New online system for landlords to receive direct payments from UC tenants

Reply to the comment left by Luke P at 10/06/2019 - 13:26
I don't do DHP any more as the time to get latest form, print, travel to tenants, fill in, get proofs, get back to office, scan save, email, chase up etc. I'm trying to slow down, not create more work.
Used to get maybe 1% at a time.

BUT some of my tenants are & when they ring me & say I've heard of this DHP, I go Aah, as they automatically ask me to help with form etc. And that's why I stopped doing 'em, although if someone struggling & I think they may get, I tell 'em about it.
Plus we have one Council Gedling, that only do it for 3 months, by time they've processed it, u asking for the next form.

So currently have about 7% getting DHP, but councils are needing the proof if tenants put somea't down, but pretty successful apart from those that too lazy to reply to queries. As we know councils were given more money for it in light of Benefit Cap, Austerity etc.
Yes Govt don't tell the voting people that, do they that they sneakily gave the councils the money back for the benefit cuts that working people like to hear.

I've got more developments which has happened today.
1st is UC email to me who was sent to clear some things up, but now I suspect she's got bee in her bonnet cause we've done complaint. And could be solved if they gave us human being number to ring.
She's thinking I'm going on me tenants journal as previous staff as said we should go on the journal while we with the tenants:
Mick,
I don’t appreciate the sarcasm.
It is the correct link to recover arrears from your tenants, it’s on page 2 of the form.
I can tell that you have been into her account by the way her last journal message has worded.
As discussed this is illegal and I have reported you for this.
I am not getting into any further discussion with you regarding any your tenants.
It is classed as intimidation of your tenants.
Tenant made no mention that she wanted to complain, this is coming from you.
You know the procedure to complain, so if you are unhappy then please complete the complaint.
We have told your tenant what we need from you, please supply this or complete the UC47.
UC staff member
My reply:
UC staff XXXX,
I am a humorous joking person as one has to be in this job or we'd go nuts, which can sometimes be taken as sarcasm, but on this occasion, I was asking for the link & 3rd time lucky comment.
I say this, as XXXX from Bulwell Job centre sent me a phone number wrong twice & when she sent it again, she said something along the line 3rd time lucky. But if u at UC have no sense of humour at all, we can see why u not understanding tenants needs either.
When u mentioned this portal, I thought u mean't some special portal that I hadn't seen yet, the one u are sending me is just the normal UC47 online link where we scan the UC form & print it, that to me is not a portal which the Social housing people have got.
And I AM NOT doing the direct arrears for Tenant at all, the direct arrears is for another tenant. I never said I was doing it for this Tenant. Verbal communication would solve this misunderstanding.
UC area manager has said we can use tenants journal while we are with them. So I think I'm glad u have reported me, cause this needs bringing out in the open what can & can't be done. I'm only trying to house the homeless & if all I and other Landlords keep getting is a battle just to get the rent, we can see why UC & homeless is always on the News.
Some Landlords now are putting on tenancies, UC must be paid to Landlord. Some are putting on Tenant must give Landlord access to Journal. As they know this is they only way they know what is happening when no rent comes in. Cause it's hard to believe what the tenant tells u when they say UC not paying for this or that reason. I don’t insist on going on tenants Journal, nor have the time to, but when tenants who’s been with me 10 years ASK ME to look on their journal cause they can’t understand it, are you now suggesting I can’t help my tenant avoid homeless?
You will also find out that Tenant has complained independently direct from her own email. I have now had to put these standard notes on my phone which I whatsapp to their phone, so they can copy & paste. As u know, tenants don't complain if it's too hard for them as UC DWP walk all over them. This is wrong & they need help.
I think u misunderstand how well I DO GET ON WITH MY TENANTS. And to implicate intimidation is very serious indeed.
I don't want to fall out with u UC Staff XXXX, I had refrained from falling out & complaining against UC since our positive meeting, but if that's they way UC wish to take it, so be it. UC make too many mistakes which I was letting go.
And I can't believe u don't wish to explain why UC has decided to pay Tenant direct, when she'd specifically asked not to. That should be the real issue here, u asking what went wrong with Tenants claim & also asking about the direct arrears info I want.
And here's the clanger where UC are gonna' be found at fault. She met Gedling HB at Bulwell JC to do DHP form for arrears, yet UC STILL WISH TO PAY HER-Nuts!
You would think u would be contacting me to say Mick, we made a mistake, we shun't have paid Tenant after Bulwell JC ticked the Tier 1 & arrears form, we will correct it now. But no, u wish to fight this, so UC now get another complaint. All avoidable preventable.
And here’s another clanger for u. U wasn’t paying Tenant ANY UC on Fri 7 June, her due date. You walked all over her, all payments were stopped & the only appointment u could get her was the Monday AFTER the Friday. 6 SIX I repeat SIX weeks after she last had any money. Why are u lot not understanding to claimants needs at all?
It was only after my intervention & Bulwell Job centre Managers compassionate understanding, that they got Tenant in before her due date & arranged payment to be sent to her on the Friday as it should have been, before UC had stopped it.
You really should start working with us Landlords & tenants, not fighting us. You have no idea at all about Housing People & you can learn from us that has done it for 22 years. Benefits is TOTALLY DIFFERENT from Housing Benefit & Housing Element.
I’m on phone to Tenant now & here is what u NEED TO KNOW that u don’t cause you’d rather report for being illegal than communicate.
She says She wasn’t being paid by UC (& went to JC week before) cause she wasn’t having a Commitments meeting even though no one told her or nothing on her journal to say a Commitments meeting was needed. And when she went to Bulwell JC, if she wanted HE to come to Landlord, she wasn’t being paid by Friday. If that’s not blackmail or intimidation, then what is?
She had to say Pay me then I need the money. Tenants own words ‘I had no choice’
UC staff XXXX, u should start communicating verbally more. I thank u for your help so far, but u have seriously not helped UC now, nor tenants & homeless going forward. If the Media got hold of this debacle, they’d have a field day.
You are stuck in the stone age, a Landlord helping a tenant is classed as Intimidation is it. Aah right, we’ll see how this goes then.

Reply to the comment left by Luke P at 10/06/2019 - 13:26Yes they froze LHA and used DHP to top up to plug that gap so that kind of defeated the object and shows it was just a political exercise.
I probably got about 30% on DHP now . Some 12 weeks long some 6 months some 12 mths. They also have a separate Homeless Prevention Fund which they brought in with the Homelessness Reduction Act in April 2018 so that`s worth tapping into. Social Services also have their own fund which can be useful and then some charities chip in with funding for white goods as well . Its all geared up to slow down the sec 21 rate which is accelerating and will do so even more when the next round of S24 kicks in and more beleaguered LL`s throw in the towel

Reply to the comment left by Jonathan Clarke at 10/06/2019 - 14:16
We're making good use of the HPF too. In a town like ours, it's either play ball with LLs or have a massive crisis on their hands. Currently they're plugging the gap with money.

Reply to the comment left by Mick Roberts at 10/06/2019 - 10:28
You have my sympathies and admiration Mick. We have only one property with tenants on HB and I am dreading rollout of UC in our area.