Citizens Advice calls for direct payment to Landlords to be more widely available

11:37 AM, 7th February 2019, About 6 years ago 1

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People claiming Universal Credit are still struggling to pay for the roof over their heads, despite the wait for their first payment being reduced from 6 weeks to 5, new Citizens Advice data shows.

1 in 2 people the charity helped were in rent arrears or fell behind on their mortgage payments, the same number as when the wait for the first payment was longer.

Citizens Advice also found 60% of people it helped are taking out advances while they wait for payment.

The research also found that, following changes by Government in 2017, fewer people are falling behind on their bills or going without essentials during the wait period. Payment timeliness has improved – now 1 in 6 people are not paid in full and on time, while previously it was 1 in 4.

The report, Managing Money on Universal Credit, reveals new analysis based on the 190,000 people Citizens Advice has helped with Universal Credit.

Among the people the charity helps with debt and Universal Credit:

Debt problems are more common for the people we help with Universal Credit than those claiming benefits under the previous system, with 24% of the people we helped with Universal Credit also seeking debt advice.
Nearly one in two (47%) have no money left after essential living costs (such as food, housing and transport) to pay creditors, or are spending more than they take in.
More than 4 in 5 (82%) hold priority debt such as council tax, rent arrears or mortgage payments, and energy debts.

Citizens Advice is calling on the government to make Universal Credit far more flexible to fit around people’s lives and to make sure people have enough money to live on.

It also wants Alternative Payment Arrangements to be more widely available, allowing for rent to be paid direct to a landlord, more frequent payments, and a payment to go to both members of a couple.

Just 3% of claimants currently receive more frequent payments, while just 20 households in the UK receive split payments to different family members.

Four in 10 of the people helped by Citizens Advice are aware of managed payments to landlords, while just 1 in 6 know payments can be made more frequently.

Gillian Guy, Chief Executive of Citizens Advice, said:

“Half the people we help with a Universal Credit claim are still struggling to keep a roof over their heads while they wait for their first payment.

“Changes to the waiting period for first payment have improved things for many people, but our evidence shows they don’t go far enough.

“Universal Credit must continue to be reformed so it works for all claimants and leaves people with enough money to live on.”

The RLA have responded to the above press release from the Citizens Advice that 49%, effectively half, of everyone they see need help with Universal Credit are in rent arrears.

RLA Vice Chair, Chris Town, said:

“One of the main drivers of rent arrears has been that tenants cannot routinely choose to have the housing element of Universal Credit paid directly to their landlord at the start of a claim.

“Many tenants prefer to have the assurance that their rent is paid and their right to do this should be restored immediately.

“This needs to be coupled with lifting the freeze on housing benefits and the housing element of Universal Credit.

“Housing cost support is simply not keeping up with the realities of rents in the private sector, despite them falling in real terms over the past year.”

The RLA’s own research paints an even more disturbing picture showing of those landlords with tenants on Universal Credit, 60% experienced them going into rent arrears in the past 12 months.

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Luke P

9:57 AM, 8th February 2019, About 6 years ago

I am fast closing down 100 tenants on UC/HB that are caught by the benefit cap that I've successfully applied for Discretionary Housing Payment for...

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