DWP Aligns Universal Credit Housing Payments Following Court Ruling

DWP RENT PAYMENTS - Universal Credit systems will be changed so that social landlords receive direct rent payments on the same day that tenants are paid the rest of their benefits from next month, the government has announced.

Tenants struggling with paying their rent can have payments paid direct to their landlord. These direct payments known as an alternative payment are paid on a four-weekly cycle, while the claimants living amount is paid monthly.  

A new “payment alignment feature” will mean the direct rent payments switch to a monthly cycle coinciding with people’s Universal Credit payment dates, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said.

Welfare delivery minister Will Quince said the feature “will help reduce time spent on administration by landlords”.

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