MoJ to seek views on future of Housing Possession Court Duty Schemes

May 20, 2019

The Ministry of Justice has launched a three-week engagement period seeking views on the Housing Possession Court Duty Schemes (HPCDS).

The programme includes an online survey that the MoJ said would help inform its policy approach and any future tenders. The schemes, which make legal aid available for people facing housing repossession, are run by the Legal Aid Agency.

The Ministry said it also wanted to engage with professional representative bodies, the judiciary and legal service regulators.

“Responses will help to inform the future of the scheme and ensure any concerns are raised at an early stage. In parallel, stakeholders will be consulted and the needs of people using the service examined to help widen understanding and inform discussions with potential providers,” it added.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “Legal aid plays an important role in supporting access to justice for the most vulnerable in society. That’s why we spent £1.6 billion on it last year and are making changes to ensure it continues to be available to everyone who needs it in the future.

“We want to better understand the delivery of these housing advice schemes and speaking to those directly involved is the best way to do that.”

The service is currently provided under contracts with the Legal Aid Agency, with each aligned to single or multiple courts and awarded following a competitive procurement process.

The schemes cover the following types of proceedings at the court:

(a) Private rented possession proceedings

(b) Public/registered social landlord rented possession proceedings

(d) Applications to stay/suspend execution of warrants of possession; and

(e) Clients with charging orders relating to property whereby the client is at immediate risk of losing their home through a forced sale.

The online survey will be open until 10 June 2019.