A MAJOR change has been put in place for thousands of renters facing eviction.
Free legal advice will be provided to help tens of thousands of people each year who are at risk of losing their homes.
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The new government-backed scheme has launched today in England and Wales aimed at people who are facing eviction or repossession.
The advice is free and tenants and homeowners will be able to access it as soon as they get written notice from their landlord or mortgage provider.
They will also be given legal representation in court, regardless of their financial circumstances, The Ministry of Justice said.
It comes as latest official Government statistics showed the numbers of households in temporary accommodation in England are at record highs.
Some 104,510 households were in temporary accommodation by the end of March which is the highest number in 25 years.
The move was welcomed by the National Housing Federation.
Rhys Moore, from the organisation, said: “Access to advice and support as early as possible is crucial to helping people navigate the legal system at a time of immense stress and difficulty.”
Households needing help from local authorities because they were homeless or being threatened with homelessness by March this year rose by 5.7% on the same period last year to 83,240.
Charities and organisations have also been pushing for speedier progress of the Renters (Reform) Bill through Parliament.
The bill had its first reading in May but has not been given a date for the second reading.
Under the bill no fault evictions would be banned.
This would mean that landlords would be prevented from taking back possession of properties from tenants without giving a reason.
Homelessness charity Crisis has welcomed the latest Government help, but called for politicians to “work together to address the main issues at hand to prevent people from becoming homeless in the first place”.
Francesca Albanese, the charity’s director of policy and social change, said: “We urgently need the Renters Reform Bill and investment in housing benefit to protect people at risk of losing their home.
“Failure to do so will see thousands more households facing the uncertainty of eviction and be at risk of homelessness.”
What are your eviction rights?
Currently, landlords have to give you 14 days notice before serving you an eviction notice period.
Once you’ve been served this eviction notice, you have a two month period before court action can be started against you.
After this period is up, your landlord has four months to take you to court.
If you are at risk of eviction or have been served an eviction notice, as well as the new help available from the Government, charities like Shelter and Citizens Advice might also be able to offer some assistance.
They might even be able to look into whether you can challenge the eviction notice if it was served illegally.
How to get help paying rent
If you think you are at risk of falling behind on paying your rent, the first thing to do is speak to your landlord.
You might be able to negotiate a more affordable rate while you get yourself back up and running.
You’re also more likely to get your landlord to agree a more affordable repayment plan for your arrears.
But there are ways of getting emergency cash to help pay for housing costs too.
Welfare Assistance scheme
Many local councils will dish out free cash, food vouchers, and help for bills to struggling families under the Welfare Assistance scheme.
Some local authorities may offer to put money towards paying your rent.
Grants can sometimes be worth up to £1,000.
Each local authority runs their own scheme with different rules so it is best to check with your local council.
If you don’t know what local council area you fall under, you can find out by using the government’s locator tool on the website.
Household Support Fund
Another scheme you could tap into via your local council is the Household Support Fund.
It is an £842million pot of funding that councils get a slice of to dish out to hard-up families in their catchment area.
Some councils are offering free cash under the scheme – which you could use to put towards your housing costs.
Discretionary Housing Payment
If you’re on Universal Credit, you can apply for a Discretionary Housing Payment to help with your rent.
The cash can also be used to cover housing costs like putting down a deposit, and advances you’ll need for moving house.
Help will be given out on a case-by-case basis, which means you are not guaranteed a set amount.
