Hi, I’m pleased to inform you that the Universal Credit Calculator, which will become a crucially important aid to your staff when UC is rolled out, has just been updated and can now be found as a Useful Link on the Housing Association http://ucadvice.co.uk/housing-associations tab. Look at the bottom right-hand…

  Hi, DWP has just announced that its rollout of Universal Credit is to be widened, not only to the 12 districts previously mentioned, but it’s now decided to loosen the reins, in terms of the very restrictive “eligibility criteria” by allowing more newly unemployed, single claimants, to actually claim…

Good morning, Westminster’s Coalition government has decided to delegate the Scottish Government (SG) power to set the cap on Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs). https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-government-offers-to-transfer-power-over-housing-payment-cap It will give the Scottish Government the flexibility to pass on more funding, from its existing block grant, to local authorities. At present each local authority must operate within a formula-based…

Hi Universal Credit delivery has been extended to another 6 Pathfinder sites and is expected to incrementally progress to other districts, throughout the UK. The “claimant commitment” and associated “benefit sanctions” are already being rolled out to 20,000 Job Centres, creating major problems for both tenants and landlords alike because of sanctions…

Hi, In Friday’s bulletin I expressed surprise that the DWP hadn’t issued an HB circular explaining the detail of the changes introduced by the new legislation. Later in the day I received an e-mail attaching a copy of A8/2014 which provides much more detail on the topic. Alongside this, NHF…

Hi, Supported Accommodation Managers must have given a huge sigh of relief following the recent publication of the Housing Benefit and Universal Credit (Supported Accommodation) (Amendment) Regulations 2014 – http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2014/771/made A number of homeless and disability charities (Homeless Link, Sitra, Women’s Aid) joined forces with the National Housing Federation and…

Hi A couple of weeks ago I forwarded bulletin http://www.ucadvice.co.uk/housing-associations/2014/01/housing-benefit-lha-suspension-cancellation-and-associated-rent-arrears highlighting the fact, tenants are accruing rent arrears unnecessarily, due to complications in Housing Benefit (LHA) and Bedroom Tax administration between councils and DWP. The note obviously struck a chord with one of my retainer clients who used the information…

Hi, Court of Appeal Judges, this morning (21st Feb), ruled the court could not intervene in the Government’s housing benefit changes – most commonly referred to as the “bedroom tax” They also rejected claims that the ”benefit cap” violates human rights laws and the common law because of its impact…

Hi The Government’s “Bedroom Tax” woes continue as yet another first-tier tribunal, this time in Liverpool, finds imposing the bedroom tax on a father who claimed he needed a second room to accommodate his teenage daughter when she stays with him was an infringement of his human rights. Because the…

Good morning, I’m sure you’re already aware of the recently reported Upper-tier Tribunal Decision CH/140/2013 concerning Bolton BC and its potential impact on Bedroom Tax challenges because the Judge determined a lounge could be treated as a bedroom for the purposes of the size criteria. Some newspaper headlines and website…