Free legal help preventing eviction

A free legal advice scheme has helped tens of thousands of people threatened with eviction or repossession orders, the Government has said.

The Ministry of Justice said the Housing Possession Court Duty Scheme, which helps people who face losing their home, was used by nearly 34,000 people in England and Wales last year.

Legal advisers provide free advice and representation in court, regardless of the person's income, under the scheme.

They have successfully prevented immediate repossession in 85% of cases of the 100,000 people who have used the service since April 2005. It is estimated about 2,800 people currently access the scheme each month.

Justice Secretary Jack Straw said: "The Government is taking urgent action to get real help to those worst hit by the credit crunch. Losing a home has a devastating impact on people's lives.

"New rules since November 2008 mean repossession should always be a last resort but, should the worst happen, we must make sure the right support is available.

"Court duty scheme advisers do a fantastic job, often making a dramatic and very significant difference to preventing evictions at the 11th hour."

People should try to get advice early to give the adviser more time to prepare, Mr Straw said, as this led to a better chance of people keeping their homes.

The scheme is one of a number of measures unveiled by the Government to help people avoid losing their homes.

It also announced that six lenders had signed up to its new Homeowners Mortgage Support scheme, under which people who have temporarily lost their income can defer some of their interest payments on their mortgage for up to two years.

Other measures include a Pre-Action Protocol, under which courts can only grant repossession orders if all other options have failed, improvements to benefits for homeowners who lose their jobs, and a scheme that allows people to sell all or part of their home to a social landlord and then rent it back.

(http://www.justice.gov.uk/) The Ministry of Justice