Sutton Housing Partnership STRONGER TOGETHER ON WELFARE REFORM Cliff Haynes - Head of Income E Part...

Sutton Housing Partnership

STRONGER TOGETHERON

WELFARE REFORM

Cliff Haynes - Head of Income

E Part

SuttonHousingParfnesshrp


• London Borough of Sutton

• ALMO - 2006

• 6150 tenants - 1400 leaseholders

• Relatively small• Partnerships and team working

R PartSuttonHousingPartnership

Welfare Reforms

•Under Occupation

•Benefit Cap

•Universal Credit

The Perfect Storm ?


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


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!

>,I Part

SuttonHousingPartnership

Housing Sector Response

Our initial response

Or in the famous words of

John McEnroe

You cannot be SERIOUS !!!


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 ?


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


What are we doing?

• Communication - talking with tenants

• Communication - supporting tenants

• Communication - working with tenants


Communicating with Tenants

Personal letters

Telephone call's

Face to face

Homefront

magazine/flyers

Website

Facebook

Fact Sheets

Supporting Tenants

•Homeswap Events

•Financial

assistance or

incentives

•Training

•Credit Union


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


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

>,I Part


What are we doing?

• Communication - talking with tenants

• Communication - supporting tenants

• Communication - working with tenants

K PartSuttonHousingPartnership

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 -


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

>R Part


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

>,I Part


The Unplanned Outcomes

Rent Arrears

• Court Action - evictions

Increased workload/staffing

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Stress/worry for tenants and staff


What we are doing?

• Arrears IT and procedures

• Incentives Direct Debits / Standing Orders

• Budgeting Accounts


What we are doing

• Credit Union and pre paid cards

• Budgeting & debt advice

• Access to IT training and facilities

• Careers Fairs

%R Part


Building Lives


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?



Any Questions ?


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?

>R Part


Workshops

Feedback


Sutton Housing Partnership STRONGER TOGETHER ON WELFARE REFORM Cliff Haynes - Head of Income E Part...

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