UC Assessments Are a Recipe for Confusion for Leaseholders

As the roll out of universal credit nears, the DWP has begun distributing a range of guidance notes on how various assessments will be made, such as on how the universal credit will be calculated for payments on service charges where home owners are on a long lease.  Universal credit will not be paid for all service charges, only those that are deemed eligible.  The guidance notes suggest that the managing agents running the service element will be the best people to make these calculations. Among the examples given for ineligible service charges are the installation and maintenance of disability equipment and adaptations, individual emergency alarm systems, and communal recreation areas.  Having gleaned the information from the individual managing agent about these service charges, the DWP assessment officer then has to go on to consider other factors in order to decide how much the recipient of the benefit will get for this. Read more on the Guardian website.