PEOPLE threatened with homelessness will be given advice from day one as a new Government act comes into play.

The Homeless Reduction Act places a duty on all local authorities to provide advisory services and carry out an assessment in all cases where an eligible applicant is homeless, or at risk of becoming homeless.

Other parts of the act include extending the period an applicant is threatened with homelessness from 28 to 56 days.

Extending the duty will encourage those at risk to seek support as soon as possible, before they are facing a homelessness crisis.

The measure also addresses concerns that some local housing authorities are only intervening at the crisis point, particularly with private sector

tenants who have been served with eviction notices.

Tina Bourne, councillor responsible for housing, said Colchester was already ahead of the new act but has still made some major changes.

She said: "Instead of having a customer service triage interview and then housing advice, the advice is now going to come first.

"They will advise the tenant on how they can talk to their landlord and they will explain the tenant's rights."

The main aim is to keep tenants in their current homes for as long as possible.

Things like debt advice and welfare benefits packages will be offered.

Colchester Council's customer services team does not currently have the training to offer housing advice. The new act will make councils more proactive in offering advice.

Mrs Bourne added: "Colchester Council prevented more than 500 households from becoming homeless last year.

"This is just as important as housing people who haven't got anywhere to sleep that night."

She said it may become a longer process, but offering help right from the start will help keep tenants in their homes.

She is also working with landlords to make sure residents are not hit by Universal Credit, which is due to roll out in Colchester on July 3.

It is a single monthly payment which replaces some of the benefits and tax credits residents receive.

Universal Credit is paid monthly in arrears, so residents will have to wait one calendar month from the date they submitted an application before the first payment is made.

Mrs Bourne said plans are in place to make sure this does not affect tenants.

She said: "We have got a plan for this big welfare reform. This is one the council does not completely own as it is dealt with by the Department for Work and Pensions.

"We are reliant on them for information, but this will only affect new claimants.

"Housing benefit can put people at risk, which we are aware of, but we are doing proactive work with landlords to get them to understand the delays with the first payment.

"W also have a discretionary housing payment fund to help people. I don't want anyone to be disadvantaged."