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<p>In December 2017, and as announced as part of the budget measures, we made changes
to the guidance to ensure that when Private Sector Housing Benefit claimants move
on to Universal Credit, we know whether they had their rent paid directly to their
landlord previously, and why. This allows our work coaches to determine whether a
managed payment to the landlord for the Universal Credit claim may need to be applied
too, and will prompt a conversation with the claimant.</p><p> </p><p>We changed the
process following a request for an Alternative Payment Arrangement (APA) for Managed
Payments to Landlords from Private Rented Sector Landlords. This means that following
a landlord’s request for a Managed Payment to Landlord, the claimant has seven days
to provide proof that the rent arrears do not exist, or give a good reason why the
Managed Payment should not be put in place. If the claimant does not take action,
then the landlord’s application will be approved and we will inform the landlord of
the final decision of the APA request. The change in process has considerably simplified
and sped up the APA request for landlords. We have retained a safeguard for the claimant
to challenge the APA request e.g. where the claimant is in dispute with the landlord.</p>
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