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On 1st July 2013 Croatia became the latest country to join the European Union. This means that Croatian citizens have the right of free movement within the countries included in the European Economic Area. However, the UK government has put in place provisions which will restrict the ability of Croatian nationals to access the UK labour market. These restrictions will last until at least 30th June 2018, but may be extended to 30th June 2020.
The Department for Social Development will be setting up a working group on repossession and negative equity. It will examine the extent of the problem and consider options for government intervention.
The current level of repossession actions in Northern Ireland is the highest in the UK. Recent Courts & Tribunal Service statistics show that over 1000 cases were received to the High Court between January and March 2013, representing a 19% increase on the same period last year.
Cases that revolve around capital rules and housing benefit can often be complicated. There's so much case law that it can be difficult to know where to start. One of my clients, Janine, was refused housing benefit because she was named on the deeds of a property which her former partner still lived in. This was a long and complex case and involved a lot of legal research.
Denise Callaghan has worked as an adviser with Housing Rights Service for several years. A key member of the Preventing Possession Initiative, Denise was Northern Ireland's first Duty Court Adviser for people at risk of repossession. Here, Denise talks through her experiences advising worried homeowners.