Renting out a property in light of new UC legislation

[platforminc]

H All,

I regularly work with the council to provide housing to LHA claimants, with years of experience in how the system works, its not actually as bad as some people make it, but of course every case is different and it does have it ups and downs.

I would like to know what the consensus is on the forum with regards to the new Universal Credit regulation coming next year, I may have a proeprty vacant in the early part of next year and with all my lets, I always insist on direct landlord payments. I know this topic has been covered many times, but I do not see a sticky on the forums with new trends, changes in legislation etc.

Are there things that I can insist on etc, lastly if an existing LHA claim is such that its been agreed that rent is paid directly to the landlord, can the govt just change that overnight ?

Thanks in advance

[thesaint]

You have an agreement with the tenant that you are paid direct.
The government are not a party to this contract.

[theartfullodger]

Dunno what others think but given the record of big government IT projects (terrible, late..) and my assessment of Duncan-Smiff's brain power I doubt UC will come in, in full, on schedule & dear old HB/LHA will carry on a bit longer..

Hope I'm wrong...

[Mrs Mug]

I doubt UC will come in, in full, on schedule

The link below is from Sunday's "The Independent".

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk...internalSearch

[Petetong]

it will be like LHA without the money to make it work in the pilots!!! I remember they spent something like £90 million on the LHA pilot schemes (typical labour)

[hech123]

UC sounds like a joke. I hope they are running these schemes up north as the travel agents will have a field day when the tenant receive their £1200 monthly cheques. Idiotic idea, all I hear is the council talking about how succesful this or that was, still waiting to hear the exact figures on how many direct payments fall into tenant arrears because to me it seems like well over 50%

[midlandslandlord]

it will be like LHA without the money to make it work in the pilots!!! I remember they spent something like £90 million on the LHA pilot schemes (typical labour)

Last time I looked 'labour' were no longer in Government !

This scheme is from the Coalition.

ML

[toneee1]

i think you missed the point

they were on about what the labour gov did
ie 90 mill for pilot schemes

as i think were all aware who's in govt now


cheers

[hbadvocacy]

Hi,

The LHA pilot exercise; the failure of around 30% of tenants handing over the HB between 2008-10; the forced "Westminster Inquiry" in 2010 due to arrears rising dramatically; and the subsequent easements in the "safeguards", including payment of the first cheque in the name of landlords; and the quid pro quo of LHA being re-directed to landlords when they agreed to reduce rents to the LHA level, is as good a "demonstration project" as you'll get. But Coalition Ministers will not acknowledge past "school boy errors" and learn lessons from them.

The ongoing "demonstrations" have been "doomed to succeed" from day one and not an ounce of truth arising from this exercise will be published. One of the participants broke ranks last week declaring his organisation estimated losses of £8M. In response IDS has advised Parliament that there is minimal problems with only a handful of cases experiencing arrear issues.

Big egos & reputations are at stake; internecine strife occurs daily at Cabinet meetings with George Osborne but IDS and Lord Freud press on. The good Lord took a pasting at the recent NLA conference where I was his warm up act. PRS landlords rightly challenged his arrogant disregard but the best we can hope for Is UC will be further delayed. Few areas will be affected before April 2014 so hold tight if you're thinking of pressing the ejector button!

The Universal Credit Regulations and accompanying explanatory note can be accessed on
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/policy/welfare...m-regulations/ With numerous sets of associated legislation and explanatory notes so much for simplification.

HBadvocacy
www.hbadvice.co.uk
www.welfarereformsadvice.co.uk