What Universal Credit means for landlords?
First, let’s look at How Universal Credit works.
People who are on a low income or out of work usually get paid Universal Credit as a single monthly payment and can include help towards housing costs. This payment is normally paid direct to the tenants and is solely their responsibility to pay their rent to the landlord or property manager themselves.
The amount of Universal Credit that a tenant receives does depend on their individual circumstances and the exact amount is then calculated on a month by month basis.
Tenants may continue to receive Universal Credit even when their working circumstances change. The amount of Universal Credit automatically adjusts as changes in their earnings occur, meaning if tenants earning increase the Universal Credits would decrease.
What Landlords need to do.
Landlords have responsibility to help their tenants make and manage their Universal Credit claim. There are a few things landlords can do to help their tenants claim go smoothly for them and of cause then ensure they receive their rent income in full and more importantly on time.
Click on the link here to find top tips to help you support your tenant with their Universal Credit claim https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-landlord-engagement-newsletters/january-2020-universal-credit-andlord-engagement-letter
Also, if you click on this link below you can watch a video on ‘How landlords can help their tenants’