North & West Kent Citizens Advice today launches Kent Law Centre, the county’s only Law Centre, to give free specialist legal advice and representation to the 1.6 million people facing a Legal Aid desert in Kent.
People in Kent who need a legal aid lawyer to keep their home or see their children have very few places to turn. Outside the new Kent Law Centre, just five providers hold legal aid contracts for housing across the whole county, two hold contracts for immigration and asylum, and none hold contracts for welfare benefits.
At a time when households are being squeezed more tightly than ever, too many people cannot get the crucial support they need to access justice. As a result, many parts of Kent are increasingly becoming recognised as “legal aid deserts”.
The shortage of legal aid in Kent is not new. In 2022, research by LexisNexis placed seven Kent districts – Sevenoaks, Tonbridge & Malling, Tunbridge Wells, Maidstone, Canterbury, Dover and Thanet – in the bottom 10% of the country for housing legal aid provision against local need.
More people came to CAKLC for help with debt in 2025 than in any year prior. The average debt owed by CAKLC clients rose by two thirds between 2021 and 2025, from £6,911 to £11,541. Six in ten clients whose budgets were assessed in early 2026 could not cover their essential costs, compared with between 44% and 55% in each of the previous five years.
Cost of living is rising while help with the cost of housing has declined in real terms, leading to too many people foregoing the legal help they need to navigate a complex process that will leave a profound impact on their lives.
The launch of the Law Centre represents a significant milestone for advice and legal support services in Kent and reflects the organisation’s long-term commitment to ensuring that everyone in our community understands their rights and is empowered to challenge unfairness and access justice when it is needed.
“Legal aid exists so that nobody loses their home, or has to face an abusive partner in court, just because they cannot afford a lawyer. In too much of Kent, that promise is not being kept.
“Our advisers regularly meet people who qualify for free legal help and cannot find anyone to give it. As a Law Centre, we can now put a lawyer on their side. But no single organisation can close a gap this wide. Legal aid has to pay enough for firms to take these cases on, and housing support has to reflect what rent really costs in Kent.”
“When people cannot access the advice they need, they risk becoming excluded from the systems that are supposed to protect them. Kent Law Centre will help ensure that vulnerable and under-represented communities across Kent can understand their rights, navigate complex challenges and enable them to participate more fully in society.”
“When legal problems go unresolved, the impact is felt not only by the individual, but by families, communities and public services. Kent Law Centre represents an important investment in early intervention and prevention, helping people access expert support before issues escalate into crisis. By resolving problems earlier, we can improve outcomes for residents and reduce avoidable pressure on local services across Kent.”
The new Kent Law Centre will operate as an integrated part of the new, combined organisation: North & West Kent Citizens Advice & Kent Law Centre (CAKLC). Anyone in need of support can access it on 0808 278 7810 or at citizensadvicenwk.org.uk/kent-law-centre
