It's Now Free To Call Universal Credit Lines

All calls to universal credit helplines are now free, the government has confirmed. There had been a row over the use of 0345 numbers which, while included in many free call packages, could cost up to 55p a minute. Under pressure from opposition parties, Tory MPs and charities, ministers announced on 18 October charges would be dropped "over the next month". The Department for Work on Pensions has confirmed all calls are now free. Read more on the BBC website.

Pressure Grows To Make Universal Credit Helpline Free Of Charge

Pressure is growing on ministers to make calls to the universal credit helpline free, after it was revealed that low-income claimants could be paying up to 55p a minute for calls to fix problems with their claim. Campaigners want charges dropped as more evidence emerged of claimants being forced to spend long periods waiting on the phone to resolve issues, and often having to make a number of calls. There are also concerns that poor training of call centre staff and underlying problems with the complex universal credit system are contributing to long waiting times. Read more on the Guardian website.

DWP Launches New Helpline For Landlords

The DWP has introduced a new helpline for landlords whose Universal Credit tenants will not communicate with them. The new number 0345 600 4272 can be used by landlords who are unable to obtain the tenant’s co-operation to get DWP to supply information when it comes to enquiries about major payments –  such as a direct payment to the landlord. This is a significant change as, before now, landlords were totally dependent on the goodwill of the tenant when it came to accessing information. The new number can only be used by landlords in areas where Universal Credit has been fully rolled out. Read more on the RLA website.

Corbyn Speaks Out Against 'Social Cleansing'

Jeremy Corbyn has backed the Young and Homeless Helpline, while claiming the “social cleansing” of London was adding to the pressures on young people struggling to find somewhere to live. Delivering his outspoken comments while visiting a hostel run by the youth homelessness charity Centrepoint, the Labour leader said young people in the capital were among those hardest hit by what he described as the “de-housing of those in social need”. Condemning a growing shortage of affordable housing, Mr Corbyn told The Independent: “In London there is always a competition between expensive commercial development and the need for the provision of good quality social housing, [but] it seems to me more imbalanced than ever now.” Read more on the Independent website.

Universal Credit: Telephone Services – Parliamentary Written Answer

Stephen Timms:  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether telephones with a direct connection to the universal credit helpline are available to use free of charge in every jobcentre.

Priti Patel: We no longer have customer access phones in Jobcentres. However, should a claimant need to use a telephone in connection with their claim or job search, they will be given access to a phone by their work coach.

200,000 Asked For Help To Keep Home

More than 200,000 people on the brink of homelessness became desperate enough to seek help from local services in the last year alone. That number, based on government statistics from 2014-15, represents a surge of nearly 50 per cent in calls to councils in the last five years. Although the 205,100 cries for help to councils in England led to action that prevented homelessness, in the same year 54,000 households lost the struggle to keep a roof over their heads. Advisers at Shelter said the surge came as no surprise, as it received 450,000 calls to its helpline last year. One in four of the calls came from people who faced losing their home within a month. Read more on the Morning Star website.

Surge In Demand For Help From People Facing Homelessness

Housing and homelessness charity Shelter is urgently appealing for support for its helpline, after receiving a record 450,000 calls in the last year alone – equivalent to over 1,200 calls every single day. In the last year, the number of calls to the charity’s free helpline has increased by 50,000 – or 12%. With the helpline struggling to meet demand, this includes many people ringing multiple times desperate to get through. Shockingly, 1 in 4 of the calls answered came from people on the brink of homelessness who faced losing their home within a month. Read more on 24dash.

Shelter Claims 125,000 Tenants Suffering Abuse

The full scale of abuse suffered by people living in private rental accommodation from landlords has been revealed by a housing charity. Research by Shelter concluded that the number of private tenants in England experiencing abuse from either landlords or letting agents in the last year is the same as the city of Lincoln’s population. The research detailed a catalogue of harassment including assaults, threats, cutting off utilities, entering homes without permission, and not protecting renters’ deposits. It claimed 125,000 people were victims of abuse, based on the findings of a survey it conducted of 3,792 private tenants which found 60 claimed landlords or letting agents had been abusive. Shelter also revealed that its helpline had received nearly 17,000 calls about problem landlords. Read more on 24dash.

Calls to Homelessness Helpline Soar

A housing and homelessness charity which has seen a "heart-breaking" surge from callers at serious risk of losing their home is urgently appealing for support for its helpline. The number of people at risk of homelessness who called the Shelter helpline from October 2013 to September 2014 rose to 51,364, compared with 40,226 from October 2011 to September 2012 - a rise of 11,138 or 28%. The charity is expecting even more families to be in desperate need of its help this Christmas. Read more on the Daily Mail website.