Service helps victims of debt (From Thisisdorset)

Service helps victims of debt

3:01pm Saturday 16th August 2008 in

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AN INCREASE in the amount of people losing their homes in parts of Dorset has prompted the launch of a new service.

People facing homelessness are to be given a helping hand with the introduction an emergency legal aid scheme run out of the county court responsible for Weymouth and Dorchester.

Residents attending court for repossession cases will be offered free advice and representation on the day of the hearing, regardless of their financial circumstances.

Weymouth and Dorchester is one of 20 new areas in England and Wales to benefit from the service being rolled out by the Legal Services Commission, the Government body responsible for providing legal aid.

The move comes in response to concern at the rising number of people losing their homes in repossession cases.

Regional director of the Legal Services Commission Geoff Mountjoy said: "Not only are many people facing some of the highest utility bills to date, with the cost of food and petrol also on the rise, many cheaper fixed rate mortgage deals are becoming unavailable.

"The credit crunch is affecting thousands of homeowners and an increasing number of them are in danger of housing repossession.

"We are acting fast to set up this emergency court scheme in Weymouth and Dorchester and help more people keep their homes."

The new service is known as the Housing Possession Court Duty Scheme. Details of the invitations to tender were revealed today for the next batch of county courts where the scheme will be put in place. It brings the number of courts operating the scheme up to 174 since the programme was introduced in 2005.

Mr Mountjoy said: "Court duty scheme advisers do a fantastic job but the more time an adviser has to prepare, the better the chance people have of keeping their homes. Therefore getting early advice is still the best advice."

He said people with money problems can phone the Community Legal Advice helpline on 0845 3454345.

Free advice and information sheets relating to housing, debt, welfare benefits and other problems can be accessed on the website: www.communitylegaladvice.org.uk