News story

Civil news: advice for clients threatened with homelessness

Change in rules means legal advice is now available in Wales for anyone threatened with homelessness within 56 days.

Clients living in Wales who are threatened with homelessness within 56 days are eligible for legal advice following implementation of housing legislation passed in September 2014.

Previously, Welsh clients were not entitled to legal advice until the threat of homelessness was within 28 days. The 28 day benchmark remains for clients in England who are not affected by this change to the rules.

Be aware of new rules

Providers will need to ensure that they are aware of the new rules for clients in Wales:

  • 56 days – Wales
  • 28 days – England

The change came into effect on 27 April 2015.

It will be particularly important for Welsh and English firms with clients on both sides of the border to be aware of the differences.

These changes were introduced under the Housing (Wales) Act 2014, which received Royal Assent on 17 September 2014.

Further information

Housing (Wales) Act 2014

Housing (Wales) Act 2014: homelessness

Published 27 April 2015