universal credit News
17/10/2025
More than 40 organisations—including tenant advocates, landlord bodies, and housing charities—have called on the UK Government to unfreeze Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates in a joint letter aimed at preventing homelessness and easing pressure o…
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06/04/2022
Official statistics found the majority of private tenants receiving Universal Credit housing benefits are having to cope with a monthly shortfall of £100 to pay their rent, according to an industry body.
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21/02/2020
The much ‘lauded’ government flagship Universal Credit has been delayed for the umpteenth time and will not be fully rolled out until 2024; it should have been completed during 2017.
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The DWP has admitted that the number …
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20/01/2020
The DWP (Department for Work and Pensions) has recently updated its published guides to help landlords if their tenants are or about to become Universal Credit recipients.
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The guides aim to give landlords the infor…
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27/10/2019
Latest research showing that if Universal Credit housing benefit is paid direct to landlords it will be the major contributory factor in reducing rental arrears.
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A trade body is calling on the DWP to allow England's tenant…
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08/09/2019
Universal Credit is undoubtedly causing many landlords rental arrears because of the amount of time it takes for a tenant on housing benefit to receive their first payment.
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A trade association says that over half of la…
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14/06/2019
Following Amber Rudd's (the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions) announcement made on January 11th this year that there will be major changes made to the Universal Credit system, which will allow landlords to receive Universal Credit tenants' re…
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12/06/2019
ITV London has just covered a story saying that the Capital's landlords are discriminating against renters ‘because they are on benefits’.
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A number of tenants on housing benefits were interviewed by the TV news reporter Kati…
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15/02/2019
A trade body is backing a new demand from Citizen's Advice telling the government the Universal Credit system needs a major overhaul, as more than half of claimants are seeking help because of the risk of eviction due to rental arrears.
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11/01/2019
Today Friday 11th Jan the Mirror has covered a story of the Government announcing that the Universal Credit online system will shortly be changed to make rent payments direct to landlords for claimants.
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The decision has been…
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12/12/2018
Campaign group activists incensed by lenders' buy-to-let mortgage terms in not allowing landlords rent their properties to people claiming housing benefit, tried to gain entrance to Nat West's Bristol branch to show their utter contempt.
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05/11/2018
It is no wonder with the lack of home building over the last decade that there is an ever increasing number of benefit claimants having to rent. An industry organisation is prepared to take on the government to stop the “shameful” lenders' practices …
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24/10/2018
Just under two thirds of landlords have and are experiencing their Universal Credit tenants racking up rent arrears.
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Research from a trade association found that those landlords who had UC tenants taking part in th…
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05/09/2018
BTL investors are up in arms over the Shelter and the National Housing Federation campaign demanding landlords to let their properties out to tenants claiming benefits, and in not doing so they are acting prejudicially.
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02/03/2018
A recent legal case ruling could now mean that any landlord or letting agents who refuse tenancies to those on housing benefits could be breaking equality laws.
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The BBC reports that there are 'no …
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28/01/2018
On 9 January 2018 a Westminster Hall debate which was led by the MP Stephen Lloyd,
was held to discuss how Universal Credit has and is affecting private rented sector landlords and tenants.
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The debates allow MP's t…
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18/12/2017
The government has yet to introduce a system whereby landlords are able to reclaim any rent arrears owed by Universal Credit tenants who have left their property. The sector is demanding that the government 'steps up' and introduces the new system as…
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28/11/2017
At long last the government has listened to growing concerns from the private rented sector and has just confirmed some good news for landlords. From now on tenants who are signing up to Universal Credit will continue to have their housing benefits p…
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06/10/2017
Over a third of landlords that 'house' tenants who are claiming Universal Credit, when replying to a survey, said that they are experiencing rent arrears, which has risen by 10% from the previous year.
The survey was carried out by a trade…
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18/08/2017
A university has been recently commissioned by a trade body to undertake a survey into the PRS and just under 2,000 private landlords took part.
The survey claims that 79% of the landlords view propsective tenants who are 35 or under pose …
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Older News
Fit for Habitation|March 2019 The ACT is intended to define minimum standards a rental property MUST
be and makes a clearer pathway way for Tenants to be compensated|https://www.pims.co.uk/fit_for_habitation_act_march_2019/
Guarantor|The person who provides a guarantee and promises to make payment good should the person responsible for the agreement fail|http://www.pims.co.uk/guarantors/
MEES|The Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) Landlords are charged with the requirement to bring their rental property to a minimum EPC rating of E. Property with F and G rating will effectively be banned from the rental market April 2018 |http://www.pims.co.uk/epc/
Section 11|Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 places an obligation on the landlord to maintain the structure and exterior of the property, including installations for the supply of water, gas and electricity, heating systems, drainage and sanitary appliances|http://www.pims.co.uk/landlord-section-11-repairs/
serving date|This date is the date deemed received at the property - as an example if posted allow for posting days|/serving-notice-on-a-tenant-delivery-days/
Tenancy Application|The objective of vetting is to empower yourself so you can make an informed decision as to the calibre of the prospective person. Making your decision on facts and figures is invaluable and this is why you should always take references. The application form also provides you with permission to perform credits. This form details all the information you should ever require deal with most eventualities including absconding tenants|http://www.pims.co.uk/doc/57/
Tenant Fees|From June 2019 where renting properties in England gone are the days of charging for admin, letting fees, vetting, references,
inventory, check in, check out, cleaning, pet insurance or ANY other fee
that is not explicitly permitted within the legislation. |https://www.pims.co.uk/ban_letting_fees_act_2019/