According to Cointelegraph, the United Kingdom's Ministry of Justice has published its response to public consultation regarding the proposed 'Help with Fees' (HwF) scheme, which aims to provide financial support for court or tribunal fees to individuals with low income and minimal savings. The scheme's primary objectives are to ensure access to justice for low-income individuals, provide money to taxpayers who bear the cost of fee remissions, and ensure the scheme is accessible with clear eligibility criteria.

During the public consultation process, questions were raised about the Ministry of Justice's proposal to amend the definition of disposable capital to include savings and investments, with a 'non-exhaustive list' of examples that included cryptocurrencies. Most respondents supported the proposal, while others disagreed, stating that applicants should not be penalized for having savings and investments, particularly pensioners and self-employed individuals.

The government's response emphasized that it would not propose an exhaustive list of capital types constituting savings and investments, as it would create 'unnecessary risk' for all types of capital omitted or not yet developed. The ministry confirmed that cryptocurrencies are already covered by the current definition of capital under the Fees Orders and will continue to be covered by the proposed definition. The ministry plans to review its list in the public guidance accompanying HwF applications to help applicants determine whether certain types of capital are covered in its current definition. The public response also notes that individuals with savings or investments above a threshold of £16,000 will be expected to use these resources to pay legal fees before receiving assistance from the HwF scheme.