10:04 AM, 16th April 2021, About 3 years ago 28
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Benefit tenants, I’m sorry, I now have to refuse & discriminate against you if you have Mental Health problems too. And urge all other Landlords to do so too.
A strong statement here, I cannot and urge you all to not take Mental Health Benefit tenants. We can’t get help for Mental Health tenants from DWP UC to get any rent paid at all. And I’ve taken Mentally ill tenants for 24 years. Not any more.
Here’s a snippet of two problems I’ve had this week.
I’ve sold a house and DWP Universal Credit are still paying me the Rent Housing Element for my old house. The old tenant & DWP give us no way of notifying them. Except to ring a phone number which takes an hour to answer, won’t talk to Landlords and then cuts us off.
From DWP:
You have a legal obligation to inform us immediately when you cease to hold an Assured Tenancy with a UC claimant, where a Managed Payment to Landlord is in force. Therefore, can you please provide the full name and address of this former tenant, so we can stop any further payment of Housing Element going to you, as you are no longer entitled to these monies.
From Me:
Why do you think I have asked in the first place? How do we Landlords tell you?
I am asking for an email address for Landlords to tell UC we have sold a house.
My second problem this week is I’ve had an 80-year-old tenant die, his 56-year-old son with Mental Health Problems wants to take over the house, however, I cannot get anyone at UC to talk to me to go this solved to start setting up rent payments.
DWP saying this person has complex Mental Health needs, then she says she wants me to give her his number to ring him, so she can pay this unstable person a month’s rent. Crackers or what. The tenant is already in arrears, yet then she tells me she wants to pay his rent direct to him. You couldn’t make this up.
From DWP experienced Mental Health expert:
Firstly, are you able to provide me with a contact number for XXXX as in the first instance I need to speak to him and arrange for him to come into the jobcentre so that I can assist with making his claim for Universal Credit. XXXX has a number of complex mental health needs.
Are you able to provide XXXX with a tenancy agreement in his name solely? We would need this in order to verify housing costs. If you want to send it directly to me with your signature I can ask XXXX to sign this when he comes into the jobcentre.
As per your email, once we set up a claim for Universal Credit I can ask the Case Manager to look at paying the rent from 01/04/2021. Once we are able to get XXXX in the jobcentre the claim will be set up the same day and he can take an advance to cover the rent.
XXXX Service Delivery Coach | Mental health and Wellbeing Lead | Mental Health First Aider
From Me:
You mention giving him Advance to pay the rent. Surely you’re not thinking of paying someone with complex mental health needs the rent money direct are you? When he’s already in arrears?
The tenancy agreement, I am reluctant to do this, as UC DWP fail to realise even though we keep telling ‘em tenant doesn’t need a new tenancy, as giving tenant new current dated tenancy then entwines us both into new current laws/rules where Landlord can never get his house back. Another reason why so many UC tenants can’t get a house.
I can if need be, provide you with a current Rent proof that supersedes tenancies. XXXX has to sign tenancy in front of me.
I’m still waiting for a Bulwell Nottingham case manager to backdate another claim of mine from 2.10.20 & still not heard anything 6 months later, so I have little confidence in UC case managers backdating. And this is one XXXX Bulwell manager knows about how we proved UC made some serious errors.
I say I’ve rung him loads of times, been round, wife been round, & rang Council Homeless while with him, I’ve emailed u lot lots of times, cost me 20 hours last few days, what have u lot done?
She says she will ring the Police for his welfare. Gees that ain’t helping him solve his rent & homeless problem. Solve that & we don’t have a welfare problem.
SO DWP rang Met Police. Police rang me & said why has DWP rang Met Police? I say Exactly why? And the Police thought I was the Mental Health tenant, cause DWP gave them my number thinking I was a tenant.
So 2+ weeks in & we no closer to getting this vulnerable tenant rent paid & not being homeless.
If this was HB, I could have solved in 1 day.
Bill Irvine, UC expert & trainer to Landlords has done a video about the mess DWP is in, the direct payments we all suffering from not getting or not getting any replies from DWP. The link to the interview is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sMXmnhHpwQ
He also promoted his new advice & training website, which focuses on Universal Credit, from the perspective of PRS landlords and letting agents. Bill’s retained by the NRLA as its UC consultant and continues to provide advice and support to its members. However, on the training and consultancy front, he aims to offer landlords/agents a more 1-2-1 experience by keeping numbers of participants low and rates very affordable.
The new site https://universalcreditacademy.com/ compliments his main site www.ucadvice.co.uk of which I’m a member, and receive his regular bulletins.
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Mick Roberts
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Sign Up9:29 AM, 17th April 2021, About 3 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Rbinscotland at 17/04/2021 - 09:17
So u too are being paid for tenants that's no longer there.
Ha ha yes I too have paid sums for tenants nothing to do with me.
4. I've had same too.
All this could be solved by giving us email contact. Their refusal to engage with us, is costing the Taxpayer millions.
It's getting worse.
rbinscotland
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Sign Up9:33 AM, 17th April 2021, About 3 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Mick Roberts at 17/04/2021 - 09:29
THEY COULDNT IDENTIFY WHO , WHAT OR WHEN THEY PAID THEM. THEY COULDNT TELL ME THE NAMES ( CORRECTLY DUE TO DATA PROTECTION). I WAS WORKING ON SOME NEW TENANTS AND OLD CHANGED TO UC DUE TO COVID, IT WAS MESSY WITHOUT UC INVOLVEMENT. BUT THEY COULDNT SAY WHO THEY PAID, EVEN IGNORING DATE PRO.
EVEN IN MARCH 20 TELLING THEM I DONT RECOGNISE THESE PAYMENT THEY CARRIED ON PAYING. TILL AT LEAST JAN THIS YEAR.
Mick Roberts
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Sign Up11:06 AM, 17th April 2021, About 3 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Rbinscotland at 17/04/2021 - 09:33
Yes telling them gets u nowhere, I've just had UC ring me on a Saturday, my good woman in the Job Centre. Her colleagues this week who started this fiasco above with Mental Health tenant, it appears they've done nothing.
We know they haven't rang me, she's a manager, going to talk to them. I said their way results in homeless, talking to me may avoid homeless, it's so easy the two choices.
Smartermind
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Sign Up15:06 PM, 17th April 2021, About 3 years ago
Your beef is with the DWP. You should pursue your legitimate complaint on how they handle UC/HB payments with them and your MP.
You refusing and encouraging other landlords to refuse to provide housing to people with mental health issues is a clear breach of the Equality Act 2010. I am actually shocked that property118 allowed you to post this in a public forum. What next: "I am sorry, but I can't take Indian/Black/Gay/Female tenants/Pensioners"?
For your benefit I have appended a link to Government guidance to the Equality Act 2010.
_______________________________________________________________
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/equality-act-2010-guidance#:~:text=The%20Equality%20Act%202010%20legally,strengthening%20protection%20in%20some%20situations.
The relevant sections:
Provisions relating to disability
* extending protection against indirect discrimination to disability
* introducing the concept of “discrimination arising from disability” to replace protection under previous legislation lost as a result of a legal judgment
* applying the detriment model to victimisation protection (aligning with the approach in employment law)
* harmonising the thresholds for the duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people
JamesB
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Sign Up15:59 PM, 17th April 2021, About 3 years ago
I agree with one of the comments above
We do not let any more without a homeowner guarantor... we need this safety net the way the state protects defaulters. No guarantor then we wait for one who has
rbinscotland
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Sign Up16:06 PM, 17th April 2021, About 3 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Smartermind at 17/04/2021 - 15:06
You forgot amongst others that we have to allow pets. And in England ( although I'm sure it'll come in Scotland) we have to do the work of the Home Office and check immigration, or eligibility to be here.
I think 118 are right in allowing these statements of fact. Because they are just that. You listened, or read it but when will MPs or those in the right position take note.
reader
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Sign Up16:20 PM, 17th April 2021, About 3 years ago
Smartermind quotes the Equality Act and the principles are fine, no one should discriminate unlawfully. But equally the State in all its forms needs to provide adequate support services so those too ill to care for themselves are not left homeless. Landlords lack the qualifications and skills to be substitute carers, supermarkets do not let anyone cannot afford their products help themselves without any prospect of paying and we are no different to your corner shop.
Mick Roberts
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Sign Up16:28 PM, 17th April 2021, About 3 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Smartermind at 17/04/2021 - 15:06
Thanks SmarterMind, You are exactly what we are looking for, a discussion.
I'm the biggest Benefits Landlord in Nottingham, I have LOVED taking Benefit tenants & Mentally health tenants for 24 years. But guess what, when no rent comes in, I ring Mortgage Lender up to say Can I not pay u for 2 years cause I'm not being paid the rent & can u guess what they say?
Do u not think I & many of us have had complaints with DWP? Do u know how long they take to look at complaint? I'll tell u, TWO+ years. And do u know what happens? Clearly not cause u not involved in the system. No redress. No lost rent paid back. Landlords have lost their houses cause of the issues I describe above.
How many Benefit tenants do u house?
We need to get this out in the open. Yes it's despicable my suggestion, but we REALLY NEED to get this out the MP's & News outlet's. My MP who knows me very well on business level & met me several times, wants to meet to discuss this very issue once Covid is over. But he has no magic wand.
What u describe about
take Indian/Black/Gay/Female tenants/Pensioners
Now u being stupid. But if any person ie. dogs cause damage, real world Landlords don't take & take higher deposits-Which we've now been banned from doing-Hence less dogs being took.
So if your people above don't get the rent paid, how could a Landlord pay his mortgage.
This is EXACTLY how UC DWP are making us think. I am a rare one in Nottingham that's took hundreds of Council homeless over the years, but cannot any more.
I have several disabled tenants, one been with me 19 years, she's 65ish, learning mind of a 9 year old. I and her carers struggle every day to get her anything more than cooking ie. garden arranged, new curtains, I have to order her tumble dryer cause the Council says she has to ring up & do it herself. I'm dreading if she has to make a UC claim. She can't do it. So shout me out, I am gonna' have to be discriminatory from now on-Not cause of the people, but cause of the system. We can't get these people the help they deserve & need. I ask again, who is paying the mortgage.
I've just put this on Twitter, attack me or join me to solve it.
https://twitter.com/MickRobertsBoss/status/1383436589817208834?s=19
@Shelter U r rlly making Landlords hate Benefit tenants. Who is winning when u take these agents to court? Cause future tenants aren't, you've now made it worse for them. Work with us against @NeilCouling to change the system.
@BENEFITS_NEWS @katefaulkner
https://t.co/81emYhVBeJ
Mick Roberts
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Sign Up16:37 PM, 17th April 2021, About 3 years ago
Reply to the comment left by at 17/04/2021 - 16:20
U say it perfectly Reader. I and we have become Policeman, Judges, carers, shoulder to cry on, Bailiff, Social worker, best friend, mediator.
I tell tenants I feel like crying, I just want the rent in, &/or tell sell the house. I just want to be a Landlord. Why have the Govt & Councils done this to u & us?
Bristol Landlord
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Sign Up17:20 PM, 17th April 2021, About 3 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Smartermind at 17/04/2021 - 15:06
Dear Smartermind, your argument may be laudable but in the real world is hopelessly unrealistic. We are in the Private Rented Sector, we are not in, nor are we experts on, the Social Housing Sector, the Mental Health Sector or the Unemployment Benefits Sector. In other words and as Private Sector Landlords it is way beyond our scope to sort out the SYSTEMIC mess which this subject has become. It is the job of the Govt and LA to sort out, not Private Landlords.
It is now very clear the Govt is incompetent, lazy, uncaring, callous etc and is trying to shirk its duties of good governance and trying to pass on its responsibilities, in this regard of benefits and vulnerable tenants, onto the Private Landlords.
It is neither our business nor our problem to sort out this mess.
Mick is quite correct to say he has now, despite his heroic struggles, to avoid this problem of struggling to accommodate tenants with mental health issues in order to PROTECT himself from further financial loss, wasted time and increased blood pressure.
I totally agree with Mick, if you can’t SOLVE a problem then you have to AVOID the problem.