Thank you to everyone who came to our Annual General Meeting on Tuesday, and to our speakers in the informative session on new technologies of surveillance. More details and our 2025 Annual Report will be up on our website soon - watch this space!

Often, when someone is eligible for Legal Aid, we take on tenants' cases after court duty and continue representing them through the proceedings. In some cases, this can result in compensation as well as the tenant keeping their home.

Sometimes a duty solicitor can persuade a landlord to end their possession claim before it even has to be heard by a judge - especially where there are defences that would make it more expensive for them to continue with the case than to accept they got it wrong.

A duty solicitor at court can help stop your eviction by spotting legal problems with your landlord's claim, and helping tenants find and explain defences to the judge. Below we include some examples from our experiences defending tenants on court duty.

Congratulations to Zayd Tariq, our student volunteer who won Best Student Contribution at the Manchester Pro Bono Awards last week. Zayd has shown excellent client care skills and flexibility supporting his welfare benefits clients. Thank you Zayd for your work - and the cake!

Thank you to everyone who came to our 10 year anniversary party last week!

It was lovely to reflect with so many of our past and present contributors on the progress GMLC has made in the last 10 years, and what fights are ongoing for #FreeAccessToJustice.

Thank you to Xade, who has been helping on our Reception for several months now. GMLC gets hundreds of enquiries a week, and volunteers like Xade can help our communities to navigate the advice that's out there - as well as making use of our services.

Thank you to our volunteer Mariam Hussain for the work she does on our campaign team! Read her last article for us here - the next is to come soon.
www.gmlaw.org.uk/2024/07/24/d...

📢🚫NO to disability benefit cuts! #WelfareNotWarfare

GMLC staff and volunteers joined Manchester DPAC, GM Coalition of Disabled People, GM Tenants Union, Unite, Unison and others today in central Manchester to protest against the government's proposed attacks on disabled people's lives.

🚫NO RETURN TO AUSTERITY!

🚫NO CUTS TO BENEFITS!

There will be a protest in Manchester on Tuesday 1st April, 12 noon outside Boots, M1 1PL. Come and join us to resist government cuts to disabled people's benefits!

In less than 2 weeks, our friends at Block the Block are taking Manchester City Council to court over planning decisions.

Instead of more tower blocks designed for private profit, they are arguing for the Hulme site to be developed for the community.

thegamecock.org

Is your landlord asking you to leave your home?
Have you had a Section 21 Notice? (A letter with ‘Form 6A’ at the top.)
Get some legal advice on your rights from Greater Manchester Law Centre at our Section 21 clinic.
Contact us at reception@gmlaw.org.uk and ask for Zineb.

In 2024, GMLC's welfare benefits team has recovered £3.04 million in benefits for residents of Greater Manchester. These are our highest ever gains in one calendar year.

GMLC is now on Bluesky! Hello to those of you who have followed us already.

Today we visited the picket line at the Manchester Early Intervention services strike for better funding of mental health services.
#ManchesterstrikeMH