What a duty scheme is
A duty scheme is the LAA's unit for organising duty work. Each covers one or more police stations and/or magistrates' courts (Specification definition of "Duty Scheme"). Which scheme a firm can join depends on where its office is, using the LAA's Duty Solicitor Postcode Tool (Specification 6.6).
Two numbering systems
You'll see two kinds of reference, and they aren't interchangeable:
- Police station scheme codes (Annex A). Annex A of the LAA's Guidance for Reporting Crime Lower Work lists every police station scheme with a four-digit code and every police station with an alphanumeric station ID. For example, Bath is scheme 2002 and Bath police station is BR009; Medway is scheme 7003; Maidstone & West Malling is 7005. This is the code you report on a claim.
- DS references. The LAA's directory of legal aid providers spreadsheet lists each crime provider's duty scheme memberships with a DS reference, such as DS0101 Bath & Wansdyke. Our duty scheme pages use these references, because they're how the LAA identifies which firms belong to which scheme.
Which code goes on the claim
The reporting guidance has two separate fields:
- Scheme ID: "the scheme on which the solicitor was on duty when instructed, not necessarily the scheme in which the police station is located" (numeric, e.g. 1001).
- Police Station ID: the station where the first attendance took place (alphanumeric, e.g. NE001).
Both codes are in Annex A. Claims are submitted through Submit a Bulk Claim, live since early 2026.
Why the scheme still matters for billing
Before 22 December 2025, the police station fixed fee depended on the scheme. Since then, under SI 2025/1251 and Schedule 4, the fixed fee is £320 and the escape threshold £650 for all police station schemes. So for most cases the scheme no longer changes the fee.
It still matters for:
- reporting: the Scheme ID and Police Station ID are required fields;
- destination schemes: under Annex A1, travel time can be claimed in addition to the fixed fee for attendances at listed stations in six schemes (Barnstaple 2017, Berwick & Alnwick 1014, Dolgellau 4014, Isle of Wight 1142, Newark 8013 and Skegness 8009), where the travel is from an office in one of that scheme's attending duty schemes;
- rota membership and slots, which are per scheme (see duty solicitor rotas).
Model the fee for an escaped case with the escape fee calculator, and see claiming fees for police station work.
Looking up a station's scheme
- Search Annex A of the reporting guidance (the LAA suggests Ctrl+F) for the station name to get its ID and scheme code.
- Use our duty scheme pages to see which stations and member firms are in each scheme, from LAA data.
- For a firm's eligibility to join a scheme, use the LAA's Duty Solicitor Postcode Tool (Annex D to the 2025 contract application guide).
Find reps in a scheme
Need cover in a particular scheme? Search the directory by station or county.
Sources (primary): LAA, Guidance for Reporting Crime Lower Work, version 21 (January 2026), section 4 and Annexes A and A1, via Submit a Bulk Claim (gov.uk). LAA, Directory of legal aid providers. SI 2025/1251; Criminal Legal Aid (Remuneration) Regulations 2013, Schedule 4. LAA, Standard Crime Contract 2025, Specification paragraph 6.6.
General information for practitioners in England and Wales, checked against the sources above on 16 October 2026. Not legal or financial advice. Contract terms and rates change: always check the current LAA documents.