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Home > Conferences > Preparing for the challenges of Universal Credit in social housing

Preparing for the challenges of Universal Credit in social housing

Supporting tenants to take on new responsibilities and improve their money management

Date: Thursday 10th May 2012

Context

2013 will see the biggest changes to the welfare system that have been experienced in a generation. The introduction of Universal Credit in particular poses a significant challenge to social landlords, placing new pressures and responsibilities on tenants through direct payment of housing costs, and threatening a rise in rent arrears.

• How will Universal Credit and direct payment of housing costs work in practice?
• What are the overall risks to social landlords’ rental income?
• Which tenants are most at risk of rent arrears under the new system?
• How can social landlords identify and respond to those at risk at an early stage?
• What are the options for support and enforcement?
• How can tenants be helped in the longer term towards greater financial well-being and responsibility?

 

This timely conference - bringing together leading policy makers, experts in the field and senior housing practitioners - will address these pressing questions and help your organisation prepare for the changes ahead.

 

Contributors

OVERVIEW OF WELFARE CHANGES AND IMPLICATIONS FOR SOCIAL LANDLORDS

• Andrew Parfitt, Head, Housing Policy Division, Department for Work and Pensions, provides an overview of the new welfare system and how Housing Benefit will be integrated into Universal Credit, the work of direct payments demonstration projects, and how new rules and systems for Housing Benefit will work from the claimant’s perspective
• Ken Youngman, Director of Finance, and Vivian Davies, Head of Collection and Credit Control, Family Mosaic, on the organisation's preparation for Universal Credit and its involvement in a direct payment pilot, safeguards to help secure income, and the support needed by tenants to manage their finances effectively

 

LEGAL PERSPECTIVES: DEALING WITH NON-PAYERS

• Professor Caroline Hunter, Professor of Law, York University, on the potential risks and challenges involved in taking legal enforcement action for non-payment of rent under the new system

 

 TENANT PROFILING AND BANKING PRODUCTS

• Matt Earnshaw, Group Financial Inclusion Manager, Circle Housing Group, on findings from tenant profiling on financial inclusion and likely implications in the light of welfare reform, including the need for some people to have a bank account for the first time
• Ant Warrington, Director for Halifax & Bank of Scotland Current Accounts, on how the bank is preparing for Universal Credit and the range of banking products that might be suitable for claimants who are moving onto direct payments 

 

GOOD PRACTICE – SUPPPORTING TENANTS AND IMPROVING  MONEY MANAGEMENT

• Jahanara Hussain, Financial Inclusion Programme Manager, Hyde Plus, on best practice in providing debt advice to tenants and how it offers social landlords value for money, and how debt advice will feature in the organisation’s preparations for Universal Credit
• Rhian Hughes, Financial Inclusion Champion for North Wales, and Nicky Thomas, Financial Inclusion Officer, North Wales Housing, on the My Home DVD project and new ways of engaging and informing tenants about money management

 

EXPERT FACILITATION

• Gerard Lemos, partner at Lemos&Crane and chair of the Money Advice Service

 

Who should attend

• Housing directors and managers
• Operations directors
• Heads of tenancy support
• Heads of tenancy enforcement
• Income mangers
• Welfare advisers and officers
• Heads of financial inclusion
• Heads of customer services

 

Benefits of attending

• Latest information on the implementation of Universal Credit and direct payments of housing costs
• Expert analysis of the implications of changes to the welfare  system on social landlords’ income
• Learn how other social landlords are preparing for Universal Credit and supporting tenants through change
• Develop approaches for profiling tenants at risk of rent arrears under the new system and options for support and enforcement
• Get ideas and inspiration from best practice examples of financial inclusion - including debt advice, engaging and communicating with tenants, and providing early intervention and support
• Network with senior representatives from other social landlords.

 

 

Programme

9.15        Registration

10.00     Session 1: OVERVIEW OF WELFARE CHANGES AND IMPLICATIONS FOR SOCIAL LANDLORDS

•  Andrew Parfitt, Head, Housing Policy Division, Department for Work and Pensions, provides an overview of the new welfare system and how Housing Benefit will be integrated into Universal Credit, the work of direct payments demonstration projects, and how new rules and systems for Housing Benefit will work from the claimant’s perspective
• Ken Youngman, Director of Finance, and Vivian Davies, Head of Collection and Credit Control, Family Mosaic, on the organisation's preparation for Universal Credit and its involvement in a direct payment pilot, safeguards to help secure income, and the support needed by tenants to manage their finances effectively

 

11.35     Refreshments

11.50     Session 2: LEGAL PERSPECTIVES: DEALING WITH NON-PAYERS

• Professor Caroline Hunter, Professor of Law, York University, on the potential risks and challenges involved in taking legal enforcement action for non-payment of rent under the new system

 

12.30     Session 3: TENANT PROFILING AND BANKING PRODUCTS

• Matt Earnshaw, Group Financial Inclusion Manager, Circle Housing Group, on findings from tenant profiling on financial inclusion and likely implications in the light of welfare reform, including the need for some people to have a bank account for the first time
• Ant Warrington, Director for Halifax & Bank of Scotland Current Accounts, on how the bank is preparing for Universal Credit and the range of banking products that might be suitable for claimants who are moving onto direct payments  

 

1.15        Lunch

2.00        Session 4: GOOD PRACTICE – SUPPPORTING TENANTS AND IMPROVING  MONEY MANAGEMENT

• Jahanara Hussain, Financial Inclusion Programme Manager, Hyde Plus, on best practice in providing debt advice to tenants and how it offers social landlords value for money, and how debt advice will feature in the organisation’s preparations for Universal Credit
• Rhian Hughes, Financial Inclusion Champion for North Wales, and Nicky Thomas, Financial Inclusion Officer, North Wales Housing, on the My Home DVD project and new ways of engaging and informing tenants about money management

 

3.30       Session 5: PRIORITIES FOR ACTION

• Discussion involving delegates

 

4.15        Close

Who attended?