Landlords come together about Universal Credit

Landlords come together about Universal Credit

14:35 PM, 17th December 2018, About 5 years ago 5

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We Caridon Landlord Solutions are working with the Department for Work and Pensions on a campaign to reach out to both Social and Private Rental Sector landlords to provide information about Universal Credit that will help them support their tenants.

DWP has developed a new suite of landlord communication products including a top tips guide, new videos and a new section of the Understanding Universal Credit website for landlords.

Please take a look at these products and share them on your own communications channels.

Go to: www.understandinguniversalcredit.gov.uk/landlords

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

Nadi Narine

11:57 AM, 27th November 2018, About 5 years ago

Hi

If you have a money judgement and was receiving part payment of the rent from UC, Once the tenant leaves the property with the help of the bailiff is there any away to continue to make a claim for a third party reduction from UC?

Thanks

Colin Brammeld

14:02 PM, 18th December 2018, About 5 years ago

The information provided is excellent when the tenant wants to play ball with the landlord but when you have a recalcitrant tenant the legislation stops direct payment to landlord. All housing part of the payment goes to the tenant. I spent a long time discussing this issue with Sandra Robinson (head of strategic engagement with landlords within UC programme) but nothing can be done about this issue. Not enough complaints about the issue and requires legislative change.
The trick the recalcitrant tenant has to do is very simple and done on their UC journal. see below.

They cancel their claim, usually due to a made-up change of circumstance eg partner has moved out/in. This also cancels the direct payment to landlord. Tenant does this 1 day before payment, tenant knows this date as its on their journal. Housing payment goes to tenant- it can not be stopped or paid to landlord as the direct payment to landlord mandate has been cancelled. Tenant then immediately sets up new claim exactly same as previous claim but no direct payment to landlord. Landlord does not receive rent, complains and completes new UC47 but tenant does same trick just before next payment date, and so it continues.
When tenant doesn't pay rent then 5 months to evict and landlord several thousand ££££ short.

Senior managers at DWP are aware of this trick/con but refuse to believe there is a problem or tenants would behave in such a way. They must be as blinkered as Shelter. With the roll-out of UC it wont be long until this becomes epidemic.

The only way to stop this is lots of complaints to DWP and force legislative change. Of course refusing to take UC tenants would start to cause problems for the government and amending the legislation is the only solution. For those who believe a tenant would not on purpose make them self, their partner and 4 month old baby homeless by this trick/con need to wake up and smell the coffee. This is happening now and wont be long until the knowledge spreads.

CARIDON LANDLORD SOLUTIONS

21:40 PM, 18th December 2018, About 5 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Nadi Narine at 27/11/2018 - 11:57
Third Party Deductions can only be made for the property address that the tenant resides in, therefore if the tenant vacates the TPD will end.

CARIDON LANDLORD SOLUTIONS

21:42 PM, 18th December 2018, About 5 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Colin Brammeld at 18/12/2018 - 14:02
Dear Colin,
I agree with you the only way that legislation will change is if landlords complain and notify DWP on the issues that they are having.
Please feel free to contact me to discuss any of the issues faced so that I can put forward to DWP.

Private Housing Provider

11:14 AM, 24th December 2018, About 5 years ago

That new site for landlords confirms there is a 'landlord portal' for landlords to communicate with the Dwp UC office but only for housing association. This leaves private landlords behind and abandoned.

The other issues with the UC office are:

1. They generally disrespect and do not follow the Dwp APA/MPTL national guidance to pay the landlord direct 'from the 1st payment of the UC housing element' onwards. This has happened in all of the cases my tenants have UC through new application or transiting to UC from Hb except a couple of cases when I had to chase and chase before they would set it up and those 2 cases, payments not made yet so still pending.
2. When the APA/MPTL is set up, they do not provide proper communication in writing when the APA/MPTL starts, how much is paid etc.
3. During monthly payments of the UC housing element half of the time, no proper written remittances are provided although on the other half of the times, they do send it out by paper which contradicts UC ethos of being paperless. I asked them can they email us the monthly payment remittances for record but they declined.
4. The Dwp UC office generally do not communicate with the private landlords keeping us all in the dark in most stages of the UC and throughout. When they do reply in the very rare occasion by email, it has no name, address, phone number to respond too and the reply is normally a few abrupt few words that normally do not make sense. There is a secretive, non transparent undertone to their behaviour and treatment which is plain wrong and unacceptable.

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