Early legal advice in relation to housing, debt and welfare benefits

47

1

Civil legal services provided to an individual in relation to—

a

housing;

b

debt;

c

a benefit, allowance, payment, credit or pension under—

i

a social security enactment;

ii

the Vaccine Damage Payments Act 19792;

iii

Part 4 of the Child Maintenance and Other Payments Act 20083;

d

a council tax reduction scheme.

2General exclusions

Sub-paragraph (1) is subject to the exclusions in Part 2 of this Schedule, with the exception of paragraphs 1 and 15 of that Part.

Specific exclusions

3

The services described in sub-paragraph (1) do not include advocacy.

4

The services described in sub-paragraph (1) do not include the provision of more than three hours of advice and assistance in total—

a

in respect of any one or more of those services;

b

by one or more providers of those services.

5

The services described in sub-paragraph (1) only include services provided to an individual who is a pilot scheme participant in relation to the Early Legal Advice Pilot Scheme.

6Definitions

In this paragraph—

a

“council tax reduction scheme” has the meaning given in paragraph 8A(4);

b

“the Early Legal Advice Pilot Scheme” means the pilot scheme established by the Early Legal Advice Pilot Scheme Order 2022;

c

“home” has the meaning given in paragraph 33(9) to (13);

d

“housing” means matters which concern—

i

the possession, status, terms of occupation, repair, improvement, eviction from, quiet enjoyment of, or payment of rent or other charges for, an individual’s home;

ii

the rights of leaseholders under the terms of their lease or under any statutory provision (including in relation to leasehold enfranchisement);

iii

the allocation and transfer of housing and the provision of sites for occupation,

but does not include disputes relating to any boundary of a property;

e

“pilot scheme participant” has the meaning given in article 4(1) of the Early Legal Advice Pilot Scheme Order 2022;

f

“social security enactment” has the meaning given in paragraph 8(3).