DWP inquiry into UC rent arrears

DWP inquiry into UC rent arrears

11:59 AM, 16th November 2017, About 7 years ago 6

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Finally the DWP announce that they are launching an inquiry into whether Universal Credit (UC) is pushing claimants into rent arrears.

This was revealed by Caroline Dineage, Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions),  in the House of Commons and I’m sure we as landlords will be very interested to see this report.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Dineage confirmed the report was to investigate the actual rent arrears levels for UC claimants and said: “The Department for Work and Pensions is currently undertaking work to investigate the reality of rent arrears in Universal Credit. It aims to understand the true level of rent arrears for tenants, what is causing them, and any impacts Universal Credit may be having.”

“We have to be careful not to scaremonger on this issue. A National Federation of Arm’s Length Management Organisations report says that three quarters of tenants who started to claim universal credit were already in arrears, and research shows that after four months the number of claimants in arrears has fallen by a third.”

Contact Sherrelle for offline Universal Credit advice

Sherrelle is an independent consultant and is recommended by Property118 for landlords who require professional advice and assistance in regards to dealing with Universal credit related matters


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Mick Roberts

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12:38 PM, 17th November 2017, About 7 years ago

Are they nuts?
Whether UC is pushing claimants into arrears?
What is causing the rent arrears?
Ask the people on the ground ie. me that sees these people EVERY day.
Gees, this Govt & DWP are thick.
Everyone is different & some need more help than others.
That was why the welfare state was bought in. In times of need, let's make sure the people who have lost their income, can still have shelter, food, eat, gas, elec etc.
UC is now taking this away from them.
I've just had UC tenant who has been with me approx 15 years no problems, now UC, she in rent arrears.
She has also just been sanctioned for 164 days, NO INCOME AT ALL. How is she gonna' eat?
Do DWP still want to say Benefit cuts & UC not the reason for Food banks?
It's not rocket science if someone is used to £50 here & there & then all of a sudden you give them £1000 in ONE MONTHLY PAYMENT, for some temptation will kick in.
They ain't bothered about the rent & the food lasting a month, Oh No, Mr Spain holiday here I come. Nice pair of trainers they are, screw the rent, I'm gonna' look good this week.
WHAT WOULD BE THE HARM, THE WORST THAT COULD HAPPEN IF YOU PAID THE LANDLORD the housing element of the rent? What would be the dire consequences? Oh yes, I see, the rent would be paid, Landlord could pay his mortgage, tenant got shelter, no eviction.
Here's one for u to show how thick this Govt is & the Treasury. The Govt bought in approx 3 years ago no tax paper discs.
We all said there will be lots of people who just won't have car tax any more. I know it's electronic check now, but PEOPLE ARE DIFFERENT.
Govt said No, there will be no loss of income.
What has just happened? Number of untaxed vehicles in UK trebles after tax disc abolition.
We all said it, those on the ground that talk to normal people.
But Oh No, Mr Tory Govt thinks people ALL are like them & will pay their way responsibly.

Jonathan Clarke

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18:57 PM, 17th November 2017, About 7 years ago

Spot on Mick
Yes shock horror .
If they had bothered to ask the right people they would never have introduced UC in its current format. They just do not seem to comprehend that some people cannot manage their lives and their money effectively.

I thought that about the tax discs thing as well .
The other one that gets me is rearranging road layouts when they dont have too. Its as if the people who design it don`t drive a car . So outside my place they put an island across half the road to slow everything down . No problem with that but they put the give way markings in the wrong place . Its on a slight bend. First time i drove through it... I thought - well they messed that up those give way lines should be about 15 yards up the road it just wont work like that . About a month later it was all changed again . They moved the give way lines about 15 yds up the road . It took me one drive down there to check it out and I saw immediately it was wrong . Who employs these people . Who signed it off on the day saying . Look we have done a good job there. Crazy

Speed humps is another one . Lets put 5 speed humps in this road to slow the traffic down. Make it safe for the old folk around here . Great big ugly concrete monster road humps went in
But hang on old folk get ill . they are weak and get bad backs The Ambulance service said we cant transport the elderly people to hospital safely now . No one asked us though . Can you remove them or you will get some personal injury claims coming your way . Council removed them . Crazy
http://www.abd.org.uk/topics/speed_humps.htm
Pay my UC direct . My tenant is an alcoholic and will spend my rent money on drink . They have a history of drinking . The council know that which is partially why LHA was paid direct to me . The social services know that. The Police know that. The support worker knows that . The neighbours know that....I know that
Why is it the one person with that 1000 pounds never thinks for one moment to ask anyone of us for our views as to whether it is a good idea to give this person 1000 pounds. We are all responsible sensible professional people . We would all have said NO.... Crazy
What part of the word alcoholic do they not understand.

Mick Roberts

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7:28 AM, 18th November 2017, About 7 years ago

Yes Jonathan,

All the people close to the person know what they like, yet they give the money paying decision to an 18 year old in an office 50 miles away to satisfy Govt statistics.
All local HB offices were the same in 2008 when LHA came in. PAY THE TENANT NEED TO PAY THE TENANT. GOT TO KEEP GOVT HAPPY.

They'd say We need MASSIVE proof of drugs, arrears, head falling off etc., before we pay Landlord.

What happened approx 2012, the common sense people in the HB office knew it wasn't working, saw tenants being evicted & in arrears, & now it's a case of pay me please, this tenant ain't great, we get paid direct in less than 2.5 seconds decision making.

Yes we are responsible, we want to KEEP that person in the house with no arrears, simple as that. UC wrecks all that.

Paul Cunningham

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21:58 PM, 18th November 2017, About 7 years ago

Universal Credit is a failed social experiment that punishes the poor and vulnerable who have no voice.

Kathy Evans

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17:55 PM, 19th November 2017, About 7 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Mick Roberts at 17/11/2017 - 12:38
"But Oh No, Mr Tory Govt thinks people ALL are like them & will pay their way responsibly."

More like "people ALL are like them" and will spend their expenses, sorry, UC, on duck houses, or rather flat screen TVs, and screw responsibility.

Mick Roberts

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17:47 PM, 23rd November 2017, About 7 years ago

Further to my last comments, below is part of a letter I have just sent to UC, which needs addressing by everyone who gets to meet anyone from UC/DWP:

I sent you this UC 47 form by email 4 Nov 17. Why has it took you THREE weeks to ask for my bank details?
Why don’t you use common sense & see the existing claims I have with yourself TO SEE THAT YOU ALREADY HAVE MY BANK DETAILS.
Why are you asking for my bank details again?
Why can’t you ask for my bank details on the UC47 form? Do you not agree this would save lots of time?
How much longer would you like to delay this?
So tenant is already over 8 weeks in arrears 27 Oct.
You delay things by not doing the common sense things above, her next Housing element ‘rent’ is due 27 Nov. Do you know what date it is today?
Who’s paying the mortgage? Not rocket science is it.
My 5 year old kid could run this process better.
Please don’t tell me the above is policy. Why not? Tell the policy makers this needs changing. Go learn off Housing Benefit & Local Housing Allowance. The mistakes they have made & corrected, you are now doing & it’s costing millions of pounds & man hours to you, the Govt, DWP, UC, Me, tenants.
You can solve this in one swoop by asking HB about the problems direct payment caused when LHA came in, in 2008. And how most councils solved that about 4 years later.
Don’t you learn from history?

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