MoJ to engage with suppliers on proposed legal panel to support forthcoming Housing Loss Prevention Advice Service
The Ministry of Justice has said it wishes to engage with legal service suppliers who are interested in delivering the Specialist Legal Support Panel requirement which will support the proposed Housing Loss Prevention Advice Service (HLPAS).
In a prior information notice, the MoJ said it was currently proposing to contract a supplier (or suppliers) to deliver this requirement for a duration of up to 15 months with a contract value of approximately £1m.
HLPAS is a new government initiative launching in Autumn 2023 which expands legal aid provision for those facing the loss of their home to include early telephone legal advice on housing, debt and welfare benefits issues. Currently, legal aid is only available for representation on the day of court proceedings.
The MoJ said the Specialist Legal Support Panel will provide guidance on casework and will be available to HLPAS suppliers who are delivering the HLPAS initiative and require support on issues related to housing, debt and welfare benefits issues.
The panel will be comprised of experts in social welfare law and will provide specialist legal support in two main ways:
- by handling telephone enquiries from HLPAS providers, and
- by producing and distributing training materials on social welfare law.
Panel members will need to be able to respond to calls from 10am-4pm Monday to Friday for the entire duration of the contract, the MoJ said.
Payment will be given for a “stand-by” service during this time (i.e. time during which the service is available and accessible with a qualified member of staff ready to answer enquiries), with additional payment for “advice hours” (i.e. time spent responding to enquiries from HLPAS providers).