Morning

A Simple Housing Costs Query

When Miss P’s parents first approached me, their concern appeared straightforward. Her landlord had increased the monthly housing charge by £100, taking it to approximately £1,400 per month, and they wanted help securing a revision of her Housing Costs Element.

On reviewing the claim,…

Good morning

My latest bulletin represents an update on one started more than 1 year ago. The claimant, referred to as Mr W, is physically and mentally vulnerable and migrated to UC in March 2025. He had lived in the same property for around 20 years, paid rent throughout, and…

Good afternoon

DWP contacted me this morning to confirm it was conceding a Universal Credit housing costs appeal after being directed by a Judge to respond to our written submission.

The case concerned Mr X, a vulnerable claimant with both physical and mental health issues. He had already established entitlement…

Good morning

We are currently assisting a highly vulnerable tenant, whom we will call Mr A, in what should have been a relatively straightforward Universal Credit dispute. Unfortunately, the case has become a stark example of the difficulties claimants, landlords and advisers can encounter when a clear administrative error is…

Good Morning A recent case shows how flawed decision-making can place tenants at risk of eviction and leave landlords facing months of avoidable rent loss. Why this bulletin matters This bulletin highlights a troubling Universal Credit housing costs case involving an HMO tenant whose award was wrongly disrupted following a…

Good afternoon

A troubling Universal Credit case has exposed a potentially serious flaw in the way the Department for Work and Pensions deals with Managed Payments to Landlords where the Benefit Cap applies. The case concerns a private landlord, referred to here as Mr X, whose tenant built up around…

Good morning

The Issue being addressed

This case concerns a private landlord who died while receiving a Managed Payment to Landlord (MPTL) and third-party rent arrears deductions from a tenant’s Universal Credit. The tenant had already accrued substantial arrears, which was the reason payments had been redirected away from the tenant…

Morning A growing concern for private landlords

Over recent months, I have been dealing daily with Universal Credit cases where private rented sector landlords are struggling to secure, maintain, or restore Managed Payments to Landlords, even where tenants have significant rent arrears, and the landlord has provided evidence that the…

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.

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Good afternoon

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…