The following categories of cases are in scope for legal aid:

• Homelessness applications to council housing department

• Allocation of social housing by a local housing authority, including transfers
  

• Loss of home through mortgage repossession (under debt legal aid, only via Legal Aid Agency telephone gateway tel: 0345 345 4345 - very few are granted legal aid)

• Loss of rented home (as a result of rent arrears, alleged anti-social behaviour or other allegations)

• Claims for unlawful evictions
  

• Protection from harassment injunction in the County Court
  

• Occupation orders – these are obtained in the Family Court and come under family law legal aid for injunctions

You will need to qualify financially for legal aid. A legal aid solicitor can do the calculation with you. If you have a partner you live with, their finances will also be assessed as part of yours. Home owners are not eligible if they have over £100,000 equity in their property.

• Gov.UK legal aid lawyers search engine

  This is a directory of all solicitors with a legal aid contract around the country – enter the town or postcode and tick “housing”.

• Shelter
  They run housing advice centres around the country. Legal representation is provided both for those eligible for legal aid and those not eligible.
  
  Find out more via National housing advice helpline: 0808 800 4444

• AdviceLocal search engine
  AdviceLocal have developed a map of advice services across the country assisting in social welfare law: welfare benefits, debt, housing, employment, community care, asylum & immigration. (It does not include the main national organisations, advice services that are open for only a small number of hours a week and law clinics that don't provide a service in social welfare law). The services are mostly law centres, university law clinics, housing advice services and also legal aid solicitors who do social welfare law. Legal aid solicitos and some law centres will take on cases.

If you are not eligible for legal aid:

• You can try contacting legal aid solicitors using the Gov.UK search engine and ask to pay privately.
  

• Obtain a list of solicitors in different areas of law from the Law Society using “Find a Solicitor” – search by area of law and location.

• Shelter
  Legal advice is available on housing law through the website, over the phone or in advice centres around the country. Legal representation is provided both for those eligible for legal aid and those not eligible. National housing advice helpline: 0808 800 4444
  Website contains general information about housing rights

• Citizen’s Advice housing adviser
  Search the website your local Citizen’s Advice:
  

• Praxis Community Projects
  Telephone advice service: 020 7749 7608 Wednesdays: 2pm – 4pm
  Telephone advice service can provide advice on welfare benefits, housing & homelessness, asylum support, and immigration matters.
  Email advice: advice@praxis.org.uk

• LawWorks – national umbrella for pro bono services
  On the LawWorks website you can search for pro bono legal advice clinics around the country on different areas of law. Search “legal advice for individuals”, then “free advice clinics” – scroll down to the search function where you can enter the area of law and distance from home address.
  
  The website also has a useful section on “Going to Court without a Lawyer” – scroll down to the link to Advicenow’s website – this has a page on going to court or tribunal without a lawyer – with a link to a range of resources for litigants in person – for family court, civil court and tribunals.

• Legal Advice Centre, University House, Bethnal Green
  18 Victoria Park Square E2 9PB
  104 Roman Road
  E2 0RN
  
  020 3606 0372 /  020 8980 4205
  
  A free advice clinic that takes referrals from all over London including face to face appointments.  They provide free legal advice for those who cannot afford to pay. They cover housing, welfare, benefits, employment and family law. They will act as Mckenzie friends and accompany through court process in some cases.

• Community Links
  Advice agency based in Newham but provides advice remotely nationally on employment, housing and consumer law.
  Telephone: 020 7473 9681