SSB Law: The homeowners who are facing five-figure legal bills

He said he had been threatened with court action by the solicitors acting for the insurers of the cavity wall insulation installers.

If the court case is successful, the man said he could be looking at costs of £11,000.

He said: “CWI was offered free in a Government sponsored programme to reduce heating bills and improve insulation in older, stone built properties like ours. Our house is a two bedroomed, stone built end terrace and we therefore had three walls ‘treated’.

“In the weeks after the installation we noticed some mould appearing around the top of our walls and also that the house did not feel any warmer. We have since learnt that they were a cowboy firm and did not complete the work properly. They would have made thousands from the Government scheme and ceased trading when the claims started rolling in.”

The man said that he had been told the Solicitors Regulation Authority has been encouraging solicitors still pursuing individuals to pause their actions until an update is issued later in the year.

He recently participated in a video meeting with Miata Fahnbullah, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, where victims were asked to explain how the scandal had affected them and their property.

He added: “There were several people who contributed and, for many, the damage and consequences were far worse than we’d experienced. One constituent had paid the legal costs when contacted by debt collectors in late 2023, which amounted to around £15,000.

“Others had plaster and stonework that was damp and disintegrating which affected them and the value of their houses.

“My concerns are the length of time this is all taking and at 72, I’m beginning to wonder if I’ll see a satisfactory end to the scandal. My wife Tracy is younger than me at 58 and in my will the house is left in trust for Tracy and our kids. I’d hoped it would be an asset to the family and not a millstone around their necks.”

Another victim, who also lives in Halifax, said she is still “stressing, anxious and panicking” whenever letters come through her door because she fears it might be a demand for money.

She is still facing a £7,000 legal bill in connection with the SSB Law saga, which has currently been suspended by the insurance company bringing the claim, although she has no idea how long for.

Her problems started when a cavity wall company knocked on her door.

She told The Yorkshire Post: “They asked would I be interested in having cavity wall installed in my home as it was free if you were on certain benefits which I was, and the government would pay for it.”

Initially she was sceptical, because she believed it was impossible to put cavity wall installation into a stone building.

The cavity wall installation work was done badly and she contacted SSB Law who said they could help on a NO WIN NO FEE basis.

She added: “ I kept asking, ‘Are you sure I won’t have anything to pay as I’m on benefits and don’t have savings at all?’

“They said they were very sure I wouldn’t have to pay a penny.

“So I agreed, although they were very slow at getting anywhere. They were always changing the person I was dealing with. I had to keep on ringing up. The company that carried out the cavity wall insulation declared themselves bankrupt, so they (SSB) were going to get the money from their insurance.”

In the end SSB Law lost the claim but they told her not to worry because the insurance they took out would pay the bill, according to the woman.

She added: “I nearly had a heart attack when I get a letter from a solicitor saying I had to pay nearly £7,000. It was a court order.

“I can’t tell you the panic I was in. I don’t have good health anyway and this is making my health worse.”