Should housing benefit always be paid directly to landlords instead of tenants?
Housing benefit for the small number of remaining claimants and the housing element of Universal Credit for most private renters is normally paid to the tenant, who is then responsible for paying the landlord. Direct payment to the landlord is available only as an exception in cases of significant rent arrears (usually eight weeks for legacy housing benefit or two months for Universal Credit) or demonstrated tenant vulnerability. The policy aims to promote tenant responsibility while protecting landlords from losses in high-risk cases.
4 Opinions
For Landlords, they know they have the rent money, which is a worry out of the way. The tenant/s then know how much they have for necessities, food, etc. and are also less worried as they know their rent is paid.
Paying landlords direct makes it more expensive to administer, so no. Abusing claimed benefits (not using them for their intended use) should be classed as benefit fraud and result in loss of said benefit. People need to take personal responsibility and be held to account if they fail.
Voted no, housing benefits should be scrapped. The only results of £12.9 billion, annually paid benefits are increased rents.
Seems sensible to me.