Lentswe, Klerksdorp - A wider group of South Africans now qualify for free legal aid after Legal Aid SA revised its “means test’’.
The test is used to determine if applicants qualify for legal aid and was revised upwards to cater for increases in the Consumer Price Index. This will enable access to legal services to a wider group of people. The changes came into effect on Monday, April 1. Below is a summary of the new Means Test thresholds.
Legal Aid SA considers what applicants earn, after tax, and own:
Applications for legal aid in criminal/civil cases - applicants must earn less than R8 700 per month.
Applications for legal aid in civil cases where the applicant is a member of a household – applicants must earn less than R9 500 per month.
If an applicant owns movable assets, they must not be worth more than R160 800.
If an applicant owns immovable assets, they must not be worth more than R754 400.
In criminal cases, children - minors below the age of 18 - continue to automatically qualify for legal aid and do not have to take the Means Test.
If it is a civil case, the family of the child will need to take and pass the Means Test.
