Housing Benefits refusing to pay for tenant's rent, where do i stand in who to chase

[NorthLLandLord]

Hi there,

Little background info on the tenant, she is a Polish lady who was referred to me via a homeless prevention agency. For the first three months she was entitled to full housing benefits for the rent. After that she switched from JSA to ESA, however ESA never accepted her for 2 reasons. Firstly, the tenant has high savings which she says is for her children back in Poland. and secondly, She has failed a HTR test twice. This has gone on for some time and she has gathered around £6,000 worth of rent arrears. Her eviction is due at the end of the month. Im not sure who is really to blame in all this as far as i know she is entitled to ESA but they're not paying due to her failing the test.

Should i be chasing the tenant for the arrears or the council?

Any feedback would be appreciated, thanks.

[Snorkerz]

The person with responsibility for rent is the tenant. How she pays the rent is her 'problem'.

[thesaint]

Did the "homeless prevention agency" introduce the tenant to you under one of their schemes?

[NorthLLandLord]

No they refer me clients that match what I'm looking for, if i agree to take them on i provide them with a admin fee for their help. The rest I do, helping them fill in Housing benefit forms etc.

[thesaint]

It sounds like a rip-off to me.
Do the council not have a department that does this sort of thing?

My council pay me a fee if I accept their referrals, they sort out the HB claim, and pay it to me directly.
They also pay up to a months rent if the tenant defaults.

[MrJohnnyB]

If the tenant has been paying the relevant NI payments then surely they should be entitled to a years non-means tested ESA shouldn't they?

[the-smiths]

my view is if she has savings too great to claim benefits then she should not be getting benefits and pay for it herself

[45002]

If the tenant has been paying the relevant NI payments then surely they should be entitled to a years non-means tested ESA shouldn't they?

Yes http://www.dwp.gov.uk/adviser/update...-contribution/

Employment and Support Allowance and savings https://www.gov.uk/employment-suppor...ce/eligibility

Housing Benefit and savings https://www.gov.uk/housing-benefit/eligibility