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Original poster

Do UC contact your landlord?

21 replies

worried91 · 14/04/2022 20:31

Posting on behalf of a friend-
She's currently putting in her first UC claim, she private rents and even though she won't qualify for help with rent they are asking for her landlords details.
Does anyone know if they will contact her LL to say she's put the claim in? She doesn't want to tell her LL about all her financial details but also doesn't have the landlords address to fill in the calculation?

OP posts:

babywalker56 · 14/04/2022 20:36

How strange. I’ve never known UC to contact someone’s Landlord however I may be wrong and someone will come along to correct me

Naameechaangee · 14/04/2022 20:38

Yes in my experience they do, to confirm the amount of rent you pay. Other wise people can just lie and say they pay double so they get more from UC.

MaryAndHerNet · 14/04/2022 20:38

I don't know about private, but they contact my social housing landlord every time I make a change.

Naameechaangee · 14/04/2022 20:39

Oh just seen she won't get help with rent. Then I have no idea sorry!

Angelbaby1985 · 14/04/2022 20:43

It will be so they can find out how much rent she is paying , so they can work out how much she can claim on uc

Original poster

worried91 · 14/04/2022 21:08

Ah ok I suppose that makes sense about the amount she is paying.
She's embarrassed about them contacting her as it was a private arrangement and they know each other socially so she's isn't keen on her knowing her financial situation has changed.

OP posts:

MoonBat · 14/04/2022 21:19

They asked for my landlord's details but I don't know if they ever contacted him.

TerraNovaTwo · 14/04/2022 21:25

They ask for LL details, to see a copy of the lease agreement as well as how much your is. From what I understand they do not contact LL.

babywalker56 · 14/04/2022 21:56

Yes I agree with the last comment.

I private rent and remember UC asked for my Landlord’s details and a copy of the tenancy agreement which confirmed my rent was £1200. They never contacted the Landlord though

Comefromaway · 14/04/2022 22:04

but also doesn't have the landlords address to fill in the calculation?

By law her Landlord’s address has to be on the tenancy agreement.

MissMaple82 · 14/04/2022 22:13

Yes they need landlords address, its part and parcel of the UC claim, some months she may well get housing element. Its really not the place to be worried about saving face when claiming benefits. The landlord won't care one jot as long as they are getting paid

Babyroobs · 14/04/2022 22:56

Not sure what you mean about she wont qualify for help with rent ? Everyone on Uc who has rent to pay will get a rent element on their claim which is added to other elements. Earnings then reduce the whole award.
On the Uc application, you have to give landlords name and contact details and send in a copy of the tenancy agreement. I'm not sure whether they contact the landlord, I can't see why they would need to unless they had suspicions about the tenancy agreement.

Babyroobs · 14/04/2022 22:56

@MissMaple82

She will get housing element every month if she has rent to pay ?

Babyroobs · 14/04/2022 22:58

@worried91

Ah ok I suppose that makes sense about the amount she is paying. She's embarrassed about them contacting her as it was a private arrangement and they know each other socially so she's isn't keen on her knowing her financial situation has changed.

Does she have a proper tenancy agreement ? If not then she will not get help with rent without it.

Fluffmonkey82 · 14/04/2022 22:58

They will require her landlord's details but will not contact them directly.

oviraptor21 · 14/04/2022 23:13

Private rented sector landlords
DWP does not have legislation to allow us to inform Private Rented Sector landlords that their tenant has made a claim to Universal Credit.

From www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-and-rented-housing--2/universal-credit-and-rented-housing-guide-for-landlords para 4.2

oviraptor21 · 14/04/2022 23:14

Does she have a proper tenancy agreement ? If not then she will not get help with rent without it.

This is not true. There are other mechanisms by which a claimant can show they are paying rent. See the link I quoted above.

Babyroobs · 14/04/2022 23:26

@worried91

Ah ok I suppose that makes sense about the amount she is paying. She's embarrassed about them contacting her as it was a private arrangement and they know each other socially so she's isn't keen on her knowing her financial situation has changed.

What exactly do you mean by a private arrangement ? Does the friend declare that she is a landlord for tax purposes ?

Alwayscheerful · 15/04/2022 11:05

Yrs universal Credit contact the contact the landlord any time there is a change or in April in a similar way that the cpu cop d.
They send a standard form out for the landlord to complete electronically.

Alwayscheerful · 15/04/2022 11:58

That should say In a similar way that housing benefits/ council contact landlords.
Social landlords have a dedicated universal credits portal in the same way that tenants use their journal to update changes.

oviraptor21 · 18/04/2022 17:42

@Alwayscheerful

Yrs universal Credit contact the contact the landlord any time there is a change or in April in a similar way that the cpu cop d. They send a standard form out for the landlord to complete electronically.

If this is a private tenancy then UC have no powers to contact the landlord. If the tenant wants the rent paid direct to landlord then the tenant can give permission.

Social landlords do have a portal.

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