We have been assisting the people of Liverpool with their benefit issues since the 1970s. We were formally established as Merseyside Welfare Rights in 1988 and are now Merseyside Law Centre. Our overall objective is to combat poverty and homelessness by providing free, accessible, confidential, quality advice and representation to assist clients to pursue their legal rights, within a framework of equality and opportunity.

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Our main office is located in Toxteth, close to the city centre.  We have a community advice service that operates from Dovecot and includes outreach advice services.

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We provide specialist legal advice and assistance relating to welfare benefits, housing and immigration. Our advice is provided to those in need, regardless of age, gender, race, or disability. Our activities focus on promoting social inclusion and relieving the needs of individuals, who are, or, who may become, socially excluded as a result of factors such as unemployment, race, financial hardship, ill health (physical or mental) and youth or old age. Our purpose is to assist individuals, by helping them overcome some of the difficulties that they face, and thus ensuring their successful integration into society.

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In 2016 we were awarded the prestigious Law Society Diversity Access Scheme (DAS) scholarship which supports those facing exceptionally challenging circumstances, enabling them to pursue their law studies and career.

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Our welfare benefits advice team provides advice and representation on all matters from Tribunal representation, Upper Tribunals and Judicial Reviews.

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Our housing advice focuses on threats of possession of and eviction from homes with a view to preventing homelessness. We also deal with disrepair and anti-social behaviour issues.

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Our immigration team take on cases for individuals and families who have no leave to remain or who need to make an application to keep their immigration status. This includes domestic abuse cases and applications made based on family life or long residence in the UK. We help people who can not afford to pay a lawyer privately and where we think our help can resolve the person’s problem. From September 2023, we will have a legal aid contract for immigration cases and will start doing asylum cases.

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As part of our overall objective, Merseyside Law Centre is also committed to the principles of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and the abolition of modern slavery and human trafficking.

Our recruitment and people management processes are designed to ensure that all prospective employees are legally entitled to work in the UK.

We do not enter into business with any organisation, in the UK or abroad, which knowingly supports or is found to be involved in slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour.

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