Rent arrears over three months

[choudhary58]

Hi, I was wondering if you could please advise me.  I have a tenant in the property and she is receiving a universal credit benefit.  I have issued her a eviction notice and she is in rent arrears for over three months.  I rung universal credit and they told me to complete an online form so that the rent will come directly into my account.  I have filled it twice and it keeps getting rejected saying that the person might not be entitled to receive benefit or the rent arrears might be one month etc. 

I have rung and spoken to universal credit and and they said that they can't help.  I know for a fact that she receives universal credit because I used to get rent direct into my account from universal credit up until August this year.  She stopped it only when I sent her an eviction notice. Is there any way I could request rent to me directly?

Thanks

[Grampa]

If you have filled the form in correctly andthe tenant is in at least 2 months in arrears you should get the uc payments. If not there is either no valid claim in place or it has been stopped.

Have you also contacted the housing benefit dept at your local council? Because some tenants depending on their circumstances are claiming HB not UC and if that is the case you need to speak to the council. If there isnt a claim in pay they will let you know.

Do you have a guarantor for the tenant?

 

  

[choudhary58]

She was getting a rent from UC and it was paid directly to me but since I have had a issue with her, she contacted Universal Credit and stopped her payment and now she gets the rent directly but she is not paying me.

There was no guarantor.

 

I will still contact local council to see if there is anyway around this.  Thanks for your help.

[Melboy]

I am amazed, but not surprised, that a tenant can cancel the rent payment being paid directly to the landlord without the landlord having an input into that change of arrangements that was agreed and in place.

[choudhary58]

I have contacted UC and they are not willing to discuss anything and told me to contact the tenant for any rent arreras. I have explained them few times that she is in arrears over three months now but they are not taking any acions.

[Carryon Regardless]

Other benefits I have no understanding of.

I may have missed it,

have you written to the local HB and stated, with a statement as evidence, that the T is more than 8 weeks in arrear?

You should request that future payments are directed to your bank account, provide details.

If nowt else HB should cease to the T while they investigate.

 

 

[Richlist]

How can you be 100% certain that she is currently receiving UC or are you making assumptions based on past knowledge & experience of dealing with her ? Situations can change, quite rapidly. I can imagine a scenario where she is no longer in receipt of UC but the Gov' are not at liberty to discuss a change in her personal circumstances with you. Remember, you're a landlord, that usually means you are entitled to very little information about anything of any importance.   😉😉

[Carryon Regardless]

V true RL, if they aren't in receipt of benefit a LL can't claim it.

My point is that a letter to HB just might gain a result. My letters to HB have been sent as a default, and I prefer not to waste my time on the phone to any benefit agencies and the like.

T's have often cited issues with their benefits as a reason for non payment. I've learned not to get involved. It's for them and the G'tors to resolve such, I still want the rent payments regardless. We accept payments on their behalf that doesn't make us responsible for resolving issues that the agency would be reluctant to talk to us about anyway.

[Richlist]

Yes CoR I agree entirely, my comments were directed at the OP, not yourself. A letter to the benefits people is a good idea and might well provide an answer.

[choudhary58]

Thank you will do that.