The ministry of justice has announced that, following a consultation exercise on legal aid provision, a new legal aid support service - the housing loss prevention advice service (HLPAS) - will be launched backed by an extra £10 million per year funding package so that "more people will get access to free expert legal advice to give them the best chance of keeping their home when they fall in to difficult financial times".

The advice provision revamp (set to go live in spring 2023) means that "anyone facing eviction or repossession" will receive early legal advice on housing before appearing in court and will continue to get advice and representation on the day of their court hearing. The idea is that by providing early legal advice court proceedings may be avoided altogether.

Service providers will be able to provide advice on "social welfare law" in a "wrap around" manner so that debt and benefits advice can be given so that homelessness is more likely to be prevented.

If it works as planned it should mean that the revamped advice scheme will ensure that more private rented sector tenants should be able to keep their homes where they may have fallen into rent arrears and been served with a repossession notice by their landlord.