Good morning

Amber Rudd, Secretary of State, Work & Pensions made a statement to Parliament yesterday confirming the commencement of the Harrogate (Managed Migration) Pilot; and announced the go ahead of the compensation scheme for claimants who previously qualified for Severe Disability Premium (SDP) who transferred to Universal Credit, prior…

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,…

Dear Member

In recent weeks, there’s been considerable Parliamentary scrutiny of the number of Overpayment debts that are being recovered from UC claimants’ monthly entitlement, leaving, in some cases, less than 60% of their Standard Allowance (e.g. single claimant over 25 – £180 pcm) to sustain themselves, during the month,…

Good morning

Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) recently published its report – “The Computer says “No!”

The report examines DWP “decision making” and, in particular, the associated quality of “ benefit notifications” sent to claimants. It includes case studies and analysis, from CPAG, which highlight serious misgivings about the…

Good morning

The “Managed” or forced migration of a further 3 million “legacy benefit” (e.g. JSA, ESA, Housing Benefit, Tax Credits) claimants to Universal Credit starts in Harrogate from July 2019, expanding to other (yet unannounced) areas during the next 12 months. Currently, there are more than 2 million recipients…

Good morning

More than 5 years after Universal Credit was first launched, SRS landlords are still desperately waiting for DWP to produce a satisfactory automated solution to the annual rent up-rating exercise, something they’ve been accustomed to via Councils and Housing Benefit. DWP published its latest guidance and related…

I’ve had some reaction to yesterday’s bulletin, from a number of housing associations who have been advised by DWP that they will not accept notification, until after the change has occurred. So, in the case of a rent charge, effective from 1st April 2019, DWP is maintaining, at least,…

My 10th February bulletin mentioned DWP was still deliberating on how best to handle the annual up-rating of rents exercise, in the Social Rented Sector, but hoped to confirm its position by 21st February. Regrettably, its position remains unsettled but it has made the following statement:

…

DWP has only recently published its latest
newsletter addressed to social & private landlords. You can find it here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-landlord-engagement-newsletters/february-2019-universal-credit-landlord-engagement-newsletter

I have extracted some elements, which should be of particular
interest and assistance to private landlords, engaged in providing
accommodation to tenants, currently relying on LHA,…

Good Morning

DWP’s latest Landlord newsletter refers to “untidy tenancies” and explains how, in some cases, DWP’s “Decision Maker” may exercise discretion, regarding the amount of “housing costs element” allowed in cases of separation etc. to permit a joint tenant to be able to meet the contractual rent and remain…