England and Wales face widespread legal aid deserts

New research from LexisNexis reveals that approximately 14.49 million people in England and Wales, or 23.4% of the population, live in areas classified as ‘legal aid deserts’. These are regions where high legal need meets weak access to legal aid provision.

Across 91 local authorities, shortages were identified in five key areas: housing, immigration, family, employment, and crime. Housing represents the largest gap, affecting 6.6 million people. Other significant shortages include immigration (4.6 million), family (4.2 million), employment (4.1 million), and criminal law (3.6 million).

The report notes a sharp rise in people living in family and criminal legal aid deserts compared to 2022 data. Geographic inequality is prominent, with smaller, rural, and coastal communities—particularly in the East of England and East Midlands—suffering the most. Eight local authorities, including Babergh, Breckland, Derbyshire Dales, East Cambridgeshire, East Devon, Rutland, South Norfolk, and West Berkshire, are classified as deserts in four or more legal categories. In South Norfolk, the lack of access extends across all five examined areas of law.