Complaints to UC – advice please
S21 issued to tenant on 1st Aug. (Non payment of top ups) The tenant applies for Universal Credit for the first time in mid Sept.
On 9 Oct I call UC to check status and yes claim had been received and yes tenant has asked that the landlord is paid direct. UC inform me that they will pay the first payment direct to me on or around 22 Oct for the period of 16 Sept – 15 Oct.
At the same time I had notification from the Council/tenant that the DHP he had applied for for accumulated top up rent arrears (post UC application) had been rejected.
S21 expiry date passes so I progress with Courts cost of £355. He has 14 days from 14 Oct to file a defense.
Tenant does a bunk on 21 Oct. Everyone is informed at the Council (for purposes of Bond etc) and the Courts. I await the first direct payment from UC. Nothing received.
I call early Nov, UC state that he has changed his claim details and that I wont be getting paid anything at all. I explain that he left a week AFTER the payment date so he clearly was in the property at the time, but they refuse to pay.
What next? How do I complain to UC direct?
Reluctant Landlord
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Member Since February 2011 - Comments: 3453 - Articles: 286
11:14 AM, 6th November 2019, About 6 years ago
Hi Reluctant, I have added the contact form above for Sherrelle of Caridon Landlord Solutions. (Many readers are big fans)
Member Since January 2017 - Comments: 146 - Articles: 97
1:24 PM, 7th November 2019, About 6 years ago
If landlords are having issues in obtaining an APA we would advise that they make raise a Stage One Compliant directly to DWP Complaints Team, they can be emailed at [email protected].
If you are still unhappy you can escalate your complaint to Stage Two
[email protected]
If all fails you can refer your case to an independent body such as Independent Case Examiner ICE
There are organisations such as Caridon Landlord Solutions and UC Advice (Bill Irvin) that have a wealth of experience in dealing with complaints of high value.
Please feel free to give a member of our team a call for free expert advice.
Member Since June 2013 - Comments: 3237 - Articles: 81
3:45 PM, 8th November 2019, About 6 years ago
Feel for u, but also have to say u got no chance of getting that money. Cause the way UC works is, well it doesn’t work.
Sherrelle of Caridon above is an expert, I’d recommend any Landlord on here pay Caridon https://www.caridonlandlordsolutions.co.uk/ an ‘admin’ fee to get any UC claim up & running.
And enrol to Bill Irvine https://universalcreditadvice.com/ to get every UC help possible.
Some Landlords would say Why would I pay to get a claim running when I can do it myself. Well u can’t, this is 2019 & DWP UC & they are the most useless people on the planet. I’m biggest HB landlord in Nottingham & UC is beating me, so Sherrelle does my sticky ones.
Better to pay the experts to receive your money than to receive no money at all.
My explanation for complaints is below, but I am known to rattle on & give too much info.
If UC have messed up, u MUST complain. Otherwise it could be over a year before u get solved. Get the clock ticking down now.
Email [email protected] (for Midlands) or [email protected] as Sherrelle says.
& put Stage 1 complaint in subject.
In the body of the e-mail you should provide all the details of the tenant, address, NINO, DOB etc. or your landlord reference number, a summary of your concerns and the issues still to be addressed.
If they don’t reply in 15 days, write to: [email protected] & put Stage 2 Complaint in subject
And u could just forward your previous email. Saying you have waited 15 working days.
If they don’t reply in 15 working days, you then write to [email protected] & tell them you haven’t had a reply.
ICE normally say You have to have a referral from DWP. You then tell ICE Mick Roberts said YOU HAVE TO take my complaint on, otherwise DWP may as well never reply if you aren’t going to look at complaint.
You need to start complaining to get the system changed or u could be in same boat next year.