Select Page

 Professional Indemnity Insurance Update – HLPAS Tender

by Legal Aid Contracts Expert Mark Gaskell

This is an update to the previous blog that can be found here. The Legal Aid Agency has amended the IFA for the HLPAS Contracts by making it easier to meet the criteria once the tender is closed.

Possibly in response to my raising concerns in relation to wasted professional indeminity premiums in an email dated 1st February 2023, the Legal Aid Agency has amended the IFA to make it easier to meet the criteria AFTER this tender closed. This may have resulted in rendering the tender invalid.  As I don’t think an amendment is lawful, because it is a competition, the Legal Aid Agency would need to re-run the tender, being open about the new criteria from the outset.  This leaves the Legal Aid Agency potentially facing challenges from unsucessful bidders, either those that submitted a tender and are unsuccessful or indeed those that were put off by the original onerous professional indemnity insurance requirements.

This may be academic, as the Legal Aid Market is so broken, see my first blog, that it does not appear there are sufficient interested Providers left after almost 6 years of the running of the 2018 Standard Civil Contract.

HLPAS tender offer amended after closure, amended HLPAS tender

The above Notice of Amendment appeared on the LAA website after I raised concerns in an email dated 1st Feb 2023 about the position in relation to professional indemnity insurance. It can be found here https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/housing-loss-prevention-advice-services-hlpas-and-housing-and-debt-services-from-august-2023 

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1135750/HLPAS_from_August_2023__Amendment_Notice_February_2023.pdf

Read our blog post:

Financial mismanagement and

attempted cover ups at the Legal Aid Agency

Mark Gaskell twitter, @MGLSolutions, legal aid contract tender experts, UK legal aid tender help

Let’s Work Together

amended HLPAS tender – delay to HLPAS – potential Legal Aid tender failure – PI insurance for LAA contract applicants