1. UNIVERSAL CREDIT OUR JOURNEY ! Elspeth Sharkey Housing Manager
Moira Escreet
Welfare Rights Officer

2. HILLHEAD - BACKGROUND
Stock Transfer houses and flats from East Dunbartonshire Council
Demolished 192 tenement flats and rebuilt with 191 new houses and main door flats
All retained stock received comprehensive internal and external improvements from 2007 to 2016
Total investment to date exceeds £37.5 million
Further development opportunities currently being progressed

3. UNIVERSAL CREDIT TIMELINE
Dec 2015 – Live service introduced – 7 tenants affected. Expectation was that full service would be 2018/19 or later
Acceleration of implementation notified in August 2016
November 2016 – Full service introduced – to date 161 tenants affected

4. RESOURCES/TRAINING
One full time Welfare Rights Officer employed since increased to two in 2014 due to demand
Tenancy Support services through the Mungo Foundation since 2010
Additional Housing Assistant employed early 2017 to monitor arrears and provide advice/assistance to UC cases
Housing Officers trained in basics of UC; checking journals for information and tenant’s compliance with actions required by DWP
Spreadsheet set up to monitor movement in arrears
from pre-UC, on a month by month basis

5. RESOURCES/TRAINING
Much more difficult to calculate the additional time resource input by existing Housing Officers/Assistants
Estimates in the early days of UC were around 15% - 20% but this has reduced considerably
However one complex case recently took over 3 hours
Welfare Rights Officers continue to have an increased workload

6. Some problem areas What triggers a claim? Issues with SRS forms
APAs requested but decision not made in time and first payment goes direct to tenant
Payment schedules – 4 weekly
Housing costs not included
Problems relating to housing element specifically- we have also had lots of other ‘payment’ issues for the claimants, mand recon problems, communications, the list goes on – all contributing to increased workloads for all HM and support staff
New claims- Change of Circs requiring a new claim for the main benefits above
Most common we have had
Taken off ESA
Relationship breakdown/new relationships
New tenants (if not on HB in area already)
Legacy benefits ended for some reason
First child/ child turns 5- lone parents IS stops
Losing job
Succeeding to a tenancy
Issues with SRS- not received, sent to wrong landlords, wrong information e.g tenant putting wrong rent rent figure - causes delays in housing element
MAY BE RESOLVED BY LANDLORD PORTAL
Useful to keep note of dates when they are returned – spreadsheet or HM system

7. .....and there’s more Change in circs effective for period notified
DHPs – local authority wait for UC award
Joint tenancies- strange rental liabilities
DWP saying payments made but not received
Issue of liability for rent
Technology/communication
COC- – so can cause problems i.e change of address/rent increase, etc
DHPs some people having to provide printouts of their award from the system
Liability – parent in care, awaiting POA/Guardianship/ problems ending tenancy agreement so in meantime difficulty getting housing element for daughter.
Some claimants with limited skills and needing a lot of support. Initially claims taking a long time but we have mastered that. Ongoing issues more of a problem now
Difital reliance a problem and difficulties communicating with DWP- no response to journal messages

8. Payment Schedule example
Mrs Bloggs has an Assessment Period (AP) of
22nd -21st of the month. Payment date is 28th.
Landlord gets monthly payment every 4 weeks
22nd AUG-21st SEPT
Paid 28th SEPT
22nd SEPT-21st OCT
Paid 28th OCTOBER
22nd OCT-21st NOV
Paid 28th NOV
Paid 28th DEC
L/L schedule date
29th Sept
27th Oct
24th Nov
22nd Dec
One of the big issues with APAs.
Maybe think twice about applying for them – would it be better if tenant got the payment and paid rent on 28th? Can you count on that?
How do you treat these arrears?
SCOTTISH FLEXIBILITIES/CHOICES- not the great white hope you might imagine because of this process.

9. Some tips for staff Keep regular contact with tenants
Keep notes of relevant dates
Don’t assume an APA is granted
Get familiar with tenants’ journals
Get contacts with jobcentre staff
Explicit consent
Local MP
As well as the strategic advice from earlier
DATES- tenants AP and payment dates- your schedule dates
APA – even if it is granted you may not get the full rent or may not get first payment- acknowledgement will be sent AlSO may not get full rent – e.g. Bedroom tax, benefit cap, UC is reduced due to other income and is below the rent figure so you are not going to get full amount- a bit like part HB
Journals -(maybe WRO role but useful for HOs too) – what we did. Fairly easy system to navigate through- L/L portal based on same system so will be useful in advance to get used to it
Jobcentre – good contacts needed for escalation
Explicit consent- no implicit consent so can get tenant to put note on their journal saying permission given to speak to you .
Build relations with local MP – you may need them to help resolve some issues as they have implicit consent

10. UC full service contact details
Telephone number
they will your universal credit address – have you got this set up?
them on
No secure needed unless sending UC47
OR making a complaint
No implicit consent so will need to have client with us when calling unless general question – or explicit consent note on journal
Your – E.g HA.org.uk
This is number client phones within 7 days of claim to make appointment
SECURE – UC47 later on to ask for APA or rent direct/alternative payment
Don’t need secure – link will tell you which form to fill in if you have or have not secure
ALSO secure useful for making complaints.

11. IMPACT OF UC - ARREARS
All arrears at 31st October £86,255 (2.57%)
All arrears at 31st October £132,865 (3.96%)
ie. over 50% increase in arrears
But is this the full story? Not quite......

12. IMPACT OF UC - ARREARS As at 31st October 2017
Total current UC cases (as % of tenants) - 135(16.81%)
No. UC cases (%) in Arrears (77.04%)
No. of APAs
No. > arrears than pre UC
No. =/< arrears than pre UC (includes £0)
Arrears of UC cases as % of Annual Rent %
BUT
These cases accounted for 1.89% of arrears
pre-UC

13. CONCLUSIONS
The introduction of full UC is not the only factor in the increase in arrears
Tenants already in substantial arrears pre UC tended to have increased arrears with UC, however APAs etc. are now reducing these......slowly
There are signs that staff input is reducing in some respects, however when existing Housing Benefit claimants are migrated on to UC in the future, the picture will change again

14. Disclaimer: All answers subject to change!
Questions?
Disclaimer: All answers subject to change!