The Ministry of Justice today announced that hackers had “accessed and downloaded a significant amount of personal data from those who applied for legal aid through our digital service since 2010”.

The data “may have included contact details and addresses of applicants, their dates of birth, national ID numbers, criminal history, employment status and financial data such as contribution amounts, debts and payments”.

The government says it initially became aware of the cyber-attack on 23 April and notified legal aid providers that their data, including financial information, may have been stolen.

It was not until Friday that the government says it realised that it realised the attack was “more extensive than originally understood”.

Online applications for legal aid have been temporarily suspended as a result of the attack, the latest in a series of high-profile cyber-attacks in the UK.

Jane Harbottle, chief executive officer of the Legal Aid Agency, said: “I understand this news will be shocking and upsetting for people and I am extremely sorry this has happened.

“Since the discovery of the attack, my team has been working around the clock with the National Cyber Security Centre to bolster the security of our systems so we can safely continue the vital work of the agency.

“However, it has become clear that to safeguard the service and its users, we needed to take radical action. That is why we’ve taken the decision to take the online service down.

“We have put in place the necessary contingency plans to ensure those most in need of legal support and advice can continue to access the help they need during this time.

“I am incredibly grateful to legal aid providers for their patience and cooperation at a deeply challenging time.

“We will provide further updates shortly.”