24th
Apr 2017
The DWP has at last made changes to its 'spaghetti' like legislation surrounding the Universal Credit payment of rent direct to social and private landlords, making the application process easier.
Last week on April 11th, the government announced that changes had been made to the UC47 Alternative Payment Arrangement application forms; from now on landlords do not have to provide supplementary evidence that has been a 'thorn in their sides'.
Private landlords can now ask for a Managed Payment to the Landlord Alternative Payment Arrangement as well as repayment of outstanding rental arrears.
Apparently the process is now very much easier as landlords can send this request by email using the improved UC47 Non-Secure Alternative Payment Arrangement or the UC47 Secure forms. Alternatively they can send the UC47 Secure form by post.
Some of the improvements made to the application form process for Alternative Payment Arrangement include all the necessary additional information for a Managed Payment Alternative Arrangement decision, can now be inputted into the forms.
Another new addition is a 'free' text box in the UC47 Secure form that allows landlords to give all of their reasons why a Managed Payment to Landlord Alternative Payment request for anything other than outstanding rent. Reasons can include, tenants' incapability' of being able to manage their finances, alcohol and or drug dependency.
Landlords will now have to sign a disclaimer that has been added to the form, which shows the DWP that the landlord has fully read and understood the terms and conditions in requesting a Managed Payment to the Landlord Payment, or recovery of rental arrears. The information can be found in the Personal Budgetary Support and Alternative Payment Arrangement guidance here.
The landlords are now responsible for telling the DWP of any changes, such as the outstanding rents have been repaid fully, if tenants have moved elsewhere and any increase or decreases in rent.
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