To meet the urgent needs of low-income Americans, the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) seeks $2.132 billion for FY 2026. This is an increase of $335 million over our FY 2025 request, all of which would go to “Basic Field” grants to independent legal aid organizations that provide legal services to eligible Americans. LSC approves grantee applications to provide legal services and ensures continual oversight of all organizations.

LSC requests $1.797 billion for FY 2025, an increase of $216 million over LSC’s FY 2024 budget request. This recommendation considers the sustained impact of COVID-19 and the drastic increase in child poverty experienced in 2022. We know that more than 33% of unmet legal needs are directly related to COVID-19 and others have been exacerbated by the pandemic. We also know child poverty more than doubled from 5.2% in 2021 to more than 12.4% in 2022. Evictions continue to rise – returning to or exceeding historical averages. Debt collection and related consumer finance complaints have reached record highs. Without a significant additional investment in civil legal aid, the justice gap will only continue to grow.

LSC requests $1.576 billion for FY 2024, an increase of $313 million over LSC’s FY 2023 budget request. This recommendation considers the sustained impact of COVID-19 on low-income Americans. We now know that more than 33% of unmet legal needs are directly related to COVID-19 and that the legal needs of low-income people have only been exacerbated as a result of the pandemic. Evictions are on the rise – returning to or exceeding historical averages. Debt collection and related consumer finance complaints have reached record highs. In 2021, LSC grantees closed a record number of cases involving domestic violence. As families grapple with legal needs related to or exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, we expect the number of people seeking help from LSC grantees to increase in the next several years. 

LSC requests an appropriation of $1.26 billion for FY 2023, an increase of $245 million from last year’s request. Our request addresses the anticipated increase in demand for civil legal services due to the disproportionate impact that COVID-19 is having on low-income communities, coupled with the ongoing lack of adequate resources to provide civil legal assistance to millions of Americans eligible for LSC-funded services before the pandemic.

LSC requests an appropriation of $1,018,800,000 for FY 2022. Our request addresses the anticipated increase in demand for civil legal services due to the disproportionate impact that COVID-19 is having on low-income communities as well as the continued lack of adequate resources to provide civil legal assistance to millions of Americans eligible for LSC-funded services before the pandemic.

LSC's 2021 Budget Request details how LSC funding supports constituent services in every congressional district and the specifics of LSC’s annual ask to Congress.

LSC requested an appropriation of $593,000,000 for FY 2020. This request reflected an increase of $28.2 million over the previous year’s request.