Citizens Advice seeking views on legal debt help

Citizens Advice has announced that it is gathering the views of people who have encountered difficulties in obtaining legal aid while seeking debt help.

The charity noted that the criteria for members of the public to be given civil legal assistance have “never been tighter”, leading to some being unable to access the services.

It is encouraging anybody who has had problems of this sort to participate in a survey, which will form the basis of a report due out later this year.

The organisation claimed that “most people require legal advice or help at some point in their lives”, for issues such as court summons, outstanding debts, tribunals and tenancy disputes.

Elsewhere, a report from consumer body Which? has shown that six million Britons are worried that their houses will be repossessed in the wake of the credit crunch.

Personal finance campaigner Doug Taylor decribed the findings as “dreadful”.

By Jamie Price