DWP Concedes To Issue With Calculating UC For Social Tenants

In a letter to landlords, the DWP has conceded to an issue with the way Universal Credit (UC) is calculated for social housing tenants – and confirmed changes are being considered over the 53-week rent year. The DWP has recognised there is an issue with regards to the way the calculation in the UC regulations converts a weekly liability into a monthly allowance. The conversion is achieved by multiplying the weekly rent by 52 and then dividing by 12. This effectively means one day’s rent a year (two days in a leap years) is not covered by UC. The DWP is now considering whether this formulation should be amended. Read more on 24housing.

https://www.24housing.co.uk/news/dwp-concedes-to-issue-with-calculating-universal-credit-for-social-tenants/

Charity Launches Legal Challenge to Benefit Cuts

Changes to the way housing benefit payments are calculated will be challenged in the High Court by a London-based charity today (19 December).  Zacchaeus 2000 Trust is bringing a case against the DWP, arguing that linking payments to the Consumer Prices Index measure of inflation is unlawful as it is ultra vires (outside of the power of the DWP) and it is in breach of the Equality Act 2012.  The CPI is a measure of inflation, which relates only to goods and services, and specifically discounts housing costs, meaning that the Government has severed the link between housing need and local rents irrevocably.  Read more on the Zacchaeus 2000 website.