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The government is quietly making a U-turn on universal credit
is there anyone out there from oldham that knows any more about this - would be interesting to hear…
I was really interested, until I actually read the article…....this is a minor amendment to who decides APAs, under UC, the DWP or a “trusted partner” ......
Not really a U turn at all.
It’s more like a fast track way of getting APAs into pay where some of discretion devolved to social landlord, but conditions for landlord to meet. I was looking for the document today. Am going to a learning event next Thurs through Housing Quality Network and First Choice Homes Oldham are one of the speakers. This is one of the subjects. Will feed back.
I have lost count of the number of times I have heard senior DWP staff / Ministers say there will be very few direct payments. Nor do I see the point in spending billions transferring the Housing Benefit scheme (and losing 30 years of experience / IT ) only to replicate much of the system under DWP…..but only for working age. Savings? That is duplication gone wild.
Nor do I know of many actual cases where payment is being made to landlords; local authorities are not exactly flagging these up. What the (phase one) LA’s are reporting is chaos even with so small numbers. Manual systems that simply dont work, staff that dont know, payments that dont appear.
Two explanatory comments: “DWP claim they are not receiving documents….discussed this at my last UC liaison meeting and it is down to UC mailbox becoming jammed”. (Unbelievable!!)
“I’m receiving (information docs) regularly…..even though we don’t go live until December. Apparently the DWP don’t know the difference between Rochford in Essex and Rochdale”.
LAs here already reporting problems with DWP (we only went live last month). Incomplete info, not replying to emails (or taking days), forwarding to wrong LA etc (problems with emails seems to be a particular theme!). Social landlords reporting similar.
Another pilot scheme where a landlord is able to electronically submit an APA request - http://www.scottishhousingnews.com/3749/highland-council-pilots-alternative-universal-credit-payment-arrangements/
I have to say that these APA pilots are pretty bizarre.
Here after hours of hard thought .... is my own invention, which rather cleverly, involves a lot less time and stress for all parties, and does not require a degrading additional interview, for the applicant…......that is…. providing they can tick a box.
I would like my Housing Costs paid direct to my landlord Yes ( ) No ( )
I would like to have my UC paid Weekly ( ) Fortnightly ( ) Monthly ( )
At a Housing Conference on UC that I attended yesterday First Choice Homes Oldham were unable to give any information about the ‘Trusted Partner’ pilot that was reported in Inside Housing! It is thought DWP will now initiate a larger pilot involving more social landlords.
It does seem they are trying to grapple with the huge administrative burden on social landlords of APAs and the spike in rent arrears which occurs at the start of the majority of UC claims, and although may settle down over time, will leave the tenant indebted for a long period. Also they need social landlords on board because they provide ‘local support’ to claimants.
What is striking about the APA ‘managed payment to landlord’ situation is that for social landlords who now have a few hundred tenants on UC, about a third of them are now on APAs because of rent arrears, with a number waiting to be processed. This is in sharp contrast to the policy intention and belief of the DWP regarding the proportion of people who would need them.
APAs are taking on average 40 days to come into payment, the payment date is often different to the claimant’s UC payment date. It is taking housing staff 3x as long to deal with the situation of a UC claimant in arrears as it would have for a tenant claiming HB. The need for benefits advice as well as general support and advice with money in-house was emphasised by every social landlord. However this sits alongside an increasingly ‘commercial’ approach to lettings and rent collection.
Hearing from the academic researchers from the Direct Payment Demonstration Projects (which informed UC housing costs) was fascinating. They highlighted that the research showed that provision of ‘support’ made little difference to rent arrears, nor did money management skills, it was specific financial circumstances that were the stronger driver - financial shocks, even small unexpected expenses and precarious incomes and just very low income in general. Contrast this with the Personal Budgeting Support guidance document in which it is envisaged that vulnerable people will be identified and after having received support and APA for a period, will then go onto manage payments and no longer be at risk .......
Other problems reported with UC from a social housing point of view were difficulty getting through to UC helpline, call-backs from housing costs team not happening, non-response to the ‘urgent cases’ email address even where risk of eviction. DWP have responded by providing a further escalation point from July apparently.
I’m sure there are advisers on here with more experience who can add some flesh to the bones, but I just thought it would be useful to share as everyone in phases 2 - 4 of national roll out is keen to get a feel for UC asap. I suspect few have come through to specialist Welfare Rights Advisers nationally yet because of the nature of the client group in the ‘gateway’ and in social housing often issues being picked up by Housing Officers or Rents teams. Where I work we only have around 30 tenants on UC in Hartlepool but none come through to advice team yet.
see #5 above - LA/HA reporting that several claimants have got through the UC gateway but do not fit gateway criteria (limited capability for work etc).