Helpline - 08001 225 6653
Gurkha Free Legal Advice can help people deal with everyday problems by giving them high quality, confidential advice over the phone.
We provide specialist independent advice about debt, education, family, welfare benefits and tax credits, employment and housing problems to people who live on a low income or benefits (typically a household income of £29,000 or less a year).
If people are not eligible for legal aid, we can still find ways to help by putting them in touch with the right agency or advice organisation. The service covers English and Welsh law.
We currently give specialist advice in the following areas:
- Debt - e.g. bailiffs/council tax arrears, general repayment of debt, charging orders
- Welfare Benefits & Tax Credits - e.g. entitlement, tax credits, incapacity, appeals
- Housing - e.g. rent and mortgage arrears, disrepair, eviction, repossession, homelessness
- Employment - e.g. unfair dismissal, deduction of wages and discrimination
- Education - e.g. special educational needs, exclusions, bullying and admissions
- Family - separation / divorce, child contact, domestic abuse
Our helpline operators are trained to a high level to resolve as many calls as they can. If we can't help, or we do not provide specialist advice in the problem category, we will refer callers to alternative sources of information and help including local solicitors, advice agencies and other helplines.
Open Monday - Friday 9am - 8:00pm, Sat 9am - 12:30pm
Out of hours - leave a message to be called back
Full casework service
We don't just offer initial telephone advice. We offer a full casework service delivered by phone and post. If the client needs representation at court we will refer them to a local face-to-face advice provider and support the client through the process.
Is the cost of a call an issue for your customers?
Calls to our helpline cost no more than 4p per minute from a BT landline - may be more from mobile phones. If people are worried about the cost, they can:
- Ask an adviser to call them back
- Use the call-me-back service on our website
- Use our text service - texting 'legalaid' and name to 80010 and we will call back within 24 hours
We recognise the diversity of our clients
The helpline has a translation service for callers who would like advice in a language other than English or Welsh.
