£10m of extra funding is being put into housing legal aid every year, as part of new government plans that will be introduced in the summer.

Implementation will be in in spring 2023, once the Legal Aid Agency’s contractual tender process has concluded.

Reforms to the former Housing Possession Court Duty Scheme (HPCDS) mean that “anyone facing eviction or repossession will now receive free early legal advice on housing before appearing in court”, as well as continuing to get advice and representation on the day of their hearing.

Additionally, individuals with a repossession notice can also receive early legal advice on debt and welfare benefit matters, to help with the wider issues they may face.

The Ministry of Justice will also be introducing a panel of legal experts to assist and train housing legal aid providers where they need further support in resolving more complex legal issues. This is alongside funding for a pilot solicitor training scheme to increase the number of lawyers providing this vital service.

The move follows a two-month consultation into the reform of housing legal aid, part of our wider civil legal aid strategy to improve the breadth and quality of advice available for those who need it.

The support will be via 1:1 legal advice from a housing legal aid provider who holds a contract for the new service.

Justice Minister James Cartlidge said: “We don’t want anyone to go through the devastating experience of losing their home, which is why we have overhauled the legal aid scheme to ensure anyone that needs it has earlier access to free legal advice.

“During such a stressful and uncertain period in people’s lives, our raft of reforms will also provide wider, wrap-around care to support individuals and families on money and welfare issues.”

Co-chair Housing Law Practitioners Association Simon Mullings said: “I welcome the proposals to put in place funded, non-means-tested, early legal advice to those facing possession proceedings.

“The revised proposals take into account many of the issues we raised in the consultation period for the Housing Loss Prevention Advice Service (HLPAS).

“While I still continue to advocate for ‘crisis navigator’ support at court and elsewhere, I believe that the HLPAS proposals, if implemented in the right way and aligned to further work by government to shore up the viability of housing providers, can be a significant step towards effective early legal advice.”