Legal aid fraud

Completing the suspected legal aid fraud form

If you suspect someone is receiving legal aid fraudulently, please complete as much of this form as you can. Do not worry if you don’t know the answers to some of the questions. All the information you provide will be strictly in confidence and although you do not have to give us your name or contact details you can if you wish.

Please only use this form to tell us about a legal aid applicant’s financial circumstances. If you have information about the legal merits of the court case or want tell us something about a legal aid solicitor do not use this form.

Strict rules of confidentiality contained in the legislation prevents us from telling you what is contained in an individual’s application and what action has been taken on the information you have sent to us. To do so would mean committing a criminal offence. However, you should not assume that we have done nothing simply because you do not hear from us in response to your submission.

Unless you have new information, please do not make multiple submissions using this form, as this can slow down any investigation process.

If you would prefer to report suspected legal aid fraud by telephone then please call 0131 226 7061 and ask to be put through to applicant investigations. Someone will be available to speak to you Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm.

You can also write to us at: Applicant Investigations, SLAB, Thistle House, 91 Haymarket Terrace, Edinburgh, EH12 5HE or email apinvestigations@slab.org.uk.

NOTE: Please read our website information about eligibility for criminal or civil legal assistance before filling in the form.

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Section 1: About the Applicant

Who are you providing information about?

Their name*

First Last

Any other names they use or are known by

Their address

Street Address Address Line 2 City ZIP / Postal Code

Their date of birth or age (if known)

Section 2: Income

Is there income you believe the applicant has not told us about?

Yes

If you think the applicant has not told us that they are working, tell us their employer’s name and address if known

Other details about their work (for example, type of work, how much they earn, which days they work, are they paid cash-in-hand, are they employed by a member of their family or by a close friend)

If you think the applicant has not told us about any other source of income, please tell us what this other income is and where it comes from. For example, maintenance payments, rental income from a second property

Section 3: Partner

Does the applicant have a partner?

Yes

What is the surname of the partner?

Their forename(s)

Any other names they are known by

Their address including postcode if different from above

What is their date of birth or age?

Does the partner work?

Yes

Tell us their employer’s name and full postal address if known

Other details about their work (for example, type of work, how much they earn, which days they work, are they paid in cash, are they employed by a member of their family or by a friend).

Section 4: Savings and Investments

Does the applicant have savings, investments or property?

Yes

Tell us about their savings

What amount of savings do you think the applicant has not told us about?

Where does the applicant keep these savings? For example the name and address of the bank or building society or other financial institution

Other capital assets: If you think the applicant has not told us about any other capital assets such as shares or investments then please tell us the value and the name and address of the bank or building society or other financial institution where these are held.

Property: If you think the applicant owns a property or land other than the place they live in please tell us the full postal address.

Section 5: About You

Your name

First Last

Your address

Street Address Address Line 2 City ZIP / Postal Code

Phone number

Important information about the data you are submitting

The Scottish Legal Aid Board is a data controller. The information provided by you will be used in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation 2016 and for our functions under the Legal Aid (Scotland) Act 1986.

By submitting this information you are giving us permission to use the information you have provided about the assisted person to investigate whether they are receiving legal aid fraudulently. To do this we may need to contact them to verify some of this information. We may also check the data you have submitted with certain third parties (for example, some government departments and agencies), or give information to them.

We will store the personal contact data, if you have provided any, and may contact you for more information. However we will not pass on your personal information to anyone else unless the law requires us to do so.

Under the General Data Protection Regulation 2016 you have the right to make a formal request in writing to see the personal information we hold about you, to inspect it and to have it corrected if it is wrong. In addition you may also have rights to have your data erased or have your data moved. You may be able to object to processing if you believe it to be unlawful and subject to lawful restrictions.