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Most Council and Housing Association rent control teams rely, at least partially, on rent deductions (Third-Party Payments) or the threat of them being applied, from their tenants’ state benefits, to help manage rent arrears and minimise the need for repossession actions. Some tenants accrue multiple debts that could…

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My clients at Key Housing provide quality “Supported Housing” to vulnerable tenants throughout Scotland. Most tenants require assistance completing and submitting their Housing Benefits claims to council departments. Overall, the process, honed over many years, works well, because Key’s staff have developed effective working partnerships with the various benefit…

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Last week, I represented my client Miss X at a First-tier tribunal, concerning DWP’s refusal to award “housing costs” for the property she occupied, and which was purchased, in September 2023, specifically for her use by her parents. Her need for accommodation started in…

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Several website members have enquired about the recent High Court Judgement of R (Roberts) v Sec of State for W & Ps [2025] EWHC51 (Admin) and asked, to what extent, if any, the judgement might affect their ability to secure Managed Payments for the monthly rental charge, and…

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My last bulletin highlighted DWP’s plans to add 3,100 staff to its Enhanced Review team, bringing the total to nearly 6,000 strong. As explained, it intends to review 8 million current awards of Universal Credit, starting from April 2025, in the hope it can stem the rise…

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The Autumn Budget, delivered by Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, was disappointing for many benefit claimants, particularly those under pensionable age (66), with the news of April 2025 increases being pegged at just 1.7% for benefits like Universal Credit, PIP, ESA, and Child Benefit.

Pensioners fared better with both State…

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This was an unusual appeal, involving 16 tenants and demands for £235,000 in alleged overpayments. Allegedly, because there never was any overpayment in the first place nor should my clients and their tenants have been put through 3 years of unnecessary worry, anxiety, and cost. DWP subsequently accepted it had made…

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Last week’s bulletin created a bit of a stir and prompted landlord clients to ask:

Why can’t a tenant report a change, like the annual rent charge, either in advance of the change or, at least, within the Benefits Assessment Period (BAP), in which the change occurs;…

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Our March bulletin explaining the uprating order and its impact on tenants’ personal and housing cost awards, attracted considerable attention and discussion.

Since then, several private members have raised concerns over some tenants failing to report the change in rent charge, causing rent arrears. They also question…

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I recently helped a housing association client, located in London, with an appeal involving UC and succeeded in having UC housing costs, restored and backdated to July 2021. The appeal affected 16 of its tenants and should produce around £225k…