A campaign called Access to Justice Alliance is urging the Government to change the system of funding to encourage more legal firms to offer advice to the low-paid.

Campaigners say the Government’s new system of fixed fees often does not take into account the amount of time spent on each case. As a result many Sheffield firms have withdrawn from providing legal aid altogether.

Douglas Johnson, disability rights worker at the Sheffield Law Centre, on Joiner Street just off The Wicker, said: “We are doing it to highlight the need for publicly-funded, free legal advice services.

“We have to turn away hundreds, or perhaps even over 1,000 people, each year who want advice because we just can’t provide it.

“The real problem is that the changes in legal aid funding mean it is not viable for many solicitors to provide legal aid anymore. It has created a legal aid desert.”

He added many solicitors would offer advice in cases such as personal injury, where large payouts can pay for the cost of providing advice, but they were unwilling to act in areas such as housing or immigration, where clients are awarded much smaller amounts.

Chris Cole, chair of the Sheffield Law Centre, added: “The people who suffer the most from the reforms are the poorest and most vulnerable people in our society. These are people with mental health issues, with disabilities, people facing eviction or fleeing domestic violence.”