Housing and Benefits Law

Our Housing and Benefits Law Department is based at our Chester Office, which holds a Legal Services Commission franchise in Debt, Welfare and Housing. We are the only Solicitor's firm in the Cheshire West area to hold such a contract.  Our Chester Office was previously EJ Bamforth Solicitors, which had held this contract for a number of years and built up an expertise in this field and became known throughout the whole of Cheshire and North Wales.

Our qualified staff have vast experience and expertise in Debt, Welfare and Housing.

The service is free to those that qualify under the Legal Aid Scheme. Whilst Legal Aid funding is only available for qualifying persons in the Chester area, our staff can give a range of advice over the telephone on debt, welfare and housing to residents from other areas.

In certain cases, particularly housing issues, work can be undertaken on full Legal Aid in any of our offices, supervised by the Housing and Benefits Law Department in Chester. The types of cases involved may include contested possession proceedings, proceedings for anti-social behaviour, illegal evictions or other serious housing issues.

Housing

Our vast experience within Housing law enables us to provide high quality representation for both landlords and tenants in a wide range of matters including possession proceedings, anti-social behaviour, disrepair and homelessness.

We are able to defend our clients in court, and we can assist in completing applications to suspend warrants for:

• Possession proceedings
• Rent arrears
• Illegal evictions
• Homelessness including Section 202 and 204 appeals
• Housing Applications
• Breach of tenancy agreements
• Proceedings for anti-social behaviour
• Housing injunctions under the Housing Act 1996
• Disrepair

Publicly-funded Legal Aid is available to qualifying clients.

Private Sector Landlords

With the expertise we have built up advising tenants, we can offer a wide range of services to private Landlords.

• Section 21 Notices
• Section 8, 12 and 14 Notices
• Court representation
• Advice on Housing Benefits and how it can affect the Landlord

Welfare Benefits

The current welfare benefits system is a complex area; as such we pride ourselves on being able to provide advice in clear, jargon-free terms.

We are able to advise individuals on their Benefit entitlement, the recoverability of overpayments and provide representation at some Appeal Hearings.

• Benefit claims
• Backdating Benefits
• Disability Living Allowance
• Attendance Allowance
• Carers Allowance
• Social Fund, Claims and Reviews
• Appeals to Tribunals regarding any benefits
• Overpayments of Benefits
• Benefit Fraud
• Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit
• Child Support Agency
• Tax Credits

Publicly-funded Legal Aid is available to qualifying clients.

Debt

We are able to offer a full range of debt counselling services.

We are able to negotiate with a client's creditor and arrange a manageable repayment scheme, which the client is subsequently able to maintain on their own.

We are also able to advise regarding debt relief orders, administration orders, and bankruptcy orders. We can give advice regarding the Credit Consumer Act.

We prioritise our clients' debts and ensure that their local authority debts are dealt with promptly. We are able to advise and suspend bailiff actions that a client may be subject to.

• Priority Debts including rent and council tax
• Mortgage advice
• Non-priority debts
• Credit Consumer Act
• Time Orders
• Administration Orders
• Debt Relieve Orders
• Bankruptcy
• Bailiffs actions

Publicly-funded Legal Aid is available to qualifying clients.