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Bedroom Tax - DWP closes HB loophole for Pre-1996 cases

Good Afternoon, I wrote to you some weeks ago explaining how the DWP had issued an HB circular to all councils instructing them to work with social landlords in an attempt to identify possible beneficiaries of the loophole. See http://www.ucadvice.co.uk/housing-associations/2014/01/urgent-bedroom-tax—dwp-accept-the-merit-of-loophole-arguement RSLs have since confirmed that their local authorities have, in…

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Universal Credit Rollout - 10 step update!

Good afternoon, I’ve spent most of the past month visiting RSL and Private Sector clients, throughoutthe UK, anxious to secure an update on the Universal Credit rollout. Some anxiety was created by the DWP announcement, in May 2014, of a further 12 council districts “going live” from June 2014, with seemingly less…

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Universal Credit - DWP explains

Good Afternoon, DWP has just published its latest circular HB 12-2014. It’s designed to explain how Housing Benefit and Universal Claims must be handled by DWP and LAs when there’s a change in circumstances which affects claimants entitlement to one or both benefits. It also explains what happens when a…

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Bedroom Tax - Court of Appeal ruling - Disabled Adults

Hi, DWP earlier today published HB U2/2014 its latest Housing Benefit circular, and has sent this to all HB administering authorities so that their staff can use some of the material when responding to Bedroom Tax Appeals and when making submissions to First & Upper-tier tribunals. As I’m sure you’re already…

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Hitting the DWP brick wall!

Hi, The political and media spotlight just now is on the Universal Credit fiasco, and rightly so; every day brings another headline. Ian Duncan Smith (IDS) was recalled, earlier this week, by the Work & Pensions Committee, after its Chair and members complained they had been seriously misled by Ministers,…

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Universal Credit - Housing Costs element

Good morning, One of the most common questions we get asked by Social Landlords is: “How much of the tenant’s rent are we likely to receive and when will we receive it”? The answer, in most cases, where the tenant is unemployed, is relatively straightforward. At the point of the…

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DWP

Good morning, DWP announced on 28th April “new intensive measures to help the long-term unemployed into work” would start immediately, following the re-training of 26,000 Jobcentre staff to enforce the new policy and associated measures, which apply UK wide. DWP maintains the new scheme “will give Jobcentre staff a new range of options to…

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Universal Credit - 12 new council areas to start process as soon as June 2014!

Good morning, DWP issued a press release, dated 29th April, in which it sets out, in some detail, how it proposes to roll-out Universal Credit to a range of councils and jobcentres in the North West of England. Full details can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/universal-credit-first-year-of-welfare-transformation-and-north-west-next-steps Probably the most significant information…

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Landlord managed payments & rent arrears

Good Morning, After a bit of a lull on the welfare reform front, DWP has just issued two new important documents. The first is really a refreshed version of its document “Universal Credit & Rented Housing – FAQs” which it first published a few months ago. The revised version is…

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