Universal Credit Advice For Landlords

Universal Credit Advice For Landlords

15:44 PM, 10th February 2017, About 8 years ago 39

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Universal Credit Advice For Landlords

Universal Credit Advice for Landlords

We are delighted to welcome Sherrelle Collman from Caridon Landlord Solutions as our expert source of Universal Credit and Housing Benefit  Advice and Information.

Over the coming weeks and months, Sherrelle will be sharing case studies which I am sure will strike a cord with landlords involved with benefit reliant clients.

The first of these cases relates to the often too familiar issues of direct payments to landlords. What should be a straightforward process can become tortuously complex when LHA staff fail to adhere to regulations, DWP guidance and Upper-tier Tribunal judgements, binding on council’s and tribunals alike. Landlords have rights and Sherrelle guarantees to help you to make sure they’re exercised.

Example provided by Sherrelle

“Our PRS client approached us as their tenant was paid the Housing Benefit 3 times despite a request for direct payment to the landlord being submitted to the Local Authority, due to the tenant’s vulnerabilities and high risk of the tenant misusing the payment.

The tenant failed to forward the payments to the Landlord and fell into arrears.

The landlord contacted the Local Authority Housing benefit department to check the progress of the claim, He was advised that the claim was being assessed and advised to call back within 10 working days.

When the landlord called back he was advised that 3 payments were sent to the tenant and would continue to be sent to the tenant as they are unable to suspend the payments.

He contacted CLS for assistance as he did not know what to do next, we immediately contacted the Housing Benefit Department to request for the claim to be urgently suspended.

After liaising and making a series of complaints to the Housing Benefit Department we managed not only to get the payments redirected to the landlord but also secured Landlord compensation for the missing 3 payments.

He was awarded £1065.34 in compensation and now has the guarantee of future payments being made direct, removing the risk of rental loss.”

If you’ve encountered similar issues Sherrelle would really be interested in hearing about them, either via the comments section at the foot of this page or the contact form below if you would prefer to consult Sherrelle offline.

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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Comments

Mick Roberts

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15:27 PM, 19th February 2017, About 8 years ago

Yes very good Lyndon. And then we have to write out 'false' new tenancies just to satisfy UC & this then gives the tenant who may not be great, a spanking new tenancy subject to all the latest Govt rules, that we should be complying with.

Mark Alexander - Founder of Property118

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17:22 PM, 19th February 2017, About 8 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "Mick Roberts" at "19/02/2017 - 15:27":

Presumably you have to re-protect the deposits again (if you've taken one) when you do that?
.

Mick Roberts

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17:31 PM, 19th February 2017, About 8 years ago

I don't take deposits, but good question.

I come under the new October (is it 2015?) rules for can't evict unless EPC, boiler service, Right to rent book, smoke alarms etc. I'm sure people will remind me there is more.
I do these anyway, but as many HB landlords know, the smoke alarm isn't there when you go 6 months later.

Lyndon Whitehouse

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17:35 PM, 19th February 2017, About 8 years ago

We have got away with supplying a letter stating that the AST is still valid

Mark Alexander - Founder of Property118

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17:46 PM, 19th February 2017, About 8 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "Lyndon Whitehouse" at "19/02/2017 - 17:35":

Perhaps because you've got a Letter Head with Letting Agency on it?
.

Colin McNulty

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9:24 AM, 20th February 2017, About 8 years ago

Sherrelle, have you got any experience with getting UC to pay to a tenant's Tasker Payment Services account?

http://www.taskerPaymentAervices.co.uk/landlords-letting-agents/

All my LHA tenants get paid via their Tasker account and it works swimmingly, but getting UC to accept it is as hard as getting a Catholic to turn Protestant!

Despite me going with the tenants to their UC meetings and handing over all the relevant paperwork personally, I've still not had a UC payment to their Tasker account yet.

CARIDON LANDLORD SOLUTIONS

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14:05 PM, 20th February 2017, About 8 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "Colin McNulty" at "20/02/2017 - 09:24":

Dear Colin,

I have heard of Tasker payments however have not had any experience with dealing with them as I get the landlord to receive direct payment.

I trust my comment was useful.

CARIDON LANDLORD SOLUTIONS

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16:05 PM, 20th February 2017, About 8 years ago

They can accept a letter confirming that the Tenancy is now on periodic detaining the tenancy commencement date along with the month rent.
I think sometimes they make up their own rules

CARIDON LANDLORD SOLUTIONS

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16:07 PM, 20th February 2017, About 8 years ago

Dear Lyndon,

Thank you for the warm welcome!!!

We look forward to meeting you at the Course and hope that you will gain some very invaluable knowledge on such a very complex area.

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