Universal Credit’s Disastrous Figures for Social Landlords and Social Housing

Recently, there was an article in the Independent about the first year of Universal Credit in Warrington entitled Universal Credit isn’t working. The reason I am commenting here is that I suspect THE major issue has been missed although stated in the article – the cost to landlords of about £1300 per tenant per year. Yes I did say £1300 per tenant per year!…oUCh! oUCh! oUCh!

Peter Fitzhenry Director of Golden Gates Housing  was rightfully scathing over the policy and the article featured:-

Payments have been so haphazard that 92 per cent of those on Golden Gate’s books using the new benefit are in rent arrears, and two have been evicted since moving on to it.

Because of the small scale of the pilot, only 40 of Golden Gate’s 8,700 tenants are on universal credit, but the housing trust has had to dedicate two full-time staff to chasing DWP payments for those on it. Whoa!….40 tenants on UC  yet the landlord has needed to take on TWO ADDITIONAL FULL TIME MEMBERS OF STAFF TO DEAL WITH THIS. Read more on the Speye blog.

Council House Waiting Lists Slashed With a Sweep of a Pen

Havering, where 'right to buy' was launched, has cut its waiting list by 75% by telling applicants they are no longer eligible – and other councils are following suit. The London Borough of Hammersmith's housing waiting list has fallen– from 8,171 in April 2012 to just 768 in April 2013. Warrington's has fallen from 12,091 to 3,173. Havering's is now below 3,000.  Behind the extraordinary collapse in waiting lists is not a sudden surge in the supply of council homes. Instead, local authorities are writing to applicants telling them that they no longer stand a chance of obtaining a home from the council unless they meet new local criteria. Hammersmith has imposed a rule that people must live in the area for at least five years before they can apply for a council house. Havering, which used to allow people to apply for a council home if they had lived in the area for six months, has changed that to two years. Read more on the Guardian website.