War of words over rent issues

MSP calls for ‘more understanding’

A war of words has broken out over the thorny issue of council rent arrears.

Motherwell and Wishaw MSP Clare Adamson called on North Lanarkshire Council to show more understanding to tenants facing arrears due to the roll-out of Universal Credit by the UK Government.

Ms Adamson, who convenes Holyrood’s Social Security Committee, has written to NLC chief executive Paul Jukes to ask the local authority to give tenants more time following last month’s National Audit Office report which concluded that issues with the roll-out of Universal Credit have caused financial hardship for claimants.

The MSP said: “A number of constituents have contacted me after receiving eviction threats from North Lanarkshire Council due to arrears accrued through no fault of their own, even where they have explained their situation to the council.

“I have asked that the council shows some understanding to my constituents who are facing these circumstances, some of whom may have not received any benefit payments for up to eight weeks.

“It is unforgivable that the UK Government have put people in this situation and for the local council to then add to that stress by issuing threatening letters regarding arrears could well make an extremely upsetting situation even worse.”

In her letter to Mr Jukes, Ms Adamson said that although the council are not at fault in the delays to Universal Credit payments, NLC must do their part to ensure that those suffering under the roll-out of Universal Credit are treated with dignity and respect.

In response, the council’s enterprise and housing convener Allan Graham said:“we are absolutely sympathetic towards tenants and work with them to make suitable arrangements, taking into account their individual circumstances.

“The management and recovery of rent arrears is a significant area of operation within our service and we are aware that there have been delays with payments by the Department of Work and Pensions.

“However, where no payments are being received or tenants do not engage with our housing services, or maintain repayment arrangements, North Lanarkshire Council have no alternative but to proceed with arrears action.

“We provide a significant amount of assistance to support tenants and low-income families facing challenges with the benefit system, as the transition to the Universal Credit system can be complex for some claimants.

“In fact, I would urge the key decision makers to re-consider reinstating rent payments direct by default to landlords to assist the payment process.

“We have a dedicated ‘income maximisation’ team in place to support tenants on Universal Credit with a specific focus on prevention measures and early intervention, such as carrying out financial assessments to identify any financial entitlements.

“We take great steps to provide practical assistance.”