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Sutton Housing Partnership
STRONGER TOGETHERON
WELFARE REFORM
Cliff Haynes - Head of Income
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SuttonHousingParfnesshrp
Sutton Housing Partnership
• London Borough of Sutton
• ALMO - 2006
• 6150 tenants - 1400 leaseholders
• Relatively small• Partnerships and team working
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Welfare Reforms
•Under Occupation
•Benefit Cap
•Universal Credit
The Perfect Storm ?
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What Area's Covered
• Welfare Reforms - the background and aims
• Summary of the key changes
• Impact on our residents
• How SHP prepared for the changes
• Workshops - What works well?
• Feedback
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Background and Aims
• Simplify the benefit system
• End the poverty trap
• Change behaviour - benefit dependency
• Slash cost of Welfare Benefits
Sounds sensible and reasonable....but the reality!
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Housing Sector Response
Our initial response
Or in the famous words of
John McEnroe
You cannot be SERIOUS !!!
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Under Occupation
• Impact for our tenants
• One bed - 370 homes - £ 15.00 per week
• Two bed - 90 homes - £27.50 per week
• In total SHP tenants will loose £401,250 per year
• What will the impact be on the local economy ?
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Options for Tenants
• Find employment
• Move to a smaller home
• Take in a lodger
• Take in a non dependant family member
OR
• Pay the rent shortfall from other benefits
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What are we doing?
• Communication - talking with tenants
• Communication - supporting tenants
• Communication - working with tenants
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Communicating with Tenants
Personal letters
Telephone call's
Face to face
Homefront
magazine/flyers
Website
Fact Sheets
Supporting Tenants
•Homeswap Events
•Financial
assistance or
incentives
•Training
•Credit Union
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2 BEDROOMS
LOOKING FOR 2
BEDROOMS
2
BFDROOMS
LOOKING FOR
2 BEDROOMS
1 BEDROOM 1 BEDROOMLOOKING FOR 1 LOOKING FOR
2 BEDROOMS 2 BEDROOMS
Working with Tenants
•Sutton Tenants' Federation
•Resident Association
Networking Group
•Community Events
•Dedicated staff support
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Benefit Cap
• Between £350 or £500
• Introduced during July - September 2013
• For SHP tenants only 23 affected• Biggest impact in Central London and private
sector
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What are we doing?
• Communication - talking with tenants
• Communication - supporting tenants
• Communication - working with tenants
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Housing Benefit, Income Support, Income-related Employment andSupport Allowance (ESA),
Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, Working Tax Credit &Child Tax Credit.
All repl
!!! UNIVERS
■
UC - Simplify the System
Single online application form WHO ?
Universal Credit linked to tax system
Claimants should always be better off '
when income increases -
SuttonHousingPartnership
Universal Credit - Issues
New IT system
• Access for tenants to internet
Support from Landlords, councils,
CAB, Job Centre Plus
HB departments will disappear over time
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Universal Credit - Issues
Universal Credit - paid direct to claimants
Universal Credit - paid monthly in arrears
Payment direct to landlord for vulnerable
tenants or those in high arrears
Universal Credit - Problems
• Banking and Budgeting
• Affect of Benefit Cap & Under Occupation
• Temptation
• Monitoring and support
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The Unplanned Outcomes
Rent Arrears
• Court Action - evictions
Increased workload/staffing
jf
§4sac <sfr
Stress/worry for tenants and staff
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What we are doing?
• Arrears IT and procedures
• Incentives Direct Debits / Standing Orders
• Budgeting Accounts
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What we are doing
• Credit Union and pre paid cards
• Budgeting & debt advice
• Access to IT training and facilities
• Careers Fairs
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Building Lives
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Credit Unions
Universal Credit Benefit Payments received by Credit
Union
Use Pre-Paid Card to
Spend in shops.
Online and at ATM's
\Remaining monies
issued via Visa pr
epaid card
N
Rent Seuired and
automatically1 sent off
to HousingProvider
Loans payments
made and some
Savings set aside?
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Sutton Housing Partnership
Any Questions ?
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For Discussion
1. How can we best work with residents about the changes and
what help is available?
2. What support will tenants need to manage these changes for
example banking, budgeting, moving home, finding
employment?
3. How are you currently involved as a tenant?
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Workshops
Feedback
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