Supporting the public
The Law Clinic helps many clients each year. Take a look below to see how we could help.
How we can help you
The Law Clinic offers support to the public in many areas.
Please feel free to contact us if you are a social security claimant with an appeal about Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
Or
If you are a claimant with an employment case involving the following claims:
- holiday pay
- working time regulations
- unlawful deduction of wages
- minimum wage claims.
We also offer one-off commercial legal advice for small businesses, charities, SMEs, entrepreneurs and start-ups. This can include advice on areas such as intellectual property, data protection, terms & conditions and business structure.
(Please note we cannot advise on shareholder agreements or patents).
Previous cases
The Ulster University Law Clinic has provided free legal help to a number of clients on many different aspects of social security and employment law over the years. Below are some examples of previous cases we've worked on.
Social Security: Disability Living Allowance
The client was referred to the Ulster University Law Clinic by the RNIB after her claim for Disability Living Allowance (DLA) was unsuccessful. The case had been quite long, stretching back more than 12 months due to a number of factors.
The student clinician had a number of meetings with the client and prepared an up to date submission which included an additional questionnaire from the client’s GP and a decision of entitlement to ESA, both of which further enhanced the case for an award of DLA.
Due to the client’s visual impairment, the student clinician prepared all the client’s paperwork in large font and advised the Department that any documentation relating to the case was also required to be in large font.
The student clinician represented the client at her tribunal appeal. The appeal was successful, and the client was awarded DLA, receiving over £1,500 in arrears. The client was very grateful for the help she received: “I was pleased with the way I was looked after throughout my appeal and want to say thanks once again for everyone who dealt with my case and looked after me from day one.”
Employment: Unfair Dismissal
In this case our client was dismissed from his job due to allegedly breaching trust and confidence with an employer. The client came to the Law Clinic directly, after initially acting as a self-litigant at an early Case Management Discussion (CMD).
A range of interesting legal issues were explored including an ECHR Article 8 argument pertaining to the right to a private and family life. This argument was relied upon as the respondent had engaged in the use of private surveillance.
The Clinic supported and represented the client at all stages of the tribunal process. This included taking full responsibility for all interlocutory matters, negotiations with the respondent’s legal representatives and formal advocacy on behalf of the client. A close relationship was maintained with the client throughout the case.
The outcome is still pending, however the client has expressed immense gratitude and has been very complimentary of the assistance provided by the Ulster University Law Clinic: “Thank you again for all your effort. If I was doing this on my own I’d have given up long ago.”
Social Security: Employment and Support Allowance
The client had previously been in receipt of ESA for over a decade and re-applied for ESA. He was turned down on the basis of the healthcare professional’s assessment and was not awarded the required 15 points.
The Law Clinic agreed to assist the client on all aspects of his appeal including sending an ESA medical questionnaire to the client’s GP.
The student clinician provided a detailed written submission to the panel before the hearing, based on oral evidence from the client, medical evidence and case law. The student clinician also represented the client at the hearing. The appeal was successful and the ESA award was backdated for four months, to the date of the Department’s original decision.
The client is very happy with the outcome of the case and with the work of the student clinician.
