White House Recommends $430 Million for LSC in 2014
Washington, DC—The White House today recommended $430 million in funding for the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) in Fiscal Year 2014, an increase of $90 million over current funding and $28 million more than the White House recommended for FY 2013.
The recommendation includes $400.3 million (93 percent) for basic field grants, which fund the delivery of civil legal assistance to low-income Americans, and $19.5 million (4.5 percent) for management and grants oversight. It also includes $3.5 million for LSC’s Technology Initiative Grants (TIG), $1.5 million for a new Pro Bono Innovation Fund, $1 million for the Herbert L. Garten Loan Repayment Assistance Program, and $4.2 million for the Office of Inspector General.
“I am grateful for the White House’s strong support,” said LSC Board Chairman John G. Levi. “In this time of tight budgets, the President clearly understands that adequate funding for civil legal aid is important. Legal aid helps low-income Americans protect themselves and their families and promotes a fair and orderly justice system for us all.”
LSC President James J. Sandman said, “An appropriation of $430 million would help the legal aid programs we fund restore badly needed services for clients. Because of funding reductions since 2010, our grantees have been forced to eliminate more than 1,000 staff positions and close nearly 30 offices.”
LSC grantees help low-income families avert improper evictions and foreclosures, assist veterans seeking benefits they have earned, help victims of domestic violence escape abusive relationships and retain custody of their children, and protect seniors from consumer scams.
Read the White House FY 2014 Budget Recommendation for LSC. (Search for "Legal Services Corporation" or scroll to the page numbered 1268.)
Established by Congress in 1974, the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) promotes equal access to justice by funding high-quality civil legal assistance for low-income Americans. LSC is the single largest funder of civil legal aid for the poor in the country and currently funds 134 independent legal aid organizations. With more than 800 offices nationwide, these organizations serve thousands of low-income individuals, children, families, seniors, and veterans. LSC grantees handle the basic civil legal needs of the poor, addressing matters involving safety, subsistence, and family stability. Most legal aid practices are focused on family law, including domestic violence and child support and custody, and housing matters, including unlawful evictions and foreclosures.
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