Housing Possession Court Duty Scheme: Towards a more sustainable service

The government is consulting on proposals to change the Housing Possession Court Duty Scheme. The aim of these proposals is to ensure that the Scheme is sustainable into the future, in order to maintain this vital service for those who need it.

The key proposals in this consultation are:

• contracting for individual courts rather than larger geographical areas
• allowing providers to claim for the scheme fee in addition to the follow up Legal Help fee
• the introduction of a set attendance fee for all schemes in place of the existing nil session payment
• the introduction of reasonable costs for travel as part of the competition element of the bid