UC migration

naynay123

Can someone help, I thought hb run on for 2 weeks, yet my housing benefit was due today and the 2 weeks ends tomorrow. The housing benefit didn't go in and was told it's closed as I migrated over. Won't get UC until October. So who is supposed to pay the rent for the next 3 weeks and do they give this back to me in my 1st payment? Total of 4 weeks rent. As whole point of my getting housing benefit was because I can't afford to pay full rent. I'm so confused. Already lost 5 weeks of tax credits money and now will be in rent arrears by a whole month. Just wondering if they backdated this money

HillStreetBlues

It's the council that pays the 2 week run-on. If you claimed UC on the 3rd HB suppose to run until the 17th.
If that's what happened and council refused to pay raise a complaint.
You can ask for an advance with UC if that helps.

Newcad

UC will pay Housing Element back to the start of the UC claim, but like HB is paid in arrears UC it is also paid in arrears.

You should also get the 2-week run on of HB, so in fact for those 2-weeks you get both HB and UC-HE - and you don't have to pay either back.

If you haven't got the HB run-on yet then ask your council why not, ask specifically about "the 2-week UC run-on".

And yes, UC is paid in arrears whilst landlords want rent paying in advance.
So to avoid always being in rent arrears you have to lessen those arrears, so that when you get your UC you can pay the rent a month in advance.
If you are in a Social Rental then talk to you council/Housing Association and they will let you do that by paying a bit extra each month for a year or two to lessen the arrears each month until they are gone.
As long as you talk to them and come to such an arrangement then they are not going to nag about constantly being in arrears.
I do understand that paying a bit extra may sound difficult to manage, but it can be done. I know it can because I have done it myself after I moved to UC a couple of years ago and started paying the rent myself rather than my HB going direct to my Housing Association.
I agreed to pay just £18 a month (£4.15 a week) extra for a couple of years to get rid of the arrears, and now when I get my UC-HE it can always pay my rent for the next 5 weeks in advance.
(5-weeks because my rent is due weekly on a Monday, and sometimes there a 5 Mondays in a month).