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Mortgage 'lifeline' failing in mission to help families
by Helen Johnston
editorial@doncastertoday.co.uk
A FLAGSHIP Government scheme heralded as a lifeline to hundreds of families facing repossession has so far not helped a single person in Doncaster.
The borough was one of two Yorkshire councils chosen to fast-track the 285 million Mortgage Rescue Scheme (MRS) last December. It launched nationwide in January.
It launched with the promise that up to 6,000 vulnerable households nationally would be helped within two years.
But eight months since it launched in Doncaster no family has been helped in this way.
And nationally just six families have benefitted fully from the scheme.
The MRS allows the Government to buy a home and rent it back to its former owners or buy a proportion of the equity.
Ministry of Justice figures show there were 225 possession claims issued in Doncaster in the first quarter of this year, and 189 possession orders made.
Doncaster Council says part of the problem has been the length of time it takes to assess whether families are eligible for mortgage rescue.
Peter Dale, the council’s director of development, said the authority had received 282 inquiries about MRS and 62 were being considered.
He added: “The process required by national Government for reviewing each applicant and looking at their eligibility is very lengthy and we are working hard to ensure people are getting the help and information they need.
“As we have always said, this scheme will not be the most appropriate solution for everyone.
“For those people who are not eligible we are offering further support through our housing options service and in some cases referring them to other agencies that can offer their assistance.”
Doncaster Citizens Advice Bureau director Matthew Bennie said that the idea behind the scheme had been a good one, but it was restrictive.
He said: “We have found that a lot of people who have enquired are not eligible. We were asked to keep a number of appointments clear for those coming through the Mortgage Rescue Scheme but we are not going to keep the slots open because we can use them for debt advice.”
A spokeswoman for Department of Communities and Local Government said a new central team would be put in place next month to fast-track the cases of those most at risk from repossession.
She said: “By learning the lessons from the 1990s, over 200,000 families each month are now receiving direct assistance to stay in their home, and thousands more have been able to benefit from free advice following the launch of initiatives such as the mortgage rescue scheme.”
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Friday 25 May 2012
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