About Hands up for Justice What is the problem Currently community legal centres are underfunded The community legal sector is operating in an environment shaped by one crisis after another, and the challenges and constraints that impact the ability of Centres to support those most at need in the community. This has led to an estimated average of 80 people being turned away from Centres in each electorate, every week. There is a need for a higher level of investment to meet demand for legal services to manage the increasingly complex and interconnected case-workload arising from the COVID-19 pandemic and other recent crises. The request for long-term, predictable and sustainable funding is necessary for the sector to address legal need and plan quality and innovative service delivery into the future. The need for long term funding certainty Community legal centres need long-term funding certainty to plan and provide effective services. The people and communities we help across Australia need to know we will be there to help them when they need it most. Funding certainty increases the effectiveness of centres, enabling them to make decisions about service delivery, staffing and organisational sustainability. It also increases the capacity of centres to dedicate resources to frontline service delivery and exploring innovative service delivery models, rather than the almost 4,000 hours per week currently spent by the sector on funding-related activities each year. There is a need for a higher level of investment to meet demand for legal services to manage the increasingly complex and interconnected case-workload arising from the COVID-19 pandemic and other recent crises. The request for long-term, predictable and sustainable funding is necessary for the sector to address legal need and plan quality and innovative service delivery into the future. Policy change to improve our communities We believe that when members of our communities present with the recurring problems which can be prevented with changes to government policies, we have a responsibility to bring this to the attention of federal parliamentarians and advocate for change.