Ms F, who has lives in a housing association property with her two adult children, one of whom following catching Covid had subsequently been diagnosed with epilepsy and a brain tumour, sought our help with defending a claim for possession.

The claim was being made due to rent arrears that had arisen due to Ms F losing her job due to the pandemic. She had recently started a new job and been awarded a discretionary housing payment enabling her to make a payment arrangement with her landlord, however, they were still seeking a possession order suspended on terms. As this was her first time in court, she was both anxious and nervous.

We represented her in court and successfully argued that a suspended order was unreasonable given that Ms F had been a tenant for over 21 years, the household, particularly her daughter had been badly affected by the pandemic, and she had taken action to pay the arrears by securing a new job and successfully applying for a discretionary housing payment. The outcome was that the hearing was adjourned meaning that Ms F remains a tenant and, if the agreed payments are made, the landlord cannot take any further possession action providing peace of mind for the whole family and enabling her to focus on supporting and caring for her daughter.