If you have a tenant that is claiming or needs to claim Universal Credit you can help and support them along the way.
If you’re a private or social sector landlord you can:
- consider how Universal Credit may impact your business
- consider how you might need to adapt any policies or processes
- engage with your tenants early to identify any support needs making sure they understand they need to make rent payments
Landlords can help tenants to get ready for Universal Credit by encouraging them to:
- go online and set up an email account
- open a bank account to receive their Universal Credit payments
- know how much their rent and eligible service charges are (including rent-free weeks) and who their landlord is set up Direct Debits for housing costs
- claim Universal Credit as soon as possible to reduce the risk of their rent payments being delayed
The government website contains helpful information for landlords.
You can find out more on Universal Credit on the GOV.UK website.