Help!

rachelw90

Hi everyone, I saw tonight on the news that people that are claiming universal credit or looking to claim it that your rent you receive from housing benefit for your landlord is sent directly to them..I have stayed in my property for 3 years and my landlord is against housing benefit so if he knew I was receiving housing benefit then I would be told to leave. What happens? I have never been late etc with the rent in the whole 3 years. Thank you.

Geoark

Hi @rachelw90 the default will remain the same, the rent will be paid to you and then you pay the landlord. The suggestion has been that private landlords can request the rent be paid directly to them, however they would need to know that their tenant is getting UC and the system is not currently set up for them to request it. 

Assuming the system, when it is set up, doesn't allow for 'speculative' claims, ie they can enter the tenants details and address and be told if they are on UC or not then there should be no reason for your landlord to find out.

rachelw90

Geoark thanks for replying what did you mean by ie they can enter the tenants details and address...who can do that? thank you 

Geoark

@rachelw90 the proposal is for an online portal which will enable private landlords to request that the rent be paid directly to them rather than the UC claimant. 

There will need to be some security in place obviously, as the DWP will need to be satisfied that they are indeed the landlord. At the moment though I have not seen any detailed information on how it will be implemented.

rachelw90

ok thanks, I wonder if landlords will be contacted first about it or have to request it themselfs 🤔