Are Essay Writing Services Legal in the UK?
What the Skills and Post-16 Education Act 2022 actually says about essay mills in England, and how academic support services differ from contract cheating.
The short answer
In England it has been a criminal offence since the Skills and Post-16 Education Act 2022 to provide or arrange for the provision of a completed assignment for a student, or to advertise such a service. The offence sits with the provider, not the student. Students who submit work they did not write face university misconduct proceedings rather than prosecution.
What the Act covers
Sections 11 and 12 of the Act target commercial contract cheating: supplying work intended to be submitted as the student's own, and advertising that supply. The provisions apply to England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland regulate through institutional policy and sector guidance rather than the same statute.
What is not covered
Tutoring, proofreading, editing, feedback on a student's own draft, study-skills coaching and reference material are legitimate academic support and are used across the UK sector, including by university writing centres themselves.
Where universities draw the line
Every UK university's academic misconduct policy prohibits submitting work you did not produce. Proofreading policies typically permit correction of grammar, spelling and clarity but not restructuring of argument or addition of content. Read your own institution's policy, because the detail varies.
Using support responsibly
Use model answers to understand structure and argument, then write your own. Use editing on your own draft. Ask for explanation rather than substitution when a concept is the problem. That approach keeps you inside your university's rules and, unlike a purchased submission, it actually improves your next assignment.
Our position
TutorsGallery UK supplies model answers as reference material along with tutoring, editing and proofreading. We expect students to use them in line with their institution's academic integrity policy.