Good morning

In today’s bulletin, we highlight the critical part played by specialist benefits staff, in helping tenants overcome the ever-increasing obstacles placed in their path, by DWP’s mishandling of claims, its seeming reluctance or inability to remedy errors, and, on occasions, downright intransigenence.

West of Scotland Housing Association (WOSHA)…

Good afternoon

My recent bulletin “Notifying DWP of a change in your tenants’ rental charge” has produced a response from DWP management.

One of my Housing Association clients, wrote to their Partnership Manager, attaching a spreadsheet, with details of tenants who had failed to respond to DWP’s April 2019 “journal”…

Good morning

In recent weeks, I’ve had a number of website clients, and private landlord posters on, for example, Property Tribes, raising examples of councils not making, the 2 week run-on of Housing Benefit (LHA) even though this should be paid automatically, when a tenant transitions from Housing Benefit…

Good morning

An increasing number of my clients have been expressing concern about the ongoing fiasco, relating to the April rental charge, uprating exercise, which has contributed to some tenants failing to report the change in rent level to the DWP, in some cases creating under or over-payments. As DWP…

Good morning 

Appealing Housing Benefit (HB) decisions is something I do on a weekly basis, mainly for landlord clients but, on occasions, when instructed by a landlord, I will represent their tenant(s). In this connection, I recently helped an elderly tenant and her landlord daughter successfully appeal a decision by…

FAO
Housing, Income & Financial Inclusion Managers

I write to draw your attention to a number of forthcoming Universal Credit training events in Aberdeen, Newcastle, Leeds and Liverpool, specifically relating to the expansion of Natural and Managed Migration and the impact this could have on your “working age” tenants,…

Good morning

The House of Commons Library published its latest report, on 14th June 2019, focused on the problems, full and part-time “workers” can experience because of the way DWP assesses earnings and other income, received during the course of their monthly Benefit Assessment Period.

Problems arise when more…

Good morning

I’m sure, like me, you’ll not have been surprised by DWP’s latest update (24th April) on the promised, SRS Landlord Portal solution to the annual rent uprating exercise. Yet another delay and broken commitment!

Why?

DWP’s explanation – “the delivery of a process that meets your needs continues…

Morning

I’ve just responded to a First-tier Tribunal Judge’s, Directions Notice, on behalf of my Housing Association client and one of its disabled tenants. The tenant is of “working age” who was receiving ESA (IR), PIP and Housing Benefit, until February 2018, when he agreed to an exchange with another…

Good morning

For the 2nd time in less than 1 year, DWP’s Universal Credit “Migration” rules, relating to severely disabled claimants, have been ruled “discriminatory” by the High Court.

In an earlier bulletin I explained how two appellants, referred to as TP & AR, had secured compensation for the…