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Increase in houses being repossessed
MORE and more Wiganers are being affected by the threat of having their house repossessed according to the latest figures.
Landlords’ possession claims have increased by 20 per cent from December 2010 to December 2011, according to figures released by the Ministry of Justice.
The news comes as the Wigan Branch of the CAB confirmed that County Court helpdesk activity increased by 48 per cent during the same period.
In 2011, 575 possession claims were issued to Wigan County Court by landlords, of which 415 led to a claim being issued.
During the same period Wigan CAB reported that they saw a 30 per cent increase in the level of arrears reported (both rent and mortgage) to the sum of £484,134.
However, while the numbers are worrying, the CAB say that of the people who accessed their help desk at Wigan County Court, 79 per cent kept their property.
Chris Harris, the District Manager of Wigan CAB, said: “The service is extensively involved in trying to prevent repossessions. In addition to our debt casework and advice given through our bureau services, we operate a County Court Help desk, provide financial literacy advice and support to those threatened with homelessness, and we are working in partnership with Wigan and Leigh Housing’s Advice Centre to operate a homelessness prevention service.
“For those people facing potential homelessness through repossession, we provide easy access to help and advice through our texting service – if they text HELP to 8702.”
The CAB lists the following advice for those affected:
Visit a free advice provider and rationalise your income,
Go for a benefit check to see you are getting full entitlement,
Budget – distinguish between need and want,
Don’t be panicked into offering the lender more than you can afford,
Go to the possession hearing – there is a helpdesk at court to advise you.
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Friday 25 May 2012
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Comments
There are 5 comments to this article
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Truth Advocate
Friday, February 24, 2012 at 11:21 AMFooling no-one. The fact that 79% of people kept their homes shows they should have NOT been in court in the first place - CAB are failing to help people earlier, oh but then there would be no huge court fees, lots of legal fees, money for sending letter etc keeps a lot of people busy harassing the poor ! Especially on sick and vulnerable – nothing changes to corrupt organisations, this says it all on CORPORATE COLLUSION ---www.meactionuk.org.uk\Corporate_Collusion_2.htm (nb. \ slash has to be changed to opposite direction for link to work) a classic, leave sick and disabled people penniless, while they are having to fight this through tribunal system, put them through a different court system – county court and snatch their homes, which should have been paid for like any other unemployed citizen, and the advice from CAB, lol oh DUH ! Perhaps we should have a public enquiry to how the disabled in Wigan have been treated under LABOUR !
Truth Advocate
Friday, February 24, 2012 at 10:29 AMand the fatcats get richer, poor get ripped off
orbix
Wednesday, February 22, 2012 at 08:06 PMI have no sympathy
Truth Advocate
Monday, February 20, 2012 at 11:09 AMLabour set this up for parasitical agencies such as the CAB, which is fully funded by the taxpayer and WL housing who likewise benefit from people being cheated out of their homes - Jobcentre Plus arbitrary DISCRIMINATORY in who it decides to not pay unemployment mortgage interest or rent to regarding sick and vulnerable - their cases go to tribunal court, whilst in the meantime county court benefits in charges and fees from allowing them to be persecuted - utter disgrace and scandal !
Truth Advocate
Monday, February 20, 2012 at 11:08 AMLabour set this up for parasitical agencies such as the WHICH CAB is fully funded by the taxpayer and WL housing who likewise benefit from people being cheated out of their homes - Jobcentre Plus arbitrary DISCRIMINATORY in who it decides to not pay unemployment mortgage interest or rent to regarding sick and vulnerable - their cases go to tribunal court, whilst in the meantime county court benefits in charges and fees from allowing them to be persecuted - utter disgrace and scandal !
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