Govan Law Centre

The Court of Session has ruled that local authorities are under an absolute legal duty to provide suitable temporary accommodation for homeless households in Scotland, that must meet the needs of disabled children.

HMRC was wrong to refuse a backdated claim for child tax credits for asylum seekers who had been granted refugee status, a judge in the Court of Session has ruled in the first successful social security test case for asylum seekers and tax credits in the UK.

Further measures to protect people from eviction proceedings are “under close consideration” by the Scottish Government, John Swinney has said. Temporary regulations currently in place until the end of September only apply to areas subject to level 3 or 4 restrictions, leading

The Scottish Government has been urged to extend its temporary ban on evictions as the move to level 2 lockdown measures for most of Scotland sees thousands of tenants unprotected by the current legislation.

Govan Law Centre (GLC) has been awarded funding from the Scottish Legal Aid Board (SLAB) to improve its free debt and money advice service. GLC’s debt navigator project will develop online debt tools, guidance and advice in a range of formats.

Mike Dailly has retired after eight years on the board of the Scottish Housing Regulator (SHR). Mr Daily is a court practitioner with over twenty-five years of experience in housing law and preventing homelessness in Scotland, acting exclusively for tenants and consumers. He has been the principal s

Scottish Greens MSP Ross Greer and the Govan Law Centre (GLC) have called on the Scottish Government to extend the winter eviction ban until April to bring it in line with the end of the furlough scheme. 

Pauline McNeill MSP has stressed the 'urgent' need for rent controls as the Scottish Parliament’s local government committee completes its consultation into the Fair Rents (Scotland) Bill. The Bill, which was rejected by the committee earlier this year, was resurrected following pres

With Holyrood’s Local Government and Communities Committee now seeking views on the Fair Rents (Scotland) Bill, having previously dropped the proposed legislation due to a heavy workload, Govan Law Centre (GLC) has welcomed the "unprecedented" move as a "victory for open democracy". GLC, which

Govan Law Centre has continued judicial review proceedings against the Scottish Parliament over the tabling of a Bill on rent increases. The Fair Rents (Scotland) Bill, introduced by Labour MSP Pauline McNeill, proposes to cap rent increases at one per cent above the consumer price index (CPI) of in

When news broke in June that a Sudanese asylum seeker had been shot dead after stabbing six people in a Glasgow hotel there was an immediate public outcry. How, people wanted to know, could a system that is supposed to protect the vulnerable have allowed a man with obvious mental health difficulties

A petition has been launched calling on the Scottish Government to formally adopt the Fair Rents (Scotland) Members Bill after the proposed legislation was dropped by the Scottish Parliament’s local government committee. Scottish Labour housing spokesperson Pauline McNeill worked closely with

A bill to control rent levels is unlikely to be debated in Holyrood after the Local Government Committee decided there was not enough time to scrutinise it.

The current moratorium on evictions in Scotland must be extended beyond the current timeframe and include those who are actively trying to ensure their rent arrears are dealt with, according to a number of charities.

A Bill to limit private sector rent rises and to increase the availability of information available to tenants has been lodged by Scottish Labour’s housing spokesperson Pauline McNeill. The Fair Rents Bill, dubbed the Mary Barbour Bill after the legendary rent strike organiser, was written wit