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Posts Tagged ‘Housing Benefit’
Housing benefit to be paid direct to landlords with tenants in arrears
The direct payment of Housing Benefit to landlords rather than tenants is back on the table, according to Welfare Minister, Lord Freud. In a speech to the National Housing Federation conference, he said that landlords will receive benefit payments directly as part of the new universal credit system. If their tenants fall into rent arrears, Lord Freud said that the main aim of this measure was to... Read more
Landlord convicted of £21k benefit fraud
A Sussex landlord has been convicted of a £21k benefit fraud, after it was revealed that he had failed to declare rental income from a property he was letting out. Bab Saracouli, 43, of Barons Way, Polegate in East Sussex was found guilty of pocketing more £21,391 in council tax relief and housing benefits whilst also trousering £775 in monthly rental payments from a property he part owns... Read more
Private Landlords back away from LHA Tenants
15% of private landlords say they will stop taking on Local Housing Allowance (LHA) tenants in response to the coalition government's changes to the level of payments, according to BDRC Continental's Landlords panel. The research strongly suggests that the changes to the level of LHA payments, which will be capped to the 30th percentile of local rents, will drive many private landlord away... Read more
Should rioters lose their council houses?
In the race to be the toughest on law and order, in the aftermath of the riots and looting across the country earlier in the week, the Prime Minister and Communities Secretary have both said that convicted rioters should lose out on benefits and possibly even their social housing. The Prime Minister, David Cameron, said in the House of Commons yesterday: "To the law-abiding people who play by... Read more
Government: Benefit changes will create 40k homeless households
A leaked government memo from Eric Pickles' Communities department to the Prime Minister David Cameron, reveals that changes to Housing Benefit and LHA, and a proposed cap on all benefits, will result in 40k households in Britain becoming homeless. The leaked document also predicts that affordable house building will not meet forecasts. The memo notes that the savings from cuts to benefits will... Read more
50% of Landlords will reduce lets to housing benefit tenants
A survey by the National Landlords Association (NLA) reports that over 50% of landlords will be reducing the number of properties they let to housing benefit tenants. According to the survey, 58% stated that they would cut the properties they let to tenants on housing benefits. 90% of those landlords plan to do so in the next 18 months. One third revealed that they would be taking action... Read more
Ask Upad: My social tenant is in arrears, how do I get direct payments?
Q: I rent a flat to a couple who receive Housing Benefit. They have fallen into arrears and I want to take action to have the rent they get paid directly to me. The tenants themselves are not being very communicative but obviously I still have expenses to meet. What do I do to get their rent paid directly to me? A: Local authorities must make direct payments to landlords if a tenant has rent... Read more
Changes to LHA that will affect landlords
The Department for Work and Pensions has published new guidance, regarding the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) that will impact tenants and landlords in England and Wales. Effective from April 2011, the new rules mean that LHA can be paid directly to landlords where they agree to lower rents that tenants pay. It’s complex. Eyes down. Look in. In general, LHA will continue to be paid directly to... Read more
Landlords who reduce rents can receive LHA direct
The government has announced that landlords who reduce rents for tenants on benefits will be able to receive Local Housing Allowance paid directly to them. Currently, LHA is paid to tenants who are then expected to pass it on to their landlord: however, some landlords have stated that this does not happen and the system has led many to avoid tenants on benefits altogether. Local authorities... Read more
Changing London one landlord at a time
This much we know: the reduction of Housing Benefit and the changes to Local Housing Allowance are going to have a dramatic effect on the residential lettings market, and indeed the entire property market, when they start coming into effect next April. We urge every landlord, even if they don’t take on social tenants to get to grips with the changes, understand what they might mean to them... Read more
IDS wins ‘universal payment’ benefits battle
The coalition government’s plans to cut the welfare bill and reform how benefits are calculated and paid, including Housing Benefit, have become clearer today. Former Conservative leader and Secretary of State for Work and pensions, Iain Duncan Smith appears to have won his battle with the Treasury and Chancellor George Osbourne to streamline benefits and see a single universal payment... Read more
RLA calls for “Housing Allowance re-think”
The Residential Landlords Association (RLA) has challenged the Department for Work and Pensions over an issue that it claims is driving its members away from letting to tenants on Housing Benefit. Local Housing Allowance is paid directly to tenants and is often not paid to landlords who experience rent arrears. The RLA wants to see tenants given the choice to allow direct payment to landlords.... Read more
What’s the benefit? Campaign against damaging changes to housing benefit
Upad is very happy to be supporting Inside Housing's campaign for an alternative to the Chancellor's plans for changes to Housing Benefit next year. James Davis, Upad's CEO, who currently lets eight properties to tenants receiving LHA, says: "Whilst as a taxpayer I accept the current HB bill is excessive, capping rents will dramatically reduce the number of landlords willing to let in this... Read more
Private landlords fear effects of housing benefit changes
Private landlords remain generally confident in the state of the industry, despite concerns about a double dip recession and the effects of the changes to benefit payments announced in the Budget. That’s the finding from the latest Landlord Confidence Index survey from Upad.co.uk. 60% of the 284 landlords responding to the survey said that they were more confident this month than last. From... Read more
The Death of the Social Landlord?
Thousands of vulnerable families will lose their homes under government reforms of the Housing Benefit system announced in yesterday's Budget. Chancellor George Osborne has said that maximum rates of Local Housing Allowance will be reduced to between £280 per week for a one-bedroomed property to £400 for a four- or more bedroomed house. There has been no indication of any local weighting... Read more
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