LBC – Landlord’s Heartbreaking Take On The Hell Of Universal Credit

I echo Dan`s powerful comments. Its horrific how UC has been rolled out and forcing people to starve for 6 weeks and more. Its inhuman.
I wish a human rights lawyer would pick up one of the 100`s of tragic stories as a test case and run with it and attract publicity to embarrass the government into getting their act together.
There is surely a criminal neglect here as to take someone off LHA and put them on UC and in effect deny them money for food for 6 weeks because you cant process a claim is ridiculous. Its 5 years behind schedule as it is and to still be in this position after 5 years shows a massive incompetence
UC is not fit for purpose
My first transition from LHA to UC was for a recovering alcoholic tenant of mine . The delay cost her her home, her kids and her liberty . The money which was paid direct to me under LHA, eventually after 3 months delay went into her account under UC...., she weakened, spent it on drink, had a party, lost her kids and got arrested.
The council knew she had an alcoholic history but they didnt care No consultation with me the extended family or the support worker prior to the transition. They just processed it
We could all have told them you are 100% going to create a catastrophe. Its an accident waiting to happen
Its a clear neglect of their duty of care in my eyes and they should be prosecuted . The system failed my vulnerable dysfunctional tenant . The system should support the vulnerable . But no they deliberately set up with clear pre meditation a cruel system designed to make some vulnerable tenants spectacularly fail....

Its criminal neglect

Why aren't the Govt talking to us real people on the ground where it's happening?
All we get off Govt & DWP is 'It's working well, getting more people into work'.

As u say Jonathan, get human rights lawyer in.
Who in their right mind bought in/allowed the phone call system to charge PEOPLE WITH NO MONEY-that's why they are ringing up-55p a minute? They HAVE ZERO money, yet u charging 'em 55p a minute to find out why u ain't paying 'em This should have been criminal/illegal on its own.

And SIX WEEKS? You have no money, that's why going on UC. Then u say u have to wait for 6 weeks. Proper thick this Tory Govt. Not got a clue about REAL life not in the mansions & London.

Crazy stuff-and while those at the bottom end wait and struggle for their UC claim, hard working folk in the middle are taxed into bankruptcy those privileged Lords at the top have their hands in the till...(breaking news today)
..You couldn't make it up!

Labour TELL US they can make everything right and have all the answers??? Errr I don't think so!

Reply to the comment left by Jonathan Clarke at 23/10/2017 - 23:53
Your comments are so correct, the system IS set up to make people fail, it is cruel, and the Government are complicit in the deceit of the public when they try to say that it is working well. Yes, we know there are problems with the HB system, but it has had years to settle and there is a body of case law built up, and most crucially we can communicate with them, but UC is being processed very differently and the flaws in the system are causing such hardship, including evictions/homelessness, imprisonment, reliance upon food banks, physical and mental health problems, and even suicides. I agree that some savvy human rights lawyer ought to take up one of the cases and run it as a test case against the government, as they seem determined to ignore everyone else.

There are two sides to every story. Paying housing benefit directly to tenants who then are supposed to pay it on to L/lords but 'don't' leads to homelessness etc no matter what system is used. I've been on the receiving end of DSS tenants arrears and it was a nightmare. Last I heard, the benefits bill was £27 billion!

Forgot to mention, my tax pays for it !!

There seems to be so much pressure on the Government so lets hope they're are some positive changes ahead.

Reply to the comment left by Rod at 24/10/2017 - 10:46
The following is a Government website:
https://visual.ons.gov.uk/welfare-spending/
thats about a third of the national budget: https://visual.ons.gov.uk/uk-perspectives-2016-spending-on-public-services-in-the-uk/
Read it and weep.

Reply to the comment left by Jay James at 24/10/2017 - 11:43But I note that of that money spent on welfare benefits, only 1% is spent on unemployment benefits, but a whopping 42% spent on pensions. Only 10% was spent on Housing Benefit (which would also include the Housing Benefit paid to pensioners and the disabled etc).

As with all statistics, the figures can be portrayed so as to skew the facts and distort the public perceptions. It is so so easy to assume that it is the unemployed who are getting all the benefits, but the reality is that only 1% of direct benefits goes to the unemployed, and only a small portion of the 10% of Housing Benefit. By far the vast majority of direct benefits, indirect benefits, and other spending on welfare, goes to pensioners. As with all government statistics and propaganda/spin, take it all with a pinch of salt and don't believe the BS.