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rose2008-2008 · ‎16-09-2013

Does anyone know when this is supposed to be starting?. and will everyone get this who qualifies for benefits like housing ect? I suppose there will be hundreds to sort out and it will take a while to send out forms for people. Has anyone got theirs?.

hansrey64 · ‎16-09-2013

No idea, but in some areas it has started. It will be one a month payment which will include your housing benefit, child tax credits etc. If you live in a council house and you get housing benefit this will be paid to you and you will have to pay the council!

You will know wehn it starts as a letter will come to you, don't worry about it until it happens!!

I do know one thing you need a PC with internet connection as it has to be done online only.

hansrey64 · ‎16-09-2013

A lot more than hundreds, prolly thousands and thousands to do!!

notgrumpyreally · ‎16-09-2013

We don't take housing benefit tenants unless it is paid direct to us. Will that stop? Will be giving out a lot of notices!

caryl576 · ‎16-09-2013

One it goes fully live (almost) all benefits will be paid direct to the individuals who claim them, so no direct payment to landlords etc

(there may be a few cases where it still happens but probably limited to those with significant mental health problems that prevent them controlling their own money)

so you'll need to decide whether to stop renting to social housing clients.. of cource there will be a whole bunch of other landlords doing the same so competition for clients who can pay without benefits will be stronger probably leading to lower rental charges.......

guardpig · ‎16-09-2013

If we lived in the ideal world everybdy on benefits would be on universal credit and everything would be fine. Since we don't the roll out is well behind and it just isn't working and even if it is it isn't going tofor long. Ah well, since we'll have an election before roll out is complete, probably a change of government or, at the least a change in leadership and hangerson by then it is quite likely somebody will pull the plug on it before roll out is over.

As far as i can see it was dreamt up by people in suits and offices and then designed and implemented by people who have a vested interest in it not working and who are in secure monthly paid employment and therefore have no idea of reality.

The basic idea is sound - make benefits a one stop shop, make it easier to claim and make it easier to work whilst on benefits. Practically it is going to be an absolute nightmare because the people implementing it haven't the real life experiences they need to make it work.

I remember my boss allowing a work study student to do his thesis on a time and motion study of our department. The report ran to 700 pages. We read it. the boss said what did we think. We said great, this is how it should work. Boss look puzzled and asked why it didn't work like that. We said - this is real life!

leoleoleo123 · ‎17-09-2013

Its going to be a nightmare for those on benefits trying to rent property.......

their choices will be limited...

wonder if the government even thought about that?!

guardpig · ‎17-09-2013

@leoleoleo123 wrote:
Its going to be a nightmare for those on benefits trying to rent property.......
their choices will be limited...
wonder if the government even thought about that?!

Somebody in an ivory tower dreamt a dream.

It was then handed over to people who have a good job, want to keep said good job, have a mortgage to pay and are paid the same amount once a month.

So no they didn't think because they haven't experienced the reality of people who live on benefits, work on benefits, employ people on benefits or rent to people on benefits and therefore weren't even aware of the questions they needed to be answering and because they are civil servants(and therefore a race apart) they aren't even going to listen to the people trying to tell them about their reality.

Put it this way - was talking to a HMRC chappie who said the system would only work properly if everybody was monthly paid and was very surprised to learn that there could be issues because not everybody was!!!!!

Give them credit for the dream

soppysofty · ‎17-09-2013

notgrumpreally

Suggest you check the Housing Act 2002 as what you are proposing is discrimination.

I help to run a homeless charity in my spare time and we have already had a look at this issue.

A landlord may choose who to rent their property to but, once a tenant is in, so long as the rent is paid on time and the property is maintained in good order, the landlord has to abide by the terms of the tenancy or the rules encompassed in The Housing Act if no tenancy exists.

Any notice to quit served on the basis of income source would be illegal and could be challanged, successfully, in the courts.

The landlord could end up with a black mark, a court order and a tenant who he would find impossible to evict as the courts could impose a protected tenancy.

Not to mention the costs of the court case which would be the liability of the landlord.

If you have good tenants I would recommend you hang on to them as they are gold dust. If you have bad tenants then ask the courts to remove them before the Universal Credit kicks in.

guardpig · ‎17-09-2013

It is not that simple. Often a bad tenant may also be a good tenant. Rent being paid on HB doesn't mean they trash the place. Rent being paid to them to pay the rent doesn't mean they will pay the rent. Have no doubt grumpy will be leaving those tenants who pay in place and evicting those who don't. It is new tenants that are going to find it harder to get accomodation.

When we rented we had one tenant who was on HB, when she came off HB because she had a higher paid job it never occurred to her to pay us the balance of the rent because she never had. As far as she was concerned she paid £xx per month to us and that was that. When we threatened court action she absconded but we managed to get most of our money back because we knew where she worked and got an attachment order. Apart from a complete lack of understanding that the full rent wasn't actually being paid by anybody she was the perfect tenant leaving the place spotless when she did leave!.

rose2008-2008 · ‎17-09-2013

There is so much paperwork involved in claiming Benefits, then when anything changes you have to fill in more!!!!. Its so silly. Any idea that cuts all this out has got to be better for this reason. I know there is always going to be problems in some other areas.

bhgardeners · ‎17-09-2013

The basic reason why this is not going to work is that the intention appears to be they will switch to paying monthly in ARREARS.

So most peeps will be behind before they even start.

It is designed to make it easier for people to take variable or temp jobs and not have to reclaim/keep telling the benefits people about changes. It is unfortunately designed to work to maximum effext for the monthly paid.

Hmm.

As I said a brilliant idea. It could be made to work, possibly.

artisanone11 · ‎17-09-2013

As HB paid to landlords is already paid in arrears that will put many people into eviction theshold at eight weeks behind at changeover. The foodbank lines will be swelled to bursting.

Soppysofty thank you for what you do in your 'spare time,' everyone should have somewhere to turn if things go desperately wrong, so many don't.