Sense: Legal Support Service

We give legal advice and assistance to deafblind individuals or their family members and supporters.

We aim to provide you with information to address the issues yourself, by advising you what the law says, how it applies to you and what action you can take.

We have also created a wealth of information on our website about deafblind people's rights to social care, education and welfare benefits.

Sometimes you may be unable to progress matters yourself and need Sense's legal team to intervene.

Where appropriate we can write letters or make phone calls on your behalf. This work is carried out by our caseworkers.

If matters cannot be resolved by Sense's legal team and further action is needed we can refer your case to solicitors.

The legal support service gets involved in a variety of cases.

The more common types of issues that we advise on relate to:

• disability discrimination
• the right to adequate and appropriate health and social care
• the right to adequate and appropriate education
• the right to an adequate standard of living (includes welfare benefits)

Legal advice

However, we are happy to research most legal issues upon which advice is needed.

All legal advice provided by our caseworkers is free of charge to you.

If we refer your case to Solicitors or if your case goes to court you may be required to contribute to costs, unless you are eligible for legal aid.

In exceptional cases you can discuss with us whether Sense can offer any help with the costs.

Due to our limited resources we may not be able to take on every case that is referred to us.

When your case is referred to us we will look at various factors, including the potential damage to you if action is not taken, what other sources of support you may have and whether your situation is one which affects other deafblind people as well.

If you would like advice please contact legal@sense.org.uk or write to: Legal Support Service at Sense, 101 Pentonville Road, London, N1 9LG

101 Pentonville Road
Kings Cross
London
N1 9LG