Statistics and trends revealed in The Solicitors’ Charity Big Report have highlighted a significant increase in the number of legal professionals who have been newly supported over the past year. Our charity helped 50% more new clients in 2022, who accessed emotional wellbeing and mental health care, financial advice and support, benefits advice and career transition counselling provided through our own caseworkers and partner services. Almost £1 million was spent on funding support to solicitors and their dependants in England and Wales during the past 12 months. The annual Big Report shows that our charity awarded £962,229 – with an additional £25,316 in secured loans – to help people in the solicitors’ profession who were in need or crisis. In 2021, we awarded £1,024,218, which included some ongoing COVID-19 support. Payments were a mix of one-off financial awards covering a range of necessities, such as household equipment, medical aids and adaptations to housing; grants and payments to partner organisations to provide services; and living allowances. This range allows us to provide the support that really matters to solicitors in need. To help address the impact of the cost-of-living crisis, in spring 2022 we made additional one-off payments to help all our primary clients with their domestic fuel bills. In the autumn, we increased our daily living allowance rates in line with changes to the Joseph Rowntree Minimum Income Standard, averaging a 20% increase. The number of new clients experiencing multiple health conditions increased by 50% last year, and there were 60% more new cases where clients had mental health issues compared to the year before. The Big Report shows that 27% of all The Solicitors’ Charity Big Report 60 LAWYER MONTHLY MAY 2023 New statistics revealed in The Solicitors’ Charity Big Report have highlighted a number of striking facts about support for legal professionals over the past year. The Solicitors’ Charity helped 50% more new clients in 2022, all primary clients received one-off awards to help with the cost-of-living crisis, and funding was granted for 284 solicitors to access emotional wellbeing or mental health support. These findings and more are analysed in this article from The Solicitors’ Charity. Expert Insight Highlighting a 50% Rise in Support Last Year
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