Good morning

Historically, non-dependant deductions, relating to Housing Benefit, were recognised as one of the most common reasons for rent arrears, and especially difficult to grapple with, where the non-dep was working more than 16 hours per week, attracting deductions that either substantially reduced or wiped out the HB award.…

Good morning

In an earlier bulletin (January 21), I answered one of the most common questions I’m asked – can DWP award UC before the date of the tenant’s actual claim?

The answer is – YES – but, only in limited and prescribed situations.

I explained, using an actual case, how Ms…

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In recent months, I’ve been contacted by a few PRS landlords. Each was encountering difficulties with DWP, in relation to existing Direct Payments, following either a change of bank or account details, with their current bank (e.g., move to limited company). As required, each notified DWP, anticipating its…

Good afternoon

Following fierce criticism, from Parliamentary Committees, the National Audit Office, amongst others, DWP introduced a “Risk Review” team (RRT) to re-examine UC awards, made during COVID, to establish whether the award was appropriately made or not and, partly because of doing so, overpayments, during 2020/21, amounted to £6…

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In response to a number of members’ enquiries, about Managed Migration and Transitional Payments, I can confirm, I do plan to deliver some training, covering this most complicated part of the process, but not until later this autumn, by which time, DWP should have published details of its…

Good morning

I was contacted recently by one of my London based clients and asked to assist in a case where the tenant was facing eviction, due to the retrospective cancellation of his Housing Benefit, causing an overpayment, plus the accrual of large rent arrears, adding £1000+ to the balance…

Good afternoon

Social landlords across GB, preparing for the April 2022 annual “rent increase” event, naturally assumed, the onus for reporting the change to DWP would rest primarily with their tenants, using their journal, after being prompted by an online “To-do” in April. That’s certainly been DWP’s position since 2013,…

Good afternoon

I was contacted in February 2022 by the family of a 99-year-old grandmother and her 75-year-old autistic daughter, who, as joint tenants, had both been refused Housing Benefit (HB) by their local council, primarily on the basis their landlord was a close relative (granddaughter) and their close family…

Good morning

I was contacted a few weeks ago by a landlord, who was totally frustrated by his lack of success, trying to secure help from DWP for his tenant’s “housing costs”. Universal Credit had refused to include a “housing costs element” (HCE) in her award, for 6 months, causing…

Good morning

I was contacted in December 2021 by a landlord client who was in the process of evicting a tenant for £5800 rent arrears. As a last gasp option, he decided to pass the baton to me, knowing I operate, in cases of this type, on a No win,…