

have

a

mental

health

condition

or

lack

mental

capacity

have

a

disability

are

a

close

relative

of

someone

who

died

because

of

a

crime

for

example

their

partner

child

or

sibling

have

been

a

victim

of

crime

repeatedly

for

example

you

’re

being

targeted

harassed

or

stalked

Serious

crimes

You

’re

the

victim

of

a

serious

crime

if

it

was

arson

with

intent

to

endanger

life

attempted

murder

domestic

abuse

kidnapping

or

false

imprisonment

a

hate

crime

human

trafficking

a

sexual

offence

terrorism

wounding

or

grievous

bodily

harm

with

intent

What

support

you

’ll

get

You

’re

entitled

to

get

information

quicker

usually

within

hours

protection

in

court

if

you

need

to

give

evidence

specialist

help

and

advice

a

Family

Liaison

Officer

if

you

’re

a

close

relative

of

the

victim

Contact

the

police

officer

dealing

with

your

case

or

your

local

Crown

Prosecution

Service

CPS

about

getting

this

extra

help

Make

a

complaint

You

can

complain

if

you

’ve

been

treated

unprofessionally

disrespectfully

or

insensitively

discriminated

against

The

Victim

’s

Code

has

full

details

of

how

the

police

Crown

Prosecution

Service

CPS

and

other

organisations

should

treat

you

if

you

’re

the

victim

of

crime

Make

your

complaint

to

the

organisation

you

want

to

complain

about

For

example

the

police

the

CPS

or

your

Witness

Care

Officer

the

court

The

organisation

must

confirm

they

’ve

received

your

complaint

within

days

If

you

do

not

agree

with

the

decision

You

can

complain

to

the

Parliamentary

and

Health

Service

Ombudsman

if

you

do

not

agree

with

the

decision

about

your

complaint


How

to

apply

You

can

apply

for

an

injunction

if

you

’ve

been

the

victim

of

domestic

abuse

An

injunction

is

a

court

order

that

either

protects

you

or

your

child

from

being

harmed

or

threatened

by

the

person

who

’s

abused

you

this

is

called

a

non

molestation

order

decides

who

can

live

in

the

family

home

or

enter

the

surrounding

area

this

is

called

an

occupation

order

The

person

named

in

the

injunction

can

be

arrested

if

they

break

it

Get

advice

on

applying

for

an

injunction

from

a

charity

for

example

Refuge

Women

’s

Aid

Citizens

Advice

or

the

Men

’s

Advice

Line

You

may

be

able

to

get

free

legal

representation

If

you

’re

in

immediate

danger

of

being

abused

or

have

been

abused

report

it

to

the

police

Apply

online

You

can

use

the

RCJ

Citizens

Advice

CourtNav

service

to

prepare

an

injunction

application

online

You

’ll

need

to

create

an

online

account

explain

what

happened

to

you

include

the

name

and

address

of

the

person

who

’s

abused

you

As

part

of

your

application

you

can

choose

a

law

firm

to

review

it

If

you

’re

unable

to

get

legal

aid

or

pay

for

legal

advice

your

application

can

be

sent

back

to

a

legal

adviser

at

RCJ

Citizens

Advice

to

check

for

free

The

legal

adviser

will

tell

you

if

you

need

to

make

a

court

application

and

how

to

submit

one

Because

of

coronavirus

your

hearing

may

take

place

over

a

video

or

phone

call

If

you

need

a

face

to

face

hearing

you

’ll

need

to

explain

why

in

your

application

Apply

by

email

or

post

Follow

these

steps

to

apply

for

an

injunction

by

email

or

post

Check

if

you

’re

eligible

to

apply

for

a

non

molestation

order

or

an

occupation

order

Download

and

fill

in

the

application

form

form

and

make

copies

Write

your

witness

statement

telling

the

court

what

has

happened

and

asking

for

the

relevant

order

At

the

bottom

of

the

witness

statement

write

a

statement

of

truth

Use

the

following

words

I

believe

that

the

facts

stated

in

this

witness

statement

are

true

Sign

and

date

the

statement

of

truth

Download

and

fill

in

form

if

you

want

to

keep

your

address

and

telephone

number

private

Email

or

send

all

the

documents

to

a

court

which

deals

with

domestic

abuse

cases

there

’s

no

fee

Many

courts

are

closed

because

of

coronavirus

You

’ll

need

to

check

that

the

court

is

open

and

staffed

before

you

send

in

your

application

Emergency

orders

If

you

need

protection

immediately

ask

for

an

emergency

order

when

you

apply

You

do

not

have

to

tell

the

person

you

want

protection

from

that

you

’re

applying

so

it

’s

known

as

a

without

notice

or

ex

parte

application

The

court

will

hold

a

hearing

which

you

must

attend

It

may

issue

an

order

at

the

hearing

You

’ll

still

have

to

tell

that

person

about

your

application

after

the

order

has

been

issued

An

emergency

order

will

usually

last

until

your

hearing

If

you

’re

or

under

If

you

’re

under

you

’ll

need

permission

to

apply

from

the

High

Court

If

you

’re

or

you

’ll

need

to

appoint

a

litigation

friend

to

represent

you

in

court

this

is

usually

a

parent

family

member

or

close

friend

After

you

’ve

applied

After

you

’ve

applied

you

must

arrange

for

the

person

you

’re

applying

to

get

an

injunction

against

to

be

told

about

your

application

Who

can

apply

non

molestation

order

You

can

usually

apply

if

you

’re

a

victim

of

domestic

abuse

and

the

person

you

want

to

be

protected

from

the

respondent

is

someone

you

’re

having

or

have

had

a

relationship

with

a

family

member

someone

you

’re

living

or

have

lived

with

Check

the

following

lists

to

make

sure

you

can

apply

If

you

’re

under

you

need

permission

from

the

High

Court

to

apply

Husband

wife

civil

partner

or

other

relationship

You

can

apply

if

you

’re

a

victim

of

domestic

abuse

and

the

respondent

is

your

husband

wife

or

civil

partner

former

husband

former

wife

or

former

civil

partner

fiancé

fiancée

or

proposed

civil

partner

former

fiancé

former

fiancée

or

former

proposed

civil

partner

if

your

engagement

or

agreement

to

form

a

civil

partnership

ended

less

than

years

ago

boyfriend

girlfriend

partner

or

a

person

you

’re

in

or

have

been

in

a

relationship

with

for

more

than

months

If

you

were

engaged

to

or

had

agreed

to

form

a

civil

partnership

with

the

respondent

you

’ll

need

to

provide

evidence

such

as

a

ring

or

statement

from

a

witness

who

attended

a

ceremony

or

celebration

Family

member

You

can

apply

if

the

respondent

is

a

close

family

member

for

example

a

parent

brother

sister

aunt

or

uncle

People

who

have

parental

responsibility

for

your

child

or

grandchild

You

can

apply

if

you

have

a

child

or

grandchild

and

the

respondent

is

the

child

’s

parent

or

person

you

share

parental

responsibility

with

If

your

child

or

grandchild

has

been

adopted

you

can

also

apply

to

get

an

injunction

against

their

adoptive

parent

anyone

who

has

applied

to

adopt

them

anyone

the

child

has

been

placed

with

for

adoption

You

can

also

apply

for

an

order

against

the

child

or

grandchild

if

they

’ve

been

adopted

You

can

report

anyone

who

abuses

you

to

your

neighbourhood

police

team

Who

can

apply

occupation

order

You

can

apply

for

an

occupation

order

if

you

’re

a

victim

of

domestic

abuse

and

meet

the

requirements

The

order

will

say

who

can

live

in

the

family

home

or

enter

the

surrounding

area

You

can

apply

if

you

own

or

rent

the

home

and

it

is

was

or

was

intended

to

be

shared

with

a

husband

or

wife

civil

partner

cohabitant

family

member

person

you

’re

engaged

to

or

parent

of

your

child

you

do

not

own

or

rent

the

home

but

you

’re

married

or

in

a

civil

partnership

with

the

owner

and

you

’re

living

in

the

home

known

as

matrimonial

home

rights

your

former

husband

wife

or

civil

partner

is

the

owner

or

tenant

and

the

home

is

was

or

was

intended

to

be

your

shared

matrimonial

home

the

person

you

cohabit

or

cohabited

with

is

the

owner

or

tenant

and

the

home

is

was

or

was

intended

to

be

your

shared

home

After

you

submit

your

application

You

’ll

be

given

a

document

called

a

Notice

of

Proceedings

by

the

court

This

tells

you

when

your

court

hearing

will

take

place

Telling

people

about

your

application

The

court

will

send

you

back

a

sealed

copy

of

your

application

You

must

arrange

for

the

sealed

copy

and

your

witness

statement

to

be

served

on

the

person

named

in

the

application

This

means

making

sure

they

get

a

copy

of

the

documents

in

person

Your

solicitor

will

do

this

if

you

’re

using

one

or

you

can

ask

the

court

to

serve

the

documents

for

free

Do

not

serve

the

documents

yourself

Your

court

hearing

Your

hearing

will

be

held

in

private

sometimes

called

in

chambers

In

most

cases

only

you

and

the

person

you

’re

applying

for

an

injunction

against

and

any

legal

representatives

can

attend

Read

about

what

to

expect

when

you

go

to

a

court

hearing

Because

of

coronavirus

your

hearing

may

take

place

over

a

video

or

phone

call

The

court

will

provide

an

interpreter

if

you

asked

for

one

when

you

applied

for

the

injunction

They

can

translate

what

happens

during

the

hearing

but

they

can

not

represent

you

or

give

you

legal

advice

Contact

the

court

before

the

hearing

if

you

need

support

or

extra

protection

The

judge

may

make

a

decision

without

a

hearing

if

for

example

you

’re

self

isolating

because

of

coronavirus

the

person

you

’re

applying

for

an

injunction

against

lives

with

you

This

is

called

on

paper

Get

a

decision

At

the

end

of

the

hearing

the

court

will

make

one

of

the

following

decisions

the

person

you

’ve

applied

for

an

injunction

against

must

make

an

undertaking

a

promise

to

do

or

not

do

something

you

must

provide

more

information

the

court

may

issue

a

short

term

order

an

interim

order

to

protect

you

while

you

get

this

information

it

will

issue

an

order

when

that

ends

they

may

hold

another

hearing

to

decide

whether

to

renew

the

order

You

’ll

get

a

copy

of

the

order

if

the

court

issues

one

It

will

say

what

the

respondent

can

and

can

not

do

If

your

order

expires

and

you

still

want

protection

you

’ll

have

to

apply

again

After

the

hearing

You

must

arrange

for

the

order

to

be

served

on

the

respondent

This

means

making

sure

they

get

a

copy

of

the

order

in

person

If

you

have

a

solicitor

they

will

arrange

for

the

documents

to

be

served

If

you

do

not

have

a

solicitor

you

can

ask

the

court

to

serve

the

documents

you

will

not

need

to

pay

for

this

hire

a

professional

process

server

to

serve

the

documents

Do

not

serve

the

documents

yourself

The

court

will

send

the

order

and

the

statement

of

service

to

the

officer

in

charge

of

your

neighbourhood

police

station

or

the

police

station

named

in

the

court

order

If

the

person

named

in

your

injunction

does

not

follow

the

court

order

you

can

call

the

police

Complaints

and

appeals

You

can

complain

to

the

court

where

you

had

the

hearing

if

you

’re

unhappy

with

the

service

they

provided

You

may

be

able

to

make

an

appeal

about

the

decision

if

you

think

there

’s

been

a

serious

mistake

You

’ll

have

to

get

permission

to

make

the

appeal

and

there

’s

usually

a

fee

Read

the

guidance

on

how

to

make

an

appeal


Overview

There

are

various

prevention

programmes

that

work

to

keep

young

people

away

from

crime

They

are

run

within

local

communities

and

can

involve

parents

and

families

Young

people

are

placed

on

these

programmes

if

they

have

been

in

trouble

with

the

police

they

’re

at

risk

of

committing

a

crime

they

’re

involved

in

anti

social

behaviour

Attending

one

of

these

programmes

is

voluntary

The

young

person

and

their

parents

or

carers

have

to

be

happy

with

everything

before

it

starts

Many

programmes

are

run

by

the

council

’s

local

youth

offending

team

or

by

other

local

organisations

like

youth

charities

To

find

out

about

youth

crime

prevention

programmes

in

your

area

contact

your

local

youth

offending

team

How

young

people

are

put

on

a

programme

Young

people

are

usually

sent

or

referred

to

one

of

these

programmes

by

the

police

or

the

youth

offending

team

However

they

can

also

be

referred

by

a

teacher

social

worker

or

parent

Assessment

making

sure

it

’s

the

right

programme

Before

anything

happens

the

youth

workers

running

the

prevention

programme

will

assess

the

young

person

to

make

sure

a

prevention

programme

will

help

decide

which

type

of

support

will

be

most

suitable

The

young

person

will

be

involved

in

the

assessment

and

will

be

asked

questions

about

their

life

and

background

What

these

programmes

are

and

how

they

work

Youth

crime

prevention

programmes

have

different

names

and

do

different

things

but

they

all

involve

activities

to

help

keep

young

people

away

from

crime

Young

people

can

also

learn

new

skills

or

get

advice

about

school

or

jobs

Some

are

run

in

groups

while

others

are

for

just

one

young

person

supervised

by

an

adult

Two

of

the

main

prevention

programmes

are

youth

inclusion

programmes

and

youth

inclusion

and

support

panels

although

there

are

many

others

Youth

inclusion

programmes

These

are

for

to

year

olds

and

usually

last

for

set

lengths

of

time

eg

months

Sometimes

a

young

person

can

attend

for

longer

if

they

need

to

if

they

find

the

activities

helpful

Youth

inclusion

and

support

panels

These

panels

made

up

of

people

like

local

youth

or

social

workers

work

with

to

year

olds

to

make

sure

they

get

access

to

local

services

that

will

help

them

stay

out

of

trouble

These

services

could

be

things

like

getting

extra

help

at

school

or

treatment

for

health

or

mental

health

problems

Both

these

programmes

use

something

called

an

intervention

plan

that

everyone

must

agree

on

including

the

young

person

and

their

family

This

plan

describes

what

the

young

person

is

expected

to

do

as

well

as

what

support

the

young

person

will

get

Young

people

can

also

be

mentored

and

sometimes

their

families

can

also

be

involved

Mentoring

A

mentor

is

a

specially

trained

volunteer

who

spends

time

helping

someone

They

can

help

a

young

person

with

things

like

doing

better

at

school

coping

with

bullying

applying

for

jobs

or

colleges

Sometimes

this

personal

help

can

be

more

effective

than

sending

a

young

person

on

a

group

activity

A

mentoring

programme

does

n’t

usually

have

a

set

time

limit

a

young

person

can

be

mentored

for

as

long

as

is

helpful

Mentors

are

not

connected

to

the

police

or

a

school

Involving

parents

and

families

Usually

parents

and

families

will

be

involved

in

helping

a

young

person

on

a

crime

prevention

programme

This

could

mean

anything

from

attending

classes

with

their

child

to

just

making

sure

the

young

person

does

what

they

are

asked

Parenting

programmes

If

a

young

person

gets

into

trouble

with

the

law

their

parents

or

carers

might

be

asked

to

go

on

a

parenting

programme

Usually

they

will

be

asked

to

attend

voluntarily

but

sometimes

they

will

have

to

go

This

can

be

part

of

a

youth

crime

prevention

programme

and

sometimes

it

will

be

separate

How

these

programmes

work

will

change

from

person

to

person

and

will

be

planned

in

a

way

that

’s

right

for

the

young

person

and

their

family

They

could

involve

improving

parenting

skills

making

sure

nothing

at

home

is

causing

the

young

person

to

commit

crime


Overview

As

a

disabled

person

you

have

rights

to

protect

you

from

discrimination

These

rights

cover

most

areas

including

employment

education

dealing

with

the

police

The

Equality

Act

and

the

United

Nations

UN

Convention

on

disability

rights

help

to

enforce

protect

and

promote

your

rights

Employment

It

’s

against

the

law

for

employers

to

discriminate

against

you

because

of

a

disability

The

Equality

Act

protects

you

and

covers

areas

including

application

forms

interview

arrangements

aptitude

or

proficiency

tests

job

offers

terms

of

employment

including

pay

promotion

transfer

and

training

opportunities

dismissal

or

redundancy

discipline

and

grievances

Reasonable

adjustments

in

the

workplace

An

employer

has

to

make

reasonable

adjustments

to

avoid

you

being

put

at

a

disadvantage

compared

to

non

disabled

people

in

the

workplace

For

example

adjusting

your

working

hours

or

providing

you

with

a

special

piece

of

equipment

to

help

you

do

the

job

Recruitment

An

employer

who

’s

recruiting

staff

may

make

limited

enquiries

about

your

health

or

disability

You

can

only

be

asked

about

your

health

or

disability

to

help

decide

if

you

can

carry

out

a

task

that

is

an

essential

part

of

the

work

to

help

find

out

if

you

can

take

part

in

an

interview

to

help

decide

if

the

interviewers

need

to

make

reasonable

adjustments

for

you

in

a

selection

process

to

help

monitoring

if

they

want

to

increase

the

number

of

disabled

people

they

employ

if

they

need

to

know

for

the

purposes

of

national

security

checks

You

may

be

asked

whether

you

have

a

health

condition

or

disability

on

an

application

form

or

in

an

interview

You

need

to

think

about

whether

the

question

is

one

that

is

allowed

to

be

asked

at

that

stage

of

recruitment

Redundancy

and

retirement

You

ca

n’t

be

chosen

for

redundancy

just

because

you

’re

disabled

The

selection

process

for

redundancy

must

be

fair

and

balanced

for

all

employees

Your

employer

can

not

force

you

to

retire

if

you

become

disabled

Education

It

’s

against

the

law

for

a

school

or

other

education

provider

to

treat

disabled

students

unfavourably

This

includes

direct

discrimination

for

example

refusing

admission

to

a

student

or

excluding

them

because

of

disability

indirect

discrimination

for

example

only

providing

application

forms

in

one

format

that

may

not

be

accessible

discrimination

arising

from

a

disability

for

example

a

disabled

pupil

is

prevented

from

going

outside

at

break

time

because

it

takes

too

long

to

get

there

harassment

for

example

a

teacher

shouts

at

a

disabled

student

for

not

paying

attention

when

the

student

’s

disability

stops

them

from

easily

concentrating

victimisation

for

example

suspending

a

disabled

student

because

they

’ve

complained

about

harassment

Reasonable

adjustments

An

education

provider

has

a

duty

to

make

reasonable

adjustments

to

make

sure

disabled

students

are

not

discriminated

against

These

changes

could

include

providing

extra

support

and

aids

like

specialist

teachers

or

equipment

Schools

are

not

subject

to

the

reasonable

adjustment

duty

to

make

alterations

to

physical

features

like

adding

ramps

They

must

make

the

buildings

accessible

for

their

disabled

pupils

as

part

of

their

overall

planning

duties

Special

educational

needs

and

disabilities

SEND

All

publicly

funded

pre

schools

nurseries

state

schools

and

local

authorities

must

try

to

identify

and

help

assess

children

with

special

educational

needs

and

disabilities

SEND

If

a

child

has

an

an

education

health

and

care

EHC

plan

or

a

statement

of

special

educational

needs

these

must

be

reviewed

annually

From

year

the

child

will

get

a

full

review

to

understand

what

support

they

will

need

to

prepare

them

for

adulthood

Higher

education

All

universities

and

higher

education

colleges

should

have

a

person

in

charge

of

disability

issues

that

you

can

talk

to

about

the

support

they

offer

You

can

also

ask

local

social

services

for

an

assessment

to

help

with

your

day

to

day

living

needs

Police

If

you

’re

being

questioned

or

interviewed

at

a

police

station

you

have

certain

rights

depending

on

your

impairment

Deaf

hearing

impaired

or

speech

difficulties

The

police

should

arrange

for

an

interpreter

to

be

present

with

you

The

police

can

interview

you

without

an

interpreter

if

a

delay

would

result

in

harm

to

people

property

or

evidence

Learning

disabilities

The

police

should

only

interview

someone

who

has

a

learning

disability

when

a

responsible

person

referred

to

as

an

appropriate

adult

is

present

The

appropriate

adult

should

not

work

for

the

police

and

should

have

experience

of

people

with

learning

disabilities

The

police

can

interview

you

without

an

appropriate

adult

if

a

delay

would

result

in

harm

to

people

property

or

evidence

Right

to

medical

treatment

If

you

’re

being

kept

in

a

police

cell

you

have

the

right

to

a

medical

examination

by

a

healthcare

worker

A

healthcare

worker

may

be

a

paramedic

nurse

or

a

police

surgeon

sometimes

referred

to

as

a

Forensic

Medical

Examiner

If

you

do

not

want

to

be

examined

by

the

healthcare

worker

provided

you

could

be

examined

by

a

general

practitioner

GP

that

you

choose

if

they

’re

available

You

may

have

to

pay

for

this

and

this

payment

will

be

noted

down

The

Equality

Act

and

UN

Convention

The

Equality

Act

protects

you

from

discrimination

It

provides

legal

rights

for

you

in

the

areas

of

employment

education

access

to

goods

services

and

facilities

buying

and

renting

land

or

property

The

Equality

Act

also

protects

your

rights

if

you

have

an

association

with

a

disabled

person

for

example

a

carer

or

parent

Get

more

information

about

the

Equality

Act

United

Nations

UN

Convention

on

disability

rights

The

UN

Convention

on

disability

rights

has

been

agreed

by

the

UK

to

protect

and

promote

the

rights

of

disabled

people

Get

more

information

about

the

UN

Convention

on

disability

rights

from

the

Office

for

Disability

Issues

Further

help

and

advice

Check

if

you

can

get

legal

aid

to

help

with

your

legal

costs

if

you

think

you

’ve

been

discriminated

against

You

can

get

advice

from

Civil

Legal

Advice

if

you

’re

eligible

You

can

get

advice

and

information

on

your

rights

from

Equality

Advisory

Support

Service

Disability

Rights

UK

Advicenow

Citizens

Advice