Where Next?

Community Housing Cymru & Your Benefits Are Changing CHC Membership body for housing associations & community mutuals 70 members, with 150,000 homes, 8,000 employees, 265,000 tenants YBAC Wales-wide, cross-sector campaign to raise awareness of change Members of Advice UK Partners include Shelter Cymru, Citizens Advice Cymru, Local Authorities, Job Centre Plus, Tenants Organisations, Landlords & MPs & AMs

My Benefits are Changing - Using your own employees we will highlight the changes and impact that UC will have on individuals, at CHC we recognise that more than half of our own employees have and will be impacted by welfare changes and believe the sector will see a similar level. Our Benefits are Changing - This session will involve selected members from across your organisational chart to develop an understanding of how as a sector and employee ‘our benefits’ are changing. Your Benefits are Changing - The advice team have attended over 50 events over the last two summers assisting members in informing tenants about welfare changes. Can the team help team assist you at an event or a project you a re running? Currently we have a dedicated full time advisor researching new legislation and answering questions about welfare reform and particularly UC. If you have a question and no time or resources to find the answer please it to and we will endeavour to find the answer, reply and share it with the

Tenant perspective – Tracey, it’s a ‘nightmare’ Made redundant 21st December Claimed asap and a 7 week wait for first payment Arrears now £1200 £300 advance being paid back at £50 pcm, but unaffordable Advance payment swallowed by council tax payment Signed up to two agencies for work Stopped using Gas and freezer, using food bank vouchers Been told to sell car but would then lose access to further work Hardship payment received after JCPlus informed her but needed to ‘convince’ UC Varying UC payments with varying arrears payments. Court hearing shortly but unable to budget as unaware of amount paid.

Tenant perspective Steven No Arrears and no apa, rent account in credit Has engaged with housing staff via text and Wishes to move so is keeping rent account in credit Others No consistency Sporadic apa payments Joint tenancies Six months before aware APA alternative to court action

Yammer networks? Universal Credit strategic group for CHC members Advisory network (operational) for CHC members 22 Local networks – open to all First networks following Tranche 1 and those present but expanding out to other USDL services Follow up meeting to compare findings and set Tranche 2 agenda

What do we compare? Natfed model? Additional information – see hand-out Good Practice Template letters How to guide