Housing Loss Prevention legal aid in England and Wales

Who HLPAS is for

If you're facing possession proceedings, either as a tenant or as a homeowner with mortgage arrears, HLPAS is the scheme designed to help you. Unlike most legal aid, HLPAS is not means-tested: you don't need to be on a low income or qualify for benefits to access it. Anyone facing possession can use the service.

The scheme has two parts: early legal advice (before the court hearing) and in-court advice on possession day. Both are free.

What HLPAS covers

HLPAS has two distinct components, both delivered by the same contracted firms:

• Early Legal Advice (ELA): free advice on receiving a notice (Section 21, Section 8, or mortgage default), helping you understand your options, the strength of the case against you, and what steps to take before the court hearing. This is meant to prevent cases reaching court in the first place where possible.
• In-court representation on possession days: on the day of your possession hearing, an HLPAS solicitor will be at the county court. They can talk to you on the day, advise on what's likely to happen, negotiate with the lender or landlord's representatives, and represent you at the hearing itself.

HLPAS is specifically for the county court possession process. It doesn't cover wider housing issues (disrepair claims, harassment, homelessness reviews); those fall under the broader Housing category on this platform.

How to access HLPAS

If you've received a notice of possession or court papers, contact an HLPAS provider in your area as soon as possible. Most providers offer Early Legal Advice over the phone or in person. The earlier you get advice, the more options you have.

If you've reached the day of the court hearing without legal advice, the HLPAS solicitor will be at court on possession day. You can ask the court staff who the HLPAS solicitor is when you arrive. You don't need an appointment, and you don't need to know about the scheme in advance.

Each county court is covered by one or more HLPAS schemes; you can see which scheme covers your court and which firm provides it on the scheme listings on this hub.

HLPAS and the wider Housing category

HLPAS is a focused scheme for the immediate court process. The wider Housing category covers the rest of housing legal aid (disrepair claims, homelessness reviews, unlawful eviction, etc.). Many firms hold both contracts. If you're facing imminent possession, look at HLPAS providers for your court. If you have a wider housing issue, look at Housing providers in your area.