Universal credit chaos leaves tenants in tears

And they've not even considered if the tenamt hasn't got a driving license

Reply to the comment left by Mick Roberts at 19/01/2024 - 09:38
One of my UC tenants can't have a driving licence as he has epilepsy.

Reply to the comment left by Mick Roberts at 19/01/2024 - 09:38Yes, most on benefits would not be have a driving licence. I have just had to send three seperate letters for three different tenancies stating that the tenant is actually renting the property, with copies of the tenancy agreements as proof that the tenants are renting from me for existing continuing tenants.
I also as standard practice write a letter confirming that a tenant is actually renting a property from me along with, a tenancy agreement for all new tenants as, UC seem to use the letter as evidence of the tenancy rather than, the tenancy agreement which is a legal document.
All very bizarre.

Reply to the comment left by Clint at 19/01/2024 - 10:07
Yes
So u are suffering this pain too Clint.
I'm skiing at moment and had 4 or 5 on the Friday before I went. Several calls this week while I'm away.
UC have had all this same stuff. More requirements they ask us to do, it's just another thing that's forcing us to pack up earlier or non UC tenants next time.

I hate it when they ask for up to date tenancy when tenant been there 20 years and they not having a new tenancy. Then UC say Ooh your rent isn't correct. Yeah right, they gonna be on the same rent 20 years later. Absolute imbeciles within UC.

Worst thing is, they'd stop a lot of this fraud if allowed to deal with Landlord and take information off Landlord.

Reply to the comment left by Jo Westlake at 19/01/2024 - 09:49
And UC would know this too. Proper ignorant.

I wonder how many new DWP staff are required to complete all these new checks? I can't see that they would check it's the correct door in the photo. So it's pointless. They could use Google maps if it's not a flat but doors get replaced. If it's a different door than the one in the photo are they going to stop people's UC? Then maybe the landlord will be asked to write another letter confirming that the door has been replaced or painted a different colour. It's red tape gone mad!!!

They're trying to prevent fraud to reduce costs but there's a big cost increase of staff time. Hope they done a proper cost benefit analysis.

They say that most people are decent and honest but nowadays all government departments presume that everyone is a master criminal.

It's like the post office scandal if you Google the number if post offices it says 11,600, they said 4,000 in total were stealing. That means they believed that's 34% of people were stealing.

Is your neighbour a master criminal? Your sister, brother?

The amount of tax payers money wasted on the Governments presumption that 34% of the population are criminals is ridiculous. If they manage to prove (set up!!!) that 34% of people were doing something illegal where would they put all these criminals?????

They really believe that most landlords/UC claimants/sub-postmasters are up to no good.

Our Government are officially BONKERS!!!

another reason why LL's wont be wanting to take benefit tenants (if you have a choice)...who wants the grief??

Reply to the comment left by Clint at 19/01/2024 - 10:0799% of mine don't have a driving licence or passport.
They can apply for a citizen card instead but it costs.
Cynical me wonders if they are then trying to get people on benefits to apply to vote for free - this way you can this as acceptable ID, but more importantly encourage them to vote now they are registered (by default)...and you know which party is going to benefit from that don't you...
Be interesting if we now see a media PR campaign by the Labour party pushing people register to vote AND suggesting as a by product this is useful ID to allow ease of applying for benefits.... Coincidence?

Reply to the comment left by Mick Roberts at 19/01/2024 - 10:23
Is this to verify their total UC claim or all associated benefits or just for the housing costs part of the claim?

Hi

Mick's correct to highlight this OTT approach to claim validation being applied by DWP staff in chaotic fashion. DWP's defence infers many of the tenants concerned are involved in fraudulent actions. That's simply untrue.

In 2021/22 and 2022/23 DWP created £6 Billion and £6.5 Billion in overpayments, representing around 14% of its overall UC expenditure. Shocking figures by anyone's standards. But not DWP's hierarchy!

So, how could this scandalous situation occur?

During COVID restrictions, DWP couldn't carry out its standard validation checks, normally conducted by Work Coaches & Account's staff in JCP offices. It, in fact, suspended all checks, including those relating to "Housing Cost" checks, normally uploaded via the tenant's journal. Unsurprisingly, this led to some fraudulent claims, but so many more, where claims were simply processed incorrectly by its poorly trained and inexperienced staff.

As a consequence of the overpayments, it set up a "risk review" team, now 2000 strong, to review all claims/awards determined during the COVID period in the hope of unearthing fraudulent activity. Nothing wrong with that, but many of the claimants being examined, are quite innocent, and have been caught in the crossfire.

Some are having their "housing costs" retrospectively reclaimed because they fail to comply with the demands for validation, despite providing the information on repeated occasions. Some are being supported by their landlord providing letters, copy tenancies, confirmation of no rent arrears etc. but, here again, DWP remains dissatisfied but won't be specific about what they're concerned about.

I've been highlighting some of these issues for the past 18 months, through my website members' bulletins https://universalcreditadvice.com/?post_type=post&s=risk+review+ Some of the cases have involved overpayments of £60K and underpayments of £24K which I've been able to resolve in favour of my clients.

For those landlords that accommodate tenants on benefits, especially UC, you need to be alert to what's happening, and encourage tenants to seek appropriate advice from CAB, Welfare Rights and Money Advice organisations in your district. Plus, if DWP try to pursue you (landlord/agent) for these overpayments, make sure you challenge without delay, as DWP's Debt Management have already recovered large sums from landlords' monthly payments, without notice.

Bill