Good morning

Over recent months, I have been dealing with a growing number of cases where Universal Credit claimants are wrongly refused assistance with their housing costs element in situations involving family-owned or connected landlords. A recent case highlights several serious and recurring issues that members should be aware of.

Many non-registered providers of SEA are currently facing a difficult operating environment, especially in parts of southern England. In several areas, administering councils have reduced or withdrawn what is commonly referred to as “Intensive Housing Management” (IHM) support for “exempt accommodation” delivered by NRPs. In practice, this is…

Dear colleague,

I wanted to share a recent Universal Credit case, which began as a housing costs query but uncovered much wider losses for a severely disabled claimant. It is a useful reminder that, in migration cases, the presenting issue may be only part of the problem.

Case

I am…

Good morning

I first wrote about this topic in November 2020.  Since then, several changes have occurred that should, in theory, assist claimants who are paid two monthly salaries in the same month, but in practice, the issue recurs all too frequently.

When the regulations were first introduced, claimants generally…

Good morning,

Some of my most-read articles cover tenancies between relatives, where a Housing Benefit (HB) or Universal Credit (UC) housing-costs claim has been refused. In most cases, I can overturn the DWP or the Council’s decision as there is nothing unlawful or improper about renting to a family member…

Good morning

Just last week, a Housing Association (HA) sought advice on decanting 16 families from four blocks of flats into temporary accommodation for around three months to allow structural repairs. Several households receive Universal Credit (UC), and reassurance was requested that housing cost payments could continue for their permanent…

My latest landlord referral has been revised in the claimant’s favour, avoiding the need for Tribunal proceedings with a backdate of £10K to March 2025.

While that outcome is welcome, the original refusal was the product of a flawed decision‑making culture within Universal Credit, not a failure of…

Journal Messages Are Not Valid Decision Notices

A recurring issue, increasingly being raised by members, is that DWP staff frequently assume that posting a short message on the claimant’s journal constitutes a lawful decision notice. Recent case correspondence confirms this is happening on an increasing scale—for example, claimants…

Good afternoon

The April 2026 Benefits Uprating and rental charge increases will impact your tenants’ UC personal and “housing costs” entitlement. “Working age” (now under 67) tenants, receiving Universal Credit, will see an increase of around 10% on their Standard Allowance, and 6% on other elements (e.g., child, disability, carers)…

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Overview

A recent case involving a Calvay Housing Association (CHA) tenant highlights the significant value that a skilled Welfare Rights Officer (WRO) brings to both tenants and their landlord.

The tenant, who had migrated to Universal Credit (UC) last year, lives alone in a 4‑bedroom property. Due to…