View the slides from this Policy in Practice webinar to hear guest speaker Bill Irvine, UC Advice & Advocacy, in conversation with Deven Ghelani and Zoe Charlesworth. They discuss: Universal Credit - Rollout update - The impact on rent arrears - Recent policy changes An interview with Bill Irvine and Zoe Charlesworth - The current challenges facing social landlords - The current challenges facing tenants - How housing associations are meeting these challenges Technology that can help See how tenants are being hit as Universal Credit continues to roll out, what the latest policy updates mean for landlords and what practical steps that housing associations can take to help tenants and protect rental income. For more information visit www.policyinpractice.co.uk, email hello@policyinpractice.co.uk or call 0330 088 9242

1. Policy in Practice
Webinar: Understand the
impact of Universal Credit on
rent collection
Wednesday 13 June 2018

2. Housekeeping
• Audio check
• Please ask questions
• Polls and a survey
• Finish by 11:30

3. We make the welfare system
simple to understand, so that
people can make the decisions
that are right for them

4. Speakers
Deven Ghelani
Policy in Practice
Bill Irvine
Universal Credit
Advice & Advocacy
Zoe Charlesworth
Policy in Practice

5. Agenda
• Universal Credit
• Rollout update
• The impact on rent arrears
• Recent policy changes
• An interview with Bill Irvine and Zoe Charlesworth
• The current challenges facing social landlords
• The current challenges facing tenants
• How housing associations are meeting these challenges
• Technology that can help
• Q&A with the audience

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Over to Deven

7. A fundamental aspect of both Local
Housing Allowance and Universal Credit is
that the payments go to the claimant not
the landlord.
DWP Full Service Survey
• Just over a third of UC recipients were
experiencing housing payment
arrears and for 44 per cent, the
situation had deteriorated between
the two surveys.
• One in three claimants in arrears in
both waves said the situation had
improved.
• Two thirds (65 per cent) said they fell
into debt after they made their claim
for UC
Universal Credit and rent arrears

8. Groups of claimants more likely to be in
arrears were:
• Those with a household income of
less than £10,000.
• Those with a long-term health
condition.
• Those renting from social landlords
(council, local authority or housing
association).
• Those who have received an advance
payment from Jobcentre Plus in the
last three months
• Those with an APA in place.
Smith report: Arrears do stabilise with
time at around 6%: a pattern of arrears
accumulating
Universal Credit and rent arrears
Smith report:
Arrears do stabilise with time at around 6%
Not until week 13 do arrears fully stabilise and tenants begin to
pay back arrears

9. Universal Credit: Recent changes
Recent changes to Universal Credit should improve the situation
• Ending 7-day wait
• Two week HB run-on
• Twelve month repayment of payment in advance
• 63% taper & Living Wage
• Universal Credit on the frontline
• New guidance for staff to ensure that claimants in the private rented sector who
have their housing benefit paid directly to landlords are offered that option when
they join Universal Credit.
• Protection for those losing out unfairly through transitional protection, including
those losing the severe disability premium, with changing earnings or childcare
costs, and protection for savers for 12 months.
• Backed by PIPs ‘leading lights’ policy work ahead of the budget

11. 111111
Poll: What is the single biggest issue you
face with Universal Credit rollout?

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Over to Bill
• The current challenges facing social landlords,
their tenants and what the best housing
associations are doing in response.

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Over to Zoe
• How can Policy in Practice’s Benefit and
Budgeting Calculator help tenants and income
managers?

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Questions from the audience

15. Next steps
Download Benefit and Budgeting flyer
Download Universal Credit Roadmap
Short survey:
• We value your feedback
• Ask questions or clarifications
• Take another look at Benefit and Budgeting Calculator
• Express interest in a further conversation with Bill / Zoe, via a face to face seminar
on these topics

16. www.policyinpractice.co.uk
Thank you
Zoe Charlesworth
zoe@policyinpractice.co.uk
Bill Irvine
bill@ucadvice.co.uk
hello@policyinpractice.co.uk
office 0330 088 9242