1. Universal Credit- Local Authority perspective
Paul Edwards
Southwark Council

2. Temporary accommodation
Overview
Roll out in Southwark
Some background
Challenges
Where we are now
Southwark as landlord
Temporary accommodation
Benefits

3. Universal Credit- Southwark
A bit of background
Amongst the first
Phased roll out: Full, Live, Full
Universal Credit roll out in Southwark
Universal Credit roll out in Southwark
Full Service November
2015 single postcode
Then further post codes London Bridge Jan and March 2016
September/October further full service roll out
Remaining full service roll out (small no of postcodes) Dec 17 to 2018
Live Service
February 2016 for other Jobcentres not covered by initial full service roll out

4. Landlord Context Large landlord 36000 properties
About 40-50% of Social rented sector in Southwark
Context
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5. Landlord Cultural Change Tenant Understanding of their rent
Challenges
Cultural Change
Tenant Understanding of their rent
Additional activity
Who will move to UC and when
Cultural Change
Limited access to information
Staff understanding UC design
Wait to first payment
HB auto to rent account whereas UC default to the tenant.
Understanding
Tenant understanding of their rent
Under UC tenant declared rent and that provided by landlord need to match –Otherwise no housing costs included in UC (even a penny out stops inclusion)
Additional Activity
Rent verification process for landlords- not required under HB. Needed to employ more staff to undertake this role.
Alternative Payment requests and rent arrears deduction requests
The legacy benefit payment system- payments do not align so can be delay between money out of tenant’s UC and landlord receiving payment. With rent arrears deduction can vary in payment.
Additional scripting to keep the automation.
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6. Tenant Understanding of their rent
Landlord
Where are we now
Information and training for staff
Cultural Change
New communications products.
Still lots of mismatches
Tenant Understanding of their rent
Increased resource to manage rent verification
Additional activity
Cultural Change
Information and training fro staff
UC design
Disclosure rules
APA payments
More tenant engagement
Tenant understanding of their rent
Comms products
Additional Activity
Increased admin resource to
Alternative Payment requests and rent arrears deduction requests
The legacy benefit payment system- payments do not align so can be delay between money out of tenant’s UC and landlord receiving payment. With rent arrears deduction can vary in payment.
Additional scripting to keep the automation.
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29/11/2018

7. Landlord 4788 (approx 14% of all tenants) 72% in arrears at UC claim
What does this mean- Some numbers
4788 (approx 14% of all tenants)
Tenants who have claimed UC
72% in arrears at UC claim
77% currently in arrears
Arrears
Requested in 39% cases
Alternative Payment Arrangement
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8. Landlord Letter and information leaflet UC Guide Tenant communication
Some responses
Letter and information leaflet
UC Guide
Tenant communication
Rent verification and APA
Landlord Portal
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9. Temporary Accommodation
Challenges
Short term stay in accommodation
Lobbied DWP- budget announcement
Universal Credit design
Do they need to claim?
Staff to identify the need for a claim
Identify UC triggers
Improved- but with increased resource
Income collection
UC design
TA, especially emergency nightly paid not fitting with UC design
Significant number no housing duty- move out before one month
Identify triggers
Identifying who needs to claim UC – not all need to claim UC eg placed in UC live area or already on benefit (eg on HB with Southwark) and no break in claim so simple change within existing claim.
Process that income officers see all those places in TA- where UC need identified documentation given to confirm customer needs to claim UC. IT
Difficulty with having IT –internet connection as in the process of moving our HPU offices.
Income Collection
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10. Benefits Reducing but high work activity
Housing benefit
Reducing but high work activity
Working age caseload
HB stops- improved but still receive duplicates
Universal Credit data share
need to identify who qualifies
Specified accommodation
Caseload
(approx 30% reduction April 16 to September 17)
Specified Accommodation
Instances where UC have paid housing costs
Have a list of accommodation that feel meets the definition
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29/11/2018

11. Benefits
Council Tax reduction
Non claiming- potential impact Council Tax collection
Volume of data share from Universal Credit
Challenges
Non Claiming
Where no existing CTR claim of those where we get a notification from UC of a UC claim send out an invite to claim but low take up.
Volume of date share from UC
Creates work activity potentially every month on a UC claim
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29/11/2018