TWO TAYSIDE projects have been awarded a share of over £2 million to help people in financial difficulty or at risk of repossession.

The Tayside Housing Law and Debt Advice Project, with Money Advice Scotland, will support solicitors covering five Tayside courts to help prevent evictions and repossessions.

It will also operate a linked debt advice service, which will offer free advice to people in financial difficulty to develop debt management strategies.

Also receiving funding is the Tayside Accessible Advice Project, a partnership with the Perth, Dundee and Angus Citizens Advice Bureaux.

It aims to provide early intervention in housing and debt management and prevent homelessness.

They are among 16 Scottish projects to receive funding, which was announced yesterday by the Scottish Legal Aid Board (SLAB).

Housing and communities minister Alex Neil said, “Communities across Scotland are feeling the pinch in these challenging economic times.

“Families and individuals struggling with debt can frequently feel stressed and isolated.

“That is why this funding, which has been provided by the Scottish Government, will make a real difference to families across the country in need of debt advice.”

Shelter Scotland housing aid manager Mark Upward said, “This funding enables Shelter to facilitate, for the first time, links between money and housing advice.

“This will enable people at risk of losing their homes due to wider debt issues to access coordinated advice and support to prevent homelessness.”

SLAB invited advice agencies, charities and law centres to apply for grants to provide new or enhanced legal advice or representation services, directly aimed at people in most need.

SLAB chief executive Lindsay Montgomery said, “The board received 53 applications amounting to over three times the funding available.

“The funding has largely been awarded to those projects which concentrated on or included the top priority of tackling repossessions.

“We were particularly pleased that so many organisations had formed good clear partnership working arrangements as part of their proposals.

“As a result, more people will be able to get targeted advice that will help them to deal with their legal problems. It opens up access to justice for more people and is particularly welcome news in a difficult economic climate.”

He added, “We know that the majority of repossession cases are not defended and that even where homeowners do take action to try to keep their homes, many go unrepresented or don’t turn up at court.

“In many cases early resolution of the problem might have meant avoidance of court altogether.

“We also know that helping someone avoid repossession does not always end their problems and that follow up work to tackle unresolved issues needs to be made available.”

The Fife Partnership of Legal and Advisory Agencies also received funding.

The project, a partnership between Frontline Fife, Fife Law Centre, Citizens Advice and Rights Fife, Fife Council and Fife Rights Forum, will offer legal representation and specialist money advice for homeowners facing repossession.

It will also offer assistance on housing and homelessness, benefits and tax credits and debt, money and tax.

The project aims to employ a solicitor who will ensure that legal representation is available for clients across all Fife sheriff courts.