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Author Archives: HM Government

News story: Civil news: immigration and asylum, clarification on claiming for hourly rates matters

These matters are set out in para 8.77(d) of the 2013 Immigration Specification, and are subject to cost limits as described at paragraphs 8.80 to 8.89 of that specification.

CWA, the system onto which such claims are reported, does not contain validation to enforce such cost limits.

Providers should ensure that the costs claimed in their submission do not exceed the limit that applied at the time they were incurred.

For example, if costs totalling £835 have been incurred, but the cost limit was £800, then costs reported should be limited to £800. CWA will not automatically limit costs to the applicable cost limit.

Where the reasonable costs of attendance at an interview with the Home Office are to be claimed, you should enter ‘1’ in the Home Office interview field. The total profit costs incurred, subject to any agreed limit, including these additional reasonable costs, should then be reported in the ‘Profit Costs exc VAT’ field.

The guidance for reporting controlled work matters will shortly be updated to clarify this point.

Further information

2013 Standard Civil Contract (Immigration)

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HM Government

News story: Civil news: reminder for Immigration providers, reimbursement of client travel

The travel costs of a client for the purposes of attending their office to give instructions, are payable under the immigration contract.

When claiming travel costs, paragraphs 8.49 to 8.51 of the 2013 Standard Civil Contract (Immigration Specification), explicitly states that such costs are claimable where:

  • at the time the matter is opened there is not a more local provider
  • the client is in receipt of NASS support or is an Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Child (UASC) who is supported by Social Services
  • the client is informed, prior to the attendance, that the reasonable costs of their travel on the cheapest available public transport are then claimable

This provision aids those clients who are required to make journeys outside of their locality to instruct their legal representative.

If providers encounter issues in applying this provision, they should contact their contract manager to discuss further.

Further information

2013 Standard Civil Contract (Immigration)

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HM Government

News story: Civil news: requests for supplementary matter starts in immigration and asylum

Providers likely to use their immigration new matter starts before the end of March 2018 can request supplementary matters from their contract manager.

Earlier this year, the Legal Aid Agency invited existing immigration and asylum providers in London and Mid, South West, and Coastal Kent, to submit expressions of interest for supplementary matter starts to deliver immigration and asylum legal help, specifically for providing advice to asylum seekers being transferred from other areas of the UK to London by National Asylum Seekers Support (NASS) and/or Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC) arriving in the UK following the closure of the camp at Calais. The outcome of that exercise can be found on GOV.UK.

If you are witnessing relating to changes in dispersal, particularly those as a result of any increases in the dispersal of UASC, you should inform your contract manager.

Further information regarding requesting supplementary matter starts can be found at paras 1.20 to 1.23 of the 2013 Standard Civil Contract (General Specification).

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HM Government