we are getting decisions now on requests for the IR to use discretion on whether to recover overpayments due to official error.

while the IR are saying the overpayment is their fault they are still, in all of our cases so far, going to recover.

does anyone know of any way we can help someone to take a decision such as this to judicial review without it costing them an arm and a leg if they are not legally aidable?

or can anyone suggest an alternative?

Help and comments please would be most welcome!!!

Try the Bar Pro Bono unit for free help with JR's. I think they're heavily oversubscribed so are pretty selective about what they do.

www.barprobono.org.uk

The Public Law Project may be worth a try as well. http://www.publiclawproject.org.uk/

I have a case which went through the Tax Credit internal complaint procedure and is now with the Adjudicator's Office because we were (to put it mildly) extremely dissatisfied with the response from the Tax Credit Director's Office. As well as the overpayment, the client had suffered a visit from their fraud team; also was unable to get legal aid because the incorrect amount they were paying was such as to make her ineligible. Substantial legal costs were then incurred.

I don't know what the outcome will be. The Tax Credit people were asked for their report on the case by the Adjudicator's Office 7 months ago, and have still not provided it! Still, it is another route you could try if you haven't already.