I have had to claim Universal Credit.

Shadowsonthehills

I am in social housing and opted to have the rent paid direct to landlord, but now I find there is a shortfall of a week that they want before April.
This is something to do with the landlord's system of collection as I paid weekly previously but now they get it monthly but it doesn't fit the system so all those on UC will be paying out of their personal allowance of what the law says they need to live on, the system throws up an extra week every five years, I don't want to get in debt and I don't think I should pay it, any advice welcome.

How come mine has the extra week on already? Do they take it in advance?
Have spoken a few times to rent officer.

Will have to mither rent woman again if no one has a solution but she sounded like she'd had enough of me last time I contacted her.

Brie

Most LLs are aware that this will cause a strain on individuals' financial resources and so are willing to allow people to catch up over a number of months.  But as I understand it they shouldn't be asking for anything extra until someone is in arrears.  So are you already in arrears with your rent?  

KxMx

April 2024-April 2025 is a 53 week rent year (due to there being 53 Mondays).

Universal Credit pay 52 weeks rent.

It is down to the tenant to pay the shortfall. 

You can ask LL about a payment arrangement, paying a bit more per week until that extra week is paid off (before April '25).

If payment would cause you financial hardship you can apply for a Discretionary Housing Payment 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/claiming-discretionary-housing-payments/claiming-discretionary-housing-payments

Shadowsonthehills

Brie said:

Most LLs are aware that this will cause a strain on individuals' financial resources and so are willing to allow people to catch up over a number of months.  But as I understand it they shouldn't be asking for anything extra until someone is in arrears.  So are you already in arrears with your rent?  

No, no arrears at all. 

Shadowsonthehills

KxMx said:

April 2024-April 2025 is a 53 week rent year (due to there being 53 Mondays).

Universal Credit pay 52 weeks rent.

It is down to the tenant to pay the shortfall. 

You can ask LL about a payment arrangement, paying a bit more per week until that extra week is paid off (before April '25).

If payment would cause you financial hardship you can apply for a Discretionary Housing Payment 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/claiming-discretionary-housing-payments/claiming-discretionary-housing-payments

I don't think it is a point of it causing me any hardship, it is eight days money for me, for the landlord if I withhold the week then all they have is a slight disruption to the rent account and a 0.001 percentage drop in profits.  

If UC are paying my personal allowance monthly then they should do the same for the landlords rent.

Imagine if my rent officer's wage was short by about five hundred pounds once every four or five years and she just had to accept that that's the way it is due to how they only pay out from a Monday.

Brie

Shadowsonthehills said:

Brie said:

Most LLs are aware that this will cause a strain on individuals' financial resources and so are willing to allow people to catch up over a number of months.  But as I understand it they shouldn't be asking for anything extra until someone is in arrears.  So are you already in arrears with your rent?  

No, no arrears at all. 

I suggest you go back to the LL and say "I can't pay that amount even over the next 3 months but what I can do is pay it over 6" or whatever time frame won't cause you hardship/strain.  

KxMx

Shadowsonthehills said:

KxMx said:

April 2024-April 2025 is a 53 week rent year (due to there being 53 Mondays).

Universal Credit pay 52 weeks rent.

It is down to the tenant to pay the shortfall. 

You can ask LL about a payment arrangement, paying a bit more per week until that extra week is paid off (before April '25).

If payment would cause you financial hardship you can apply for a Discretionary Housing Payment 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/claiming-discretionary-housing-payments/claiming-discretionary-housing-payments

I don't think it is a point of it causing me any hardship, it is eight days money for me, for the landlord if I withhold the week then all they have is a slight disruption to the rent account and a 0.001 percentage drop in profits.  

If UC are paying my personal allowance monthly then they should do the same for the landlords rent.

Imagine if my rent officer's wage was short by about five hundred pounds once every four or five years and she just had to accept that that's the way it is due to how they only pay out from a Monday.

Take it up with your MP and/or Liz Kendall. The system is working as designed, they are the ones who can change it. 

ian1246

OP - is there any reason you can't get a part-time job and supplement the missing weeks rent with your own income? 

Frankly this thread is probably a good example of whats wrong with universal credit... you are quite literally complaining that the government has only paid for 98.113% of your rent rather than 100%... and rather than figuring out how to make up the difference and exercising personal responsibility, are talking about breaking your legal contract and withholding rent from the landlord.

Frankly it comes across as very entitled. The majority of people have to pay for 100%  of their own housing costs.

I'd also point out the difference in your example of the housing officer "missing £500" of wage and your "missing rent" is they work for their wage... so absolutely would have valid grounds to complain, not factoring in that salaried jobs generally pay the same every year regardless of whether there arev52 or 53 Mondays in the year...

poppy12345

If UC usually covers the whole of your rent then you are very fortunate. For those that privately rent the shortfall of help with the rent is mostly much larger due to the rental charges being so much higher than social/council housing.

The shortfall for me this year is £10/month. If I was still living in my previous privately rented property the shortfall would be £152/month. I’m very thankful that I do not have to pay all of that extra money. 

Shadowsonthehills

ian1246 said:

OP - is there any reason you can't get a part-time job and supplement the missing weeks rent with your own income? 

Frankly this thread is probably a good example of whats wrong with universal credit... you are quite literally complaining that the government has only paid for 98.113% of your rent rather than 100%... and rather than figuring out how to make up the difference and exercising personal responsibility, are talking about breaking your legal contract and withholding rent from the landlord.

Frankly it comes across as very entitled. The majority of people have to pay for 100%  of their own housing costs.

I'd also point out the difference in your example of the housing officer "missing £500" of wage and your "missing rent" is they work for their wage... so absolutely would have valid grounds to complain, not factoring in that salaried jobs generally pay the same every year regardless of whether there arev52 or 53 Mondays in the year...

It's not entitled at all, they have had regular rent payments off me for fifteen years, I don't think I have been getting value for money for those payments either.

Think about it, when I have been away from the flat or been ill off work and lost days then they still expect paying. 

The problem with getting a job or correct benefit when you become ill is that the GPs are very reluctant to accept your conditions, at all costs they do not want people on the sick of working age, they do not want people on waiting lists either. ( and getting recognition is an essential for a base to work from) You work and pay taxes not only on wages but on things we buy, one reason you pay taxes so that the benefit system can catch you when something like this occurs, so I have also worked for this and paid taxes.

I used to get laughed at when I kept saying to my children that when they are older they will be working full time and having to claim benefit to cover housing and that is exactly what is happening, a subsidy for employers that goes straight to landlords.

Shadowsonthehills

poppy12345 said:

If UC usually covers the whole of your rent then you are very fortunate. For those that privately rent the shortfall of help with the rent is mostly much larger due to the rental charges being so much higher than social/council housing.

The shortfall for me this year is £10/month. If I was still living in my previous privately rented property the shortfall would be £152/month. I’m very thankful that I do not have to pay all of that extra money. 

In some jobs I have had with irregular hours the rent has taken all my wage, you see I am thinking if I don't challenge this the extra week could turn into months eventually.