Universal-Credit-Guide-for-Private-Landlords - Manual / Resource - Page 23
With regard to tenants that I already knew
were at risk of not paying their rent, I would
initiate a two prong approach
I would ask the tenant to open a
Credit Union account (briefly they
safeguard the rent element, and pay
the remainder to the claimants
account of their choosing)
Secondly, if they do not wish to open a
Credit Union account I would
immediately put in an Alternative
Payment Arrangement (APA) request
using a UC47 form– highlighting the
reason they are unlikely to pay their
rent (drug, alcohol addiction,
gambling, vulnerability etc). If the
tenant agrees, you can bring evidence
of this along to their meeting at the
Jobcentre. If there are issues that
mean the tenant is unlikely to pay
rent, it is best to let DWP know as
soon as possible.
Finally, if they do open a Credit Union
account I would still follow the second
step and request an APA.
UC payments on the first run take around
six weeks to be paid. I would be prepared
for this. If the tenant then falls two months
in arrears with rent I would serve notice
immediately, this makes the tenant aware
of my intentions and also highlights this to
UC. I would attach an accompanying letter
with the notice, and rent account
statement and encourage the tenant to
take this with them to the Jobcentre
urgently, and speak to their work coach
about an impending eviction.
Q. In what ways have you developed or
changed your operating processes to take
account of the way UC Full Service works
for you and your tenants?
I have started using template letters
throughout the stages of UC, from set up to
when things potentially go wrong, with my
tenants to encourage them to take the
actions necessary to ensure UC, and rent,
is paid.
The template letters I have are
A moving onto UC letter
A Rainbow Saver Credit Union letter—
how it works
A Vulnerable person UC Jobcentre
form
APA Request when two months in
arrears
(templates of these letters are available if
you email
BenefitsLiaison.EastSuffolk@angliarevenue
s.gov.uk)
The aim of the moving onto UC letter is to
raise awareness of the UC process and
tenants responsibility to pay rent—
highlighting they will have to wait six weeks
for their first payment and that it is
important to prioritise their rent otherwise
they risk losing their home.
The Rainbow Saver Credit Union letter is a
guide to how a Credit Union rent processing
account works.
The Vulnerable person UC letter is a
template form to highlight the tenants
vulnerabilities—matching the tier one or tier
two factors as defined by DWP. The letter is
given to the tenant once complete and
taken along to the work coach interview.
Continued ….
23
Universal Credit/Information for Landlords
April 2018
www.gov.uk/universal-credit
DWP service centre 0800 328 5644