Agenda item

A report of the Head of Landlord Services.

The Head of Landlord Services submitted a report for the Board to consider

performance at the end of Quarter 2, 2021-2022, April to June 2021. (Item 8 on the agenda).

The Landlord Services Manager attended the meeting to assist with the discussion of this item.

Councillor Draycott noted the rise in ASB incidents reported on the Bell Foundry Estate from Quarter 2 2021/22 to Quarter 3 2021/22 and enquired as to the reasons behind it.

The Head of Landlord Services suggested that within the data there could be cases where many residents were reporting the same incident to the Council.

The Head of Landlord Services remarked the Council had obtained two closure orders at the location in the last few weeks.

Action: Head of Landlord Services to produce a breakdown of ASB reports.

With regard to a further query about ASB incidents the head of Landlord Services posited that there may be more reports of ASB where residents were living in close proximity to each other in areas where there were a lot of flats.

In response to a query regarding how the Council approached rent arrears for tenants on Universal Credit the head of Landlord Services explained that the Council tried to intervene as early as possible and there was a dedicated Universal Credit Officer and Tenancy Support Officers to help tenants claim if needed.  It was further clarified that enforcement ran in parallel with support.

The Cabinet Lead Member for Public Housing added that it was in the interest of the council to be compassionate to those on Universal Credit who were in rent arears as the Council needed to avoid tenants becoming homeless.

The Landlord Services Manager further explained that in cases of rent arrears an Income Officer would visit a property following the second letter issued.  If the officer knew the tenant and their historical pattern of payment, they may intervene earlier.

The Board drew attention to the number of tenants in arears on Universal Credit compared to those not on Universal Credit.  The Landlord Services Manager noted that whilst the balance of those in arears on Universal Credit was higher and was increasing, this was due to more tenants going on to Universal Credit and the balance of those on Universal Credit was not increasing by as much as it had previously.

The Board raised the issue that it was the responsibility of a Universal Credit claimant to arrange direct payment of rent from Universal Credit payments and this was often unfamiliar to claimant as they did not have the experience of the system which could lead to the claimant being in rent arrears.

The Landlord Services Manager further explained that the ability of the Council to intervene on rent arrears to get payments made directly from Universal Credit was limited by criteria based on the vulnerability of the tenant.  If a tenant was in eight weeks or more of arrears, direct payment from Universal Credit could be requested.  All arrangements were temporary and subject to periodic review and at any time the Department for Work and Pensions could return the payments of Universal Credit to the claimant.

The Board raised the issue that some vulnerable tenants may not appear vulnerable

RESOLVED that the report be noted.

Reason

To acknowledge the Board’s consideration of the matter.