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Chancellor's Summer & Autumn budget proposals explained!

Good morning, A number of housing association & private members have contacted me, extremely concerned about the potential impact on revenues, created by the series of planned changes to Housing Benefit and Universal Credit, announced in the Chancellor’s summer & autumn budgets. Although, in many instances, we’re still awaiting much…

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Capping Housing Benefit to LHA rates - an update!

Good morning, You’ll recall I wrote to you on 30th November to highlight George Osborne’s Autumn Statement announcement to Parliament which included: “Capping Housing Benefit in the social rented sector – The government will apply the relevant Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates as maxima for Housing Benefit paid in the…

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Universal Credit - Your Regional Complaint Resolution Teams explained!

Good morning, Our 30th July bulletin http://universalcreditadvice.com/housing-associations/2016/07/universal-credit—how-to-pursue-queries-complaints explained how you could raise queries and make complaints to DWP, concerning Universal Credit administration processes, where problems of delays or non-payment of Landlord Managed Payments (LMPs) or Third Party Payments (collectively known as APAs) occur. We continue to press DWP hierarchy to…

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DWP publish latest version of its DHP guidance manual!

Good morning, DWP has recently produced a revised version of its Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) Guidance Manual, which includes a Good Practice section and can be found here. The latest version reflects guidance which is designed to address the likely impact of the summer & autumn benefit changes, proposed by…

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LHA cap reprieve for Supported Housing - at least for 1 year!

Good morning, You may recall, I wrote to you initially in November 2015, following the Chancellor’s autumn statement, which, amongst other things, raised the prospect of social landlord tenancy charges being restricted to Local Housing Allowance rates for all new tenancies created from April 2016 – effective from 2018. The…

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Universal Credit - How & when tenants can apply for Advance Payments!

Good morning, One of the most common questions I’m asked when doing our training sessions http://universalcreditadvice.com/housing-associations/training is – how will claimants exist with no money between their last payment of legacy benefits until Universal Credit’s first payment kicks in 5/6 weeks later? The answer lies in what are known as…

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Universal Credit - The new 7 day waiting period

Good morning, A common question I receive nowadays, from my Housing Association clients, relates to the recent change (from 3rd August, 2015) whereby in “new” claims for Universal Credit, the claimant has to wait 7 days before his eligibility to UC will start. Some of you are clearly under the…

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Chancellor's plan to limit Housing Benefit to LHA rates!

Good afternoon, As I’m sure you’ve already heard, George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer, in his Autumn Statement to Parliament announced: “Capping Housing Benefit in the social rented sector – The government will apply the relevant Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates as maxima for Housing Benefit paid in the social…

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