Good morning

I’m delighted to advise you of our latest course, which we hope to deliver both in Glasgow and Edinburgh (click link for details) on 21st February and 6th March respectively.

The course, like most we run, focuses on Universal Credit from both tenant & landlord perspective.…

Good afternoon

DWP published details yesterday of the likely LHA rates (weekly and monthly) which are due to come into effect on 1st April 2024. The press release refers to the figures as being “indicative” of what’s likely to be confirmed in the up-rating order on 31st January.

You…

Good morning

In earlier bulletins, I highlighted the chaos & hardship caused by DWP’s “Risk Review” team. More recently, I’ve received several referrals concerning DWP’s “Enhanced Review” checks, which are causing UC to be unfairly refused at point of claim or existing awards being retrospectively reduced or cancelled, oftentimes, illegally.

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Good morning

I’m sure you will have heard, by now, the Chancellor presented his Autumn Statement 2023 in Parliament last week, and, amongst other things, confirmed:

*Universal Credit and other “working age” benefits (e.g., JSA, Income Support) will be uprated in April 2024 by 6.7%, in line with September’s inflation…

Good morning

In recent weeks, I’ve spent a large part of my time speaking to groups of social and private landlords, from Dundee to London, about the migration of “legacy benefit” claimants to Universal Credit. The training sessions have all been well attended, mainly by housing officers, their assistants, plus…

Good morning

Single tenants entering and being released from prison often encounter problems trying to keep their UC award going, and their “housing costs element” (HCE) continue being paid to their landlord. Or, at the point of release, are told they must make a “new” claim, when, in many cases,…

Good afternoon

DWP updated its plans on the “Managed Migration” of Tax Credit customers, to Universal Credit. It expanded its programme, in June, to Greater Manchester and Northeast Yorkshire & the Humber districts.

In July, it intends further expansion into Kent, North London, Durham & Tees Valley, and West Yorkshire.

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Hi

You may recall my earlier bulletins, highlighting the chaos caused by DWP’s retrospective review of UC awards made during COVID when the customary validation checks were relaxed, causing £6 Billion in overpayments in 2020/21. To counter the surge in overpayments, DWP created a Risk Review team (RRT) with…

Good morning

Our 23rd April bulletin explained, how DWP resumed its programme of forcibly moving “legacy benefit” recipients onto Universal Credit, and how it anticipated the migration process, of the remaining 2.6 million claimants, would complete by December 2024, except for those claiming solely, Income-related Employment Support Allowance (ESA).

DWP…

Good morning

Universal Credit recipients are due to receive a 10.1 percent rate rise, effective from 10th April 2023.

Due to the increase, Universal Credit standard allowances will increase:

From £265.31 to £292.11 for single people aged under 25 From £334.91 to £368.74 for single people aged 25 and…