Lancashire people chased for thousands over cavity wall claims

Clients of Sheffield firm SSB Law said they had been landed with a huge legal bill despite being assured it was 'no win no fee', case over cavity wall insulation schemes.

In November SSB Law had filed for administration and last week the firm finally went into administration with the loss of 192 jobs.

Insurers Royal and Sun Alliance (RSA) confirmed it is ‘seeking recovery of court awarded costs associated with failed actions brought by SSB Law’.

However, RSA said it had paused any enforcement action pending appointment of an administrator at the law firm.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), said it was ‘aware of the concerns of many householders’ and were investigating these issues.

Yusuf Patel, from Blackburn, said: “I had cavity wall insulation from government schemes in 2014.

"After the installation I had problems with mould and damp coming inside my house, so I reported this to the company, and after six months it fixed the problems.

“I kept reporting until November 2017, but the problem wasn’t fixed.”

He said in February 2020 someone knocked on his door about the cavity wall problem and said they could do a claim on a ‘no win no fee’ basis’.

He said he also got told that if unsuccessful he wouldn’t have to pay anything.

In e-mails and documents seen by the Lancashire Telegraph, Mr Patel is told by SSB Law, ‘If the claim is unsuccessful in court’ he would not be liable for any fees. 

He says he then got told his compensation had been successful and he would be able to have the problem fixed at the property.

Mr Patel said: “In May 2022, SSB Law told me I needed to attend county court in Burnley for a hearing, but two days before they emailed me saying I didn't need to attend court anymore. 

“In November, we then got told the judge ruled in the defendant's favour, so they claimed fees on ATE Insurance.”

He said in November 2023, he got a £27,500 charging order demand on his property, and he's not the only person in Lancashire impacted.

He said: “I now have to deal with the court.

“I know of a group of 17 people in the region who have been affected in this way.”

SSB Law Ltd specialised in ‘no win, no fee claims in areas including medical negligence, Japanese knotweed, personal injury and timeshare mis-selling’.

The company was founded in 2007 and in 2021 it acquired around 13,500 cavity wall insulation cases following the administration of north west firm Pure Legal.

But SSB dropped the case when the insulation firm fought back. Then its insurers, Royal and Sun Alliance, came after the clients.

Sean Wilkes, from Burnley, said his 77-year-old mum was handed a Notice of Enforcement for £18,060 to be paid by November 20 last year.

He said: “My 77-year-old mum has never owed a penny.

“The whole situation has left us both stressed. It is shocking to be chased up in this way. We thought it was a mistake when she got the letter.”

He said he had contacted his MP and joined a WhatsApp group of people in the same position as his mother.

He added: “This case really needs to be brought to the attention of anyone who will listen, as there are a lot of people really anxious over this and they could be ruined.”

Have you been impacted by the SSB Law cavity wall insulation claims? Contact us on lt_editorial@nqnw.co.uk to share your story.

Royal and Sun Alliance (RSA) said it would be working to resolve matters.

A spokesperson for RSA said: “We cannot comment on individual cases, however we can confirm that RSA is seeking recovery of court awarded costs associated with failed actions brought by SSB Law.

“We have been working with SSB Law to resolve these matters, however on December 5, SSB Law advised its intention to appoint administrators. 

“As a result, RSA has reviewed its position and has paused any enforcement action pending appointment of an administrator.

“In the meantime, if anyone involved in this matter has a query, we would ask that they contact Clyde & Co, which is dealing with this matter on RSA’s behalf.”

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) said people had already contacted both the Legal Ombudsman and Financial Services Ombudsman.

An SRA spokesperson said: “We are aware of the concerns of many householders and are investigating these issues. 

“We understand a number have already contacted both the Legal Ombudsman and Financial Services Ombudsman to complain about the standard of service they have received.”

Anthony Collier and Kelly Burton, of FRP Advisory, were appointed as Joint Administrators of SSB Group Limited (SSB Law) on January 4.

Based in Sheffield, the dispute resolution law firm specialised in 'no-win, no-fee' civil litigation on behalf of consumers. Founded in 2007, the firm provided legal services across a range of issues including cavity wall insulation, data breach and professional negligence.

FRP Advisory said the business had suffered 'ongoing financial challenges and unfortunately has now ceased trading and has been placed into administration, with 192 employees made redundant. Purchasers have been secured for the Company’s portfolio of 42,708 live cases and all claimants have been notified of the transition.'

A core team will stay on to support the Joint Administrators carry out an orderly wind down of the business over the next few months and ensure the smooth transition casework.

Anthony Collier, Partner at FRP and Joint Administrator of SSB Group Limited, said: “The financial challenges facing SSB put incredible pressure on the business and, regrettably, meant that it was unsustainable in its current form without significant investment. We’re working closely with staff to support their applications to the Redundancy Payments Service.

“While SSB is no longer trading, we’ve secured the transition of all live case work to new providers and have notified clients. We’ll be managing that process over the coming weeks to ensure a smooth transition.”

The firm said enquiries from clients can be directed to 0114 241 3970 or enquiries@ssblaw.co.uk