Updated Universal Credit guidance for landlords and agents

On 30 December 2019 new guidance was published for alternative payment arrangements and service charges for landlords, with the Universal Credit (UC) and Rented Housing: Guide for Landlords updated to include links to the UC Credit Landlords Portal.

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The information is to help landlords understand what they can do to help their tenants prepare for:

  • their move to the single UC benefit payment
  • making payments of their housing costs (rent) direct to their landlord themselves

Alternative payment arrangements provide UC claimants who cannot manage their single monthly payment and pay their landlord themselves. Claimants will have an online UC account to manage their claim, use it to report changes, send messages to their work coach and find support.

Service charges — guidance for landlords

Universal Credit regulations for service charges fall into two distinct segments:

  • a legal definition of what is meant by a service charge for the purposes of UC
  • broad definitions of the four eligible service charge categories, with some additional specific exclusion criteria

Help for members

FS Money saving house.jpg
09 Nov 2017
Fact sheet: Universal Credit and private rented housing

Universal Credit is a new benefit brought in via the Welfare Reform Act 2012 to support people who are on low incomes or out of work. It is managed by the Department for Work and Pensions.

FS Blue house in hands.jpg
09 Nov 2017
Fact sheet: Universal Credit and private rented housing (Scotland)

Universal Credit is a new benefit brought in via the Welfare Reform Act 2012 to support people who are on low incomes or out of work. It is managed by the Department for Work and Pensions.