Digital developments in applying for criminal legal aid
The LAA’s current service contract that supports processing of applications and claims on criminal legal aid (eForms) ends in September 2024.
The LAA are developing new digital replacement in-house services to replace the current CRM forms when the eForms contract ends in September.
Forms to be replaced are:
- Apply for criminal legal aid (CRM14 and 15)
- Claim a non-standard magistrates’ court payment (CRM7)
- Apply for prior authority to incur disbursements (CRM4)
- Apply for extension of upper limits (CRM5)
- Accessing historic eForms information
Providers will need to transition to the replacement services in summer 2024.
Providers will no longer be able to submit eForms on Equiniti from Tuesday 6 August 2024.
The LAA will continue to process claims that are currently within the e-forms service until Tuesday 20 August to ensure any pending eForms are processed.
Data from 2009 until 19 March 2024 has been migrated and restored from existing eForm submissions. A further data migration and restoration will need to occur between Tuesday 20 August and Friday 6 September for any new or updated data.
Providers are encouraged to use the new services as soon as they become available. Doing so will bring more stability to service provisions. Direct access to historic eForms data will only be available for LAA Caseworkers from Tuesday 20 August. From 20 August 2024, access to historical data from providers will require a request to LAA Customer Service Team.
Apply for criminal legal aid (previously CRM14 and 15)
All providers have now been onboarded onto the Apply for criminal legal aid service. If you are yet to use the service, or have any questions to help you get started, please get in touch with your contract manager.
The service can currently be used to submit applications for single applicants in receipt of a passported benefit or who are not working.
90 percent of applications can be made through the Apply service but eForms should continue to be used for:
- Applicants who have a partner
- Applicants who are employed or self employed
- Applications that are non means tested
- Applications for a change in financial circumstances
Providers will be notified when the last 10 percent of functionality goes live.
Apply for prior authority to incur disbursements (previously CRM4)
A digital service is to be released in June 2024 to a group of providers to test the service before wider rollout.
This service will be available to all providers by early August 2024.
Providers will be contacted via email once their firm has been onboarded onto the new digital service. At this point providers should stop using eForms and use only the new service.
Providers can continue using the current CRM4 eForm while waiting to be onboarded.
Apply for extension of upper limits (previously CRM5)
A pilot digital service was released in May 2024 to a group of providers to test the service before wider rollout.
The service will be available to all providers in June 2024.
Providers will be contacted via email once their firm has been onboarded onto the new digital service. At this point, providers should stop using eForms and use only the new service.
Providers can only use the new service when they are onboarded. Until then providers can continue using the current CRM5 eForms.
Claim a non-standard magistrates’ court payment (previously CRM7)
This new service will replace the current CRM7 form. A pilot digital service is to be released in Summer 2024 to a group of providers to the service before wider rollout.
Providers will be advised when the digital service is available and whether to use a paper only route with instructions on how to do this. This contingency is only to be used if there is no other alternative.
When launched the digital service will only be able to accept fully digital claims including digital evidence.
Claims for non-standard magistrates’ court payments that are supported with paper evidence will have to be submitted using the paper form supported with paper evidence.
The LAA will monitor the need to maintain both a digital and paper service going forward.
Access to historical Equiniti data
From 20 August 2024 access to historical data from providers will require a request to the LAA Customer Service Team.
Further information
The LAA will continue to provide updates as service development continues.
Please direct any queries to LAAapplyonboarding@justice.gov.uk