Wiltshire Law Centre

Who we are

Established in 1981, Wiltshire Law Centre is a registered charity providing free and low-cost specialist legal advice in Housing and Welfare Benefits to individuals on low incomes.

In recent years, we have significantly expanded our housing law programme, to address the growing Legal Aid desert in south and southwest England, and we now represent clients from West Sussex to Worcestershire and from eastern Hampshire to Devon. We hold Housing and Debt Legal Aid contracts for Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight, Southampton and Wiltshire. We also hold Housing Loss Prevention Advice Service contracts—enabling us to provide early legal advice and court duty—for Aldershot, Basingstoke, Gloucester, the Isle of Wight, Portsmouth, Salisbury, Southampton and Swindon.

With funder support, we have rebuilt our welfare benefits appeals programme. By providing benefits advice and representation, clients can avoid other legal and personal difficulties (e.g., in relation to their housing and health).  

Our culture and values

Wiltshire Law Centre proudly adheres to these values:

• Equal justice: Human rights and equality before the law are the cornerstone of a fair and just society. Everyone has a right to equality before the law. This is only possible if every person can access high quality, independent and expert legal assistance, regardless of their means to challenge unjust laws and circumstances.

• Dignity and respect: We believe people should be able to live in their communities with dignity and respect. We aim to be empathetic and honest at all times.

• Trust: We recognise the specific circumstances of individuals or groups and tailor our services accordingly. We will always do what we can to create an environment of trust so that clients can understand their rights and engage in any legal processes that concern them.

• Independence: We must be free to champion the rights of the most disadvantaged and should be directly accountable to local people.

• Social Justice: We respond to needs in the community by raising the awareness of human and legal rights, pursuing test cases, influencing social policy and campaigning for social justice. We believe in early intervention and prevention, where possible. We are committed to working with local people, pursuing their cases until a just outcome is achieved.