Department for Work and Pensions written question – answered at on 28 March 2019.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent estimate she has made of the number of universal credit claimants in (a) Cardiff South and Penarth, (b) the Vale of Glamorgan and (c) Wales who have (ii) had their housing benefit stopped without notice and (ii) are in rent arrears.
Local Authorities have a duty to notify changes to a Housing Benefit award. Therefore, if a Housing Benefit claim ends because of a move to Universal Credit, the claimant is notified that the Housing Benefit claim has ended.
However, we know that many tenants are arriving on Universal Credit with pre-existing rent arrears, that their arrears tended to increase prior to making a claim for Universal Credit, and that Universal Credit actually appears to be helping to clear arrears over time. According to latest figures (November 2018) only about 8% of social rented households were on Universal Credit.
Yes0 people think so
No0 people think not
Would you like to ask a question like this yourself? Use our Freedom of Information site.