New tenant rules for universal credit
- 14 Aug
A new system will help keep landlords up to date with payment methods.
The government is introducing new rules which will allow housing associations the ability to prevent tenants claiming universal credit falling into arrears, reports Inside Housing.
A new pilot will be rolled out by the Department for Work and Pensions by Golden Gates Housing trust which job centres can seek permission from tenants to inform their social landlord if the make a new claim for universal credit.
Since October 2013 when universal credit began rolling out for new claimants many tenants have struggled to adjust to the change of one single monthly payment and have failed to pay their rent.
Oxford City Council, which has undertaken a direct payments pilot, says £49,000 of its rent arrears is due to the trialled reform. Social landlords have also expressed concern that they have no way of helping tenants cope with the change, because they are unaware as to who has been moved to universal credit.
Under this new pilot, when someone makes a claim for universal credit they are asked by the job centre to take a form to their landlord to verify their housing cots or to give consent for the job centre to contact the landlord.
Julie Vickers, director of business support at New Charter Housing Trust Group, which estimates 36 of its tenants are claiming universal credit, said the move would prevent ‘inappropriate action' being inadvertently taken against tenants in arrears who were merely waiting for their benefit to come through.
Sam Lister, policy and practice officer at the Chartered Institute of Housing, said the proposal sounded ‘entirely sensible'.
The DWP said the change would mean social landlords would ‘know from day one' whether their tenants were claiming universal credit or not.
What do you think of this? Tweet us your comments @suppsolutions
Image source: http://www.freeimages.com/photo/386434
Related articles
- 03 May
MANY MAY STRUGGLE AS A RESULT OF CHANGES TO THE UNIVERSAL CREDIT SYSTEM
The study envisages the following issues from the move which is expected to save the taxman £1billion a year by 2021:Chief executive of Child Poverty Action Group, Alison Garnham said:"This cut...
- 13 Mar
CIH SCOTLAND POINTS OUT ISSUES WITH IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NEW SINGLE PAYMENT ON UNIVERSAL CREDIT
Following recent warnings from the Scottish Parliament's Social Security Committee about problems with the new Universal Credit system, CIH Scotland has pointed out some issues with the...
- 23 Nov
THE LHA CAP WILL APPLY TO ALL TENANTS THAT RECEIVE UNIVERSAL CREDIT
These details were stated by the government:Lord Freud announced in a ministerial statement that this would "ensure simplicity and a streamlined process". He also said tenants who are moved from...
- 17 Oct
UNIVERSAL CREDIT SET TO EXPAND IN AREAS SERVED BY KIRKINTILLOCH JOBCENTRE
The beneficiaries of this would have to live within one of these postcodes: G64 4, G66 1, G66 2, G66 3, G66 4, G66 5, G66 7 and G66 8.This entitlement means working age people in these postcodes...
- 25 Aug
AFTERMATH OF UNIVERSAL CREDIT DELAYS
The labour MP also said "the minimum six-week payment period faced by new Universal Credit claimants led to reliance on emergency food parcels, triggered debt and rent arrears, and caused health...
- 25 May
FIRST ERROR AND FRAUD FINDINGS FOR UNIVERSAL CREDIT
The department's findings show that underpayments due to official errors were considerably higher than for the older Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) Programme, however, the rate of overpayments was...
- 09 Sep
Universal credit targets defended by Iain Duncan Smith
When asked about the effectiveness of the roll-out of universal credit Mr Duncan Smith said: “Universal credit is now available in more than half of jobcentres across Great Britain and will be...
- 18 Aug
Scottish carers are worse off due to universal credit
Child Poverty Action Group has sent a report to Scottish and UK ministers urging them to amend the universal credit regime to pay closer heed to Scotland’s systems and use devolved power to protect...
- 13 Aug
Universal Credit claimants rise to almost 90,000
Figures by the Department for Work and Pensions have found that 89,357 people were claiming universal credit by 9th July which was a rise of 18% compared to 75,426 on 11th June, reports Inside...
- 13 Aug
Scottish government to revamp universal credit
The Scottish Government has decided it wants to give claimants the choice of having their payments made twice a month rather than just once a month on universal credit, reports Scottish Housing...
How to Fund Housing Support and Social Care Services Good clear delivery of some complicated information. Jaqui Smith - Young Womens Housing Project
