Universal Credit and possible tenancy questions?

Universal Credit and possible tenancy questions?

10:46 AM, 27th December 2019, About 4 years ago 16

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Possible Tenant X has incomings of £737.36 in total (£419.94 per month housing element, £317.82 other benefits). UC are deducting total of £95.35 per month for 3 various ongoing unpaid debts/fines. Take out the rent of £450, and his total left per month is £192.41

I have spoken to UC direct (tenant gave full permission) and they say they would agree a direct payment. Tenant X current payment period 10th – 9th of the month, so payment to me 16th of he month.

The Local Council are willing to do a Bond for the deposit of £640 and rent in advance agreed.

Questions I have are:

1. Can I insist that UC also pay me direct the additional rent for the £30.06 which he would have to pay in monthly top ups ? (as he has already history of not paying top ups)
2. Do I really have to issue a Tenancy Agreement before he can use this to make a change to his current UC claim? (I keep being told I have to issue a TA first before a new claim can be submitted, but at the same time I have no guarantee that UC will pay out what they say they will until 8 – 10 weeks in when first payment arrives? (if the tenant actually fills in a new claim form)

Is this a viable tenant?

I want to give the guy a chance, but as I keep explaining to Council (who keep pushing their emergency tenants to sign on to UC as fast as possible) I am not an emergency service myself. There is no way I can sign up a tenant with a TA unless I know in advance that tenant WILL get the rent expected, they CAN afford top ups if they are due and I will get paid direct from day 1. I have asked the Council to consider two months rent in advance then I would pay them back once UC kicks in, but they won’t go for that.

Any advice anyone?

I do tend to house those on Em List with Council, so looking for a private tenant is not an issue in the area I have properties in.

Many thanks Reluctant


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Comments

Jay James

19:29 PM, 1st January 2020, About 4 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Marie at 01/01/2020 - 16:50First you said "She is a solicitor specifically employed by Shelter to help all DSS tenants who contact her" then later you said "She also wants to hear from all landlords who have housed DSS tenants...She does NOT represent tenants...does NOT give legal advice to enable tenants to break the law!
.
She has successfully assisted some landlords to avoid taking their non-paying DSS tenants to court ".
This is a huge contradiction of yourself. Which is correct? Are you just making stuff up?

Jay James

18:36 PM, 2nd January 2020, About 4 years ago

Nothing to say Marie?

Marie

19:08 PM, 3rd January 2020, About 4 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Jay James at 01/01/2020 - 19:29Why would I “make stuff up”? Perhaps I haven’t explained it very well. Shelter have employed Rose Arnall to help DSS tenants. What she will NOT do in helping them is do anything that is immoral or illegal. So if a tenant contacts her explaining that they are on Universal Credit and have been relying on DHP to pay their rent shortfall, but have now lost their DHP and are in rent arrears so their home is at risk, Rose Arnall can use her contacts and legal expertise to solve the situation before it gets to the point where the landlord is so out of pocket that he is forced to evict that tenant through the courts. What she CANNOT and WILL not do is to find that tenant a solicitor to aid them to stay in their home, or advise them not to pay any rent. She will advise them to pay any part of their shortfall which they can possibly afford, and she will direct them to the CLA. Equally, if a landlord contacts her explaining that they have a DSS tenant causing them some kind of trouble, she will advise them fairly and try to help both sides. She won’t just try to keep the tenant in their home, and leave the landlord to lose out, because that is not in the interests of the interests of the tenant long-term. Sorry for the delay in my reply, but I have been busy with my family, and coming on here was not my first priority.

Robert M

19:25 PM, 3rd January 2020, About 4 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Marie at 03/01/2020 - 19:08
Unfortunately any mention of Shelter is going to upset some landlords, as Shelter do so much harm to good landlords by helping bad tenants to stay in the landlords properties. However, if all Rose Arnall would be doing is resolving Universal Credit issues and advising the tenant to pay their rent, then this is good for both the tenant, and the landlord. However, Shelter's campaign of lies and propaganda against private landlords has caused such a rift that now very few private landlords trust Shelter or anyone employed by them (or contracted by them). - This is no reflection on Rose Arnall herself, or the service she provides, it is just an indication of the ill-feeling and mistrust that Shelter have created among private landlords generally.

In view of the above, why would any landlord want to use the services of a solicitor employed by (the mistrusted) Shelter, when they could perhaps get expert assistance from Caridon Housing Solutions or Bill Irving at UC Advice?

Mick Roberts

9:41 AM, 9th January 2020, About 4 years ago

Just going through me emails.
Glad to see u on here Rob saying How it is:
"you would need to submit a completed UC47 form, and quite often these are ignored, and the UC team usually will not discuss the claim with private landlords. (they don't even acknowledge receipt of the UC47 forms, and won't advise you of the progress, or their reasons for refusal)."

Ha ha love it.

I'm gonna' email that Rose woman, Never give up. Polly Neate don't want to talk. Greg Beales said he would ring me, he hasn't.
And I all I wanna do is house the DWP UC HB tenants, yet I can't take them any more.

Reluctant Landlord

15:40 PM, 10th January 2020, About 4 years ago

Hi all - an update. I unfortunately refused the chap but through advice here, I gave him some info to try and get his deductions reduced - allowing him more to live on, and be more 'attractive' to other LL's as a result. Thanks for all the comments.

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