Who is banging their head against a wall with Universal Credit?

Who is banging their head against a wall with Universal Credit?

9:59 AM, 13th February 2017, About 7 years ago 32

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Are any of you landlords struggling with Universal Credit?bang head

I have just used someone who could be our answer to not being paid at all.

Yes me too, I’ve just used Sherrelle & Caridon, & my complicated case has been solved. Mental health issues tenant claimed Universal Credit (UC), as long as he was getting his money, he forgot to tell UC that he had to pay rent!
I started the phone calls, but due to my earlier experience with UC 11 months earlier, I knew I wasn’t going to get anywhere.
I even rang UC while I was with the tenant, you can quite clearly tell he is not all there on the phone & UC still wouldn’t talk to me. Aaahhhh..
If anyone knows, UC won’t take emails either (yes in 2017).

On my first case Feb/March 2016. I gave up in the end. UC wouldn’t talk to me, wasn’t replying to any of my letters. I heard (at that time), the complaints process was virtually non existent.
Fortunately my tenant was honest & good & sorted the claim out & pays etc. If she hadn’t, I’d have probably then spent dozens of dozens of man hours getting nowhere.

So last month, I had my second UC tenant (In Nottingham, it’s just single people with break in their claim or new claimants that have to go onto UC). Aaahhh, I asked some Landlord mates, what do I do? Mark Alexander duly replied saying give these a shout: http://www.caridonlandlordsolutions.co.uk

For those that know me, you’ll know that I’m an expert at Housing Benefit (HB). Along with Jonathan Clarke & Robert Mellors & Bill Irvine & a few others, I am very VERY experienced in Housing Benefit.
Over the past 20 years or so, I have learnt it inside out, got access to some top people inside the HB authorities.

Normally solve most problems, with an email & a phone call.

When mates come to me to help sort their HB problem, they think I’m a magician, what they cannot do, is easy to me. I know the process. So if someone like me, is using Sherrelle at Cardion, that has got to be good recommendation for you less than experienced HB landlords. Sherrelle is my UC magician!

As Bill Irvine will tell u, this UC is NOTHING like HB. It’s like dealing with a load of 15 year old robots from another planet that has been sent here to give as much money as possible to tenants to spend on wasteful things, & at all costs my dear little robots, do not pay the landlord, let’s make his life torturous, so he will never want a UC tenant again.

My mate says to me, but why are you paying, what are you getting for your money? Good question.
I wasn’t getting ANY rent in, could have took me months & maybe 40 hours. How much is your 40 hours worth?

If it takes you longer, you could end up working for 50p an hour, or even no pay if you don’t solve the claim.

Even if we was paying admin staff, I know we’d have paid out much more in man hours than Caridon charge for their expertise. Sherrelle has instant contacts in one phone call. People that will listen to her. It’s took me years to get these contacts in Housing Benefit, I don’t want to spend another 20 years getting high up contacts in UC.

With Caridon, your headache is gone. Yes it does cost, but it costs more to pay your mortgage with no rent in.

When my claim was done, UC still cocked up, I let Sherrelle know & she sorted it within 24 hours.

I want to help struggling UC Landlords not get walked all over by UC, by recommending Sherrelle at Caridon.

Editors Note:

For further information and how Sherrelle and Caridon can help please see the articles below.

Universal Credit and Benefit Cap Training

Universal Credit Advice For Landlords


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Comments

June Cook

10:30 AM, 1st April 2017, About 7 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "SHARON MOXON" at "10/03/2017 - 09:17":

I hope you can find out about the UC47 black hole I have sent 2 by post one recorded delivery and 2 by email. One was automatically replied to saying the email address did not process documents even though the email address was given on the document. All phone numbers on the website direct you back to the website even a phone number given for people without online access directs you back to the website. In the meantime the tenant is running up rent arrears. I can see there might be an enourmous amount of Uc47s requiring attention but the first one should at least trigger a suspension of the housing element of UC. When I finally got a UC 47 accepted (my 5th attempt) I was told direct payments couldn't be actioned unless the tenant gave their permission, surely at this point the housing element should be suspended as the tenant is claiming rent but not paying it therefore not entitled to it as living rent free.

Mick Roberts

12:39 PM, 1st April 2017, About 7 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "June Cook" at "01/04/2017 - 10:30":

Very true June, I've had this many a times with HB.
It's in the tenants best interests to say 'No, don't talk to Landlord' or 'I've paid Landlord'. That way, HB or UC will keep paying 'em. And then tenant gets loads more FREE money.
These DWP people really are proper thick-Not u Sharon of course.

Sharon

21:21 PM, 1st April 2017, About 7 years ago

Hi June, in some circumstances DWP can set up an APA and pay LL direct without asking claimant/tenant. It's quite difficult though if claimant actually refuses once they are aware. The reason to act without asking claimant is under 'keeping a roof over their heads' but I'll take forward finding out a bit more. Would you have any objection to passing the UC47 to your tenant to take to JC? Not sure whether it's 'supposed' to happen but just as long as nothing precludes it, it would be safely transmitted. The UC47 would then be scanned & uploaded onto the account by the Jobcentre. Again, I'll make some enquiries.

Robert M

9:09 AM, 2nd April 2017, About 7 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "SHARON MOXON" at "01/04/2017 - 21:21":

HA, HA, HA, that is a good April Fools Joke Sharon, as if any tenant is going to take an instruction to the Jobcentre and ask for their UC (drug, booze, holiday, car, food, etc) money to be paid direct to the landlord. - Why on earth would they do that, when they are living rent free at the Landlord's expense, and the courts (legal system) will allow them to do this for at least 9 months?, (and then the Council will have to give them more free accommodation after that (if they have kids, or meet the priority need criteria in another way)).

Sharon

21:58 PM, 4th April 2017, About 7 years ago

Good point well made, lol. However many claimants are only too happy to have the LL paid direct, in my experience on UC currently but of course it's not nationwide just yet.

June Cook

15:22 PM, 6th April 2017, About 7 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "SHARON MOXON" at "01/04/2017 - 21:21":

My tenant has given his permission now, but he is now another month in arrears, I don't think I would have even got this far without me trying really hard to find "people" to talk to. Initially I emailed the area representative and was passed around until I got my tenant's case manager. I even contacted my MP and I think it was his intervention that progressed this as he told me the tenant hadn't replied to a message on his journal to give permission. If the case manager had replied to my email asking if he had permission the tenant wouldn't have been another month in arrears. I'm writing another letter to my MP and Damian Green to express my frustration on behalf of all landlords going through this. I only have one property and this situation is making me ill.

June Cook

15:23 PM, 6th April 2017, About 7 years ago

My tenant has given his permission now, but he is now another month in arrears, I don't think I would have even got this far without me trying really hard to find "people" to talk to. Initially I emailed the area representative and was passed around until I got my tenant's case manager. I even contacted my MP and I think it was his intervention that progressed this as he told me the tenant hadn't replied to a message on his journal to give permission. If the case manager had replied to my email asking if he had permission the tenant wouldn't have been another month in arrears. I'm writing another letter to my MP and Damian Green to express my frustration on behalf of all landlords going through this. I only have one property and this situation is making me ill.

Sharon

21:44 PM, 6th April 2017, About 7 years ago

I think that's absolutely the right thing to do. The fact is though that even though you somehow managed to e mail the Case Manager direct (love to know how?), the CM had no authority to reply to you. This will only be sorted out at the highest level. I am so sorry to hear that this is affecting your health

June Cook

11:43 AM, 7th April 2017, About 7 years ago

A member of the U C implementation team asked the case manager to email me. He couldn't find any off the four uc47s I had submitted so he asked me to email it directly to him. Hopefully this will be over soon and I will get the rent and arrears but I won't hold my breath. The cm must have had permission from the implementation team.
I appreciate your interest thank you.

Sharon

19:08 PM, 7th April 2017, About 7 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "June Cook" at "07/04/2017 - 11:43":

Hi June, could we have an offline conversation about this please? You can find me on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/sharon.a.jones.376

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