Number of tenants (circa) Percentage of tenants affected
Arrears (Net of HB) Housing Benefit (per month) Likely to be
affected for the Housing Benefit element of Universal Credit
3,70042%300k265K Not Likely to be affected for the Housing Benefit
element of Universal Credit 5,10058%420k200K Total8,800720k Data:
Tenants likely to be affected by Universal Credit across NPT We
have 2,500 Tenants on Housing Benefit over the UC age restriction
of 60.5
Slide 5
-Help me keep a roof over my head -I know how much I owe, when
its due and how I can pay -Make it easy for me to pay my rent, and
easy to change my way of paying -Dont give me the wrong information
or complicate the system -I know who and where I can turn to if I
have a problem and Im helped in reasonable timescales -I would like
to trust you and have confidence in you as a landlord What matters
to tenants
Slide 6
Help People to Sustain Their Tenancy Purpose
Slide 7
The review has identified the need to understand all tenants
(regardless of whether they are in arrears or not) to help them
sustain their tenancies. Multiple Case files (Mr & Mrs C)
Methods to support and safeguard our clients could include
alternative payments and the tier 1/2 managed payments Working in
partnership will enable us to safeguard individual clients and
avoid duplication Vulnerability of our clients
Slide 8
Risks and NPT Homes Learning
Slide 9
Risk FactorWhy the RiskMitigation Financial RiskMagenta arrears
have increased by 50% (Cardiff / Bron Afon similar stories) We
intend working with Tenants at first point of contact when they
claim UC to ensure that we are able to make them aware of their
obligation to Pay their Rent and Help them through the process APAs
- Magenta experience suggests DWP have accepted all Managed Payment
APAs for 8 week arrears and problem 4 week tenants. Arrears for
Tenants who have come in since July 14 have dropped by 40%
Possibility of 3,700 UC Tenants owing 8 weeks full rent of say 85 =
2.5m plus any delays in DWP APAs on top Increase in Bad Debt Prov
have been included in budgets
Slide 10
Risk FactorWhy the RiskMitigation DWPLack of automation.
Letters need to be sent manually by recorded delivery, Payments on
APAs need to be processed manually. Potential delays as more RSLs
come online DWP have stated this will be addressed. As we are
expecting small numbers in first year circa 100, this hopefully
will have minimal impact Job Centre plusSkill set of work coaches
and their ability to understand Tenants needs and to help tenants
sustain their tenancies is unknown We are working closely with the
Job Centre and they have agreed to us working with the coaches as
tenants come into the process. Meeting Job Centre Managers on 17 th
March VulnerabilityDWP suggest Managed Payments to landlords for
tier 1 / tier 2 vulnerability factors should be low (Nationally).
Our evidence suggests 50-70% Potential Trusted Partner Status and 3
rd Party evidence by Social Services etc. should enable us to
identify Vulnerable tenants to keep on Managed Payments direct to
Landlord. Plus CEO raising on Local Service Board I.TOur own I.T
systems need to be geared up to accommodate UC tenants and provide
the teams with automated letters, certification and alternative
arrears reports etc Productive meetings held with Directors/ I.T to
move this forward
Slide 11
Landlord Certificate
Slide 12
Risk FactorWhy the RiskMitigation Helpline on Gateway The
helpline quoted for providing I.T assistance goes through to a
Careers Service (English equivalent to Careers Wales). They have no
benefits training and are unable to help with UC claims at all.
Their number is given solely to provide support with accessing IT,
but they can only provide this service in England, so its important
that the equivalent number is provided for Welsh claimants CHC
raised with Helen Matthew (DWP)and will contact the winner of the
new Communities2.0 contract to establish whether that could be
advertised here as a Welsh alternative. The online map does work
for Welsh postcodes (could this option be used by the Careers
Service?) Data sharing protocol Learning from other RSLs (Magenta
Living) is that the DWP are not currently notifying them when
tenants make a claim for UC (only received one notification). Also
new claimants are only receiving the personal element of their
first UC payment This has been raised with the DWP housing team and
it is likely to be the norm because of the current workload (the
housing element of UC claims is more complex aspect of the
claim)
Slide 13
Positives issueWhy Alternative Payment Arrangements Magenta
experience suggests DWP have accepted all Managed Payment APAs for
8 week arrears and problem 4 week tenants. Arrears for Tenants who
have come in since July 14 have dropped by 40% 3 rd party
DeductionsDeductions of up to 20% (or 10% if other deductions in
place) are recoverable from tenants to repay any arrears
accumulated once Tenant moves onto a managed payment Relationship
WorkingLandlord Services, FIT, Housing Benefits and Job Centre have
all been working closely. This Forum today and Yammer accounts
Engagement with Tenants The review has identified the need to
understand all tenants (regardless of whether they are in arrears
or not) to help them sustain their tenancies. Multiple Case files
e.g O Connors DWP evidence Acceptance We have devised a process for
local sign off - meeting DWP 17 th March e.g Rent Statements
Slide 14
Barcud update -Merthyr Valley Homes, Bron Afon, Valleys to
Coast and NPT Homes are part of a consortium that is chaired by
internal auditor -Met in February lots of positive sharing and
pooling of expertise -Texting variation from zero texts being sent
to 2,000 a week -Redemption balance concept of offering tenants who
leave a reduced redemption figure on their potential former arrears
(on the basis that 50% of something is better than 100% of nothing
-2 weeks payment in advance expecting new tenants to make payments
in advance and holding a credit balance -Trusted Partner Status
((Bron Afon are part of the core Landlord Group that feed back to
Lord Freud)
Slide 15
Any questions Claire Maimone Director of Housing and Community
Regeneration 01639 505870 [email protected] Andrew Harris
Head of Change Management 07896173994 [email protected]
Mark Edwards Senior Community Housing Officer 01639 505989
[email protected]