Do I have to pay rent when not on contract. Eviction?

I have been living in this property for 2years in the UK. My landlord is Italian and lives abroad. I am renting through an estate agency that take care of everything for the landlord. I had a very well paid job from which I got laid off end of last year. I have made my rent-payments regularly and on time, except for the past 7 months in which I have been in rent arrears. Although in this period of time my rent has not always been on time, I HAVE tried my very best to always pay the estate agency what I felt I could, and I have never been more than 2 months behind with rent at a time. I started seeking Jobseekers Allowance and Housing Benefit as soon as I was laid off last year, but due to the current market situation I have not been able to get another job, let alone one interview. Also the Housing Benefit I was getting did not completely cover my rent. I have always been short by roughtly £150 every month which meant it harder for me to pay my rent. The Housing people say that was the only rate I was entitled to. What has happened now is that I spent my last little bit of savings, sold my car, in order to still compensate for the rent. But too late -my landlord got tired of me not being able to pay the full amount of rent every month so he has given me a written 2 months notice to leave. But as I have no savings left, and no job, and therefore no real income I have nowhere else to go. I am afraid that I might still be in this property by the time I am supposed to have left. I understand that the landlord can serve a court order to evict me, but can he do that if I he is abroad? Is it something the estate agency can do for him? Also recently I sold some of my furniture and was able pay all my rent arrears in full. If all my arrears are paid by the date I have to be out of the property has the landlord still got a right to kick me out? This will also be the date my contract finishes. I would like to think that I don’t have to pay rent to someone I am not on a contract with anymore?? But if I show my ‘goodwill’ by keep on paying rent (even after my contract has finished), and demonstrate that being laid off was not intentional- would the landlord/agency then still be able to evict me? Thanks.