Law Society issues warning about housing legal aid

The Law Society of England and Wales issued a warning about the lack of housing legal aid on 19 May, following the publication of the latest quarterly figures by the Ministry of Justice on mortgage and landlord possession. According to the Law Society’s written statement, the government’s new figures show a continued rise in the number of households at risk of losing their home. Commenting on the matter, Law Society President, Lubna Shuja, said: “At a time when the cost-of-living crisis and rising interest rates mean more and more families are struggling with their housing costs, access to housing legal aid is vital. It can make the difference between people keeping or losing their home. We are extremely concerned that the government is struggling to attract bids for its new HLPAS [Housing Loss Prevention Advice Service] scheme. Sadly, for many legal aid providers this type of contract is becoming increasingly difficult to make work financially. As a result, some can simply no longer afford to provide this vital public service. We are pleased the government launched its review of civil legal aid sustainability earlier this year, but unless we see significant and immediate investment across the legal aid system including housing, more of these schemes will collapse leaving people without help when they need it.”