HLPAS free housing advice and Lancaster bid by 25 Nov
If you are worried about rent or mortgage arrears or have a court date, you are not on your own. The Housing Loss Prevention Advice Service (HLPAS), funded by the Legal Aid Agency across England and Wales, offers free legal help to stop people losing their homes. GOV.UK confirms this includes advice before court and, if needed, representation on the day.
What HLPAS covers is straightforward. You can get early legal advice about housing problems, any linked debts, and welfare benefits that sit behind the arrears. If your case reaches court, a duty adviser can give emergency advice and speak for you in possession proceedings on the day.
Who can use it? Anyone at risk of possession proceedings or already facing them. There is no means test for this service, so your financial situation does not block you from help. That matters for students, young renters, families and anyone juggling bills.
How to get help quickly. If you have a hearing, arrive at court in good time and ask for the HLPAS duty adviser. Bring letters from your landlord or lender, rent statements, and any Universal Credit or other benefit evidence. If court is not yet listed, read Housing Loss Prevention Advice Service (HLPAS) - GOV.UK and Housing Loss Prevention Advice Services 2025 - GOV.UK to find out how to get early advice near you.
For organisations, there is a live opportunity in Lancaster. Following a review of coverage and a market engagement event, the Legal Aid Agency is inviting providers that hold a 2024 Standard Civil Contract in Housing and Debt to express an interest in delivering HLPAS in the city.
Key dates as of 18 November 2025. Send an expression of interest to civil.contracts@justice.gov.uk by 5pm on Tuesday 25 November 2025; you will then receive details of next steps. The full application deadline is 5pm on Friday 5 December 2025. Late submissions will not be considered. The Agency intends to award a contract to start as soon as possible after assessment, running until 30 June 2028.
What this means in practice. HLPAS keeps the door open to practical fixes-payment plans, benefit checks, or errors corrected-before a judge has to decide your case. It also ensures you have someone to speak for you if you do end up before the court.
Learn more and teach it forward. Educators can use HLPAS as a real-world example of how public services work: one service, two points of access-early advice and in-court duty-described on GOV.UK. When you share this with learners or friends, encourage them to check dates, save paperwork, and ask for the duty adviser at court.