Threat of eviction imminent - please help

[Soss]

I'm writing this on behalf of a friend and her young son who are being told by 'Places for People, a housing provider, that if they do not pay £400 per week until £1500 in arrears is paid off, they will be evicted and that this can be done without any further notice and within 14-days. Last Septemeber she started to fall behind with her rent, she is a single mother working as carer for those with mental health problems. The housing provider took her to copurt and the judge passed a suspended possession order under which she had to pay £10.00 per week off her arrears. She was doing this and all was well until April this year when her 9-year old son was injured in an accident. He was hospitalised for 3-weeks and she stopped working and stayed with him at the hospital for the time he was in there, all the time the £10.00 was not being paid and she was falling behind with the rent again. In all she was off work and didn't pay rent or the arrears for 7-weeks. It came to £1500 in total. Last week Places for People were in touch and told them that they she is in breach of the suspended possession order. That they are applying for an eviction orderand that unless she pays £400 per week from now on they can evict them within 14-days without giving any further notice. The poor woman is desperate, she has nowhere to go, her family cannot help, she has no assetts to sell as such and if she could pay this amount she would have nothing to live on at all, food etc... Can they do this/ Please can someone give some advice on this situation. Any help would be gratfully received as this poor kid does not know where to turn. Thanks.

Edited July 16, 2012 by Soss

[sequenci]

Hello there.

 

Your friend should make an application to the court to resuspend the possession order. Do you know what type of tenancy she has? She can seek assistance via the housing charity Shelter on 08080 800 4444.

 

There's a good guide to rent arrears here:

 

http://www.nationaldebtline.co.uk/england_wales/guide.php?page=guide-rent-arrears