Issue - meetings

(a)       That the latest financial position for 2022/23 rent collections be noted;

(b)       That the Committee support the ongoing work to manage the impacts that welfare reform has, and will continue to have, on some of the most vulnerable residents along with implementing support via Welsh Government support measures to mitigate the cost of living crisis; and

(c)        That the Chair, on behalf of the Committee, write to the Department for Work and Pensions to seek their agreement to share information with the Local Authority on which tenants received Universal Credit, to allow for appropriate assistance/support to be provided for any tenants falling into arrears.

The Chief Officer (Housing & Assets) introduced an operational update on the latest welfare reform response impacts and current levels of 2022/23 housing rent arrears.  The report provided an update on the impacts that welfare reforms continued to have on residents and the work that was ongoing to mitigate many of the challenges and to support households through the cost-of-living crisis. 

The Service Manager - Housing Welfare and Communities provided a detailed update on the latest position for welfare reform and cost-of-living crisis mitigation, outlining a range of measures that had been developed to help those affected by the cost-of-living and the support provided to residents to help mitigate the negative impacts.  A further update was provided on each of the following areas, as outlined in the report:-

• Spare Room Subsidy
• Benefit Cap
• Cost of Living Support Scheme
• Unpaid Carers
• Winter Fuel Support Scheme
• Welfare Support
• Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP’s)

The Service Manager - Revenues and Procurement provided a detailed update on the latest position of rent arrears, advising that the collect of rent continued to remain challenging with the rise of cost-of-living and the impacts on some tenant’s ability to pay.  The Rent Income service had experienced increased workloads with a 1.2% increase in cases where tenants needed to be contacted and the service continued to signpost tenants with referrals to specialist teams across the Council, including Supporting People and Welfare Response teams. 

The Service Manager - Revenues and Procurement highlighted the current level of rent arrears and number of evictions for rent arrears, as detailed within the report.  The challenge for collection of rent from those tenants in receipt of universal credit continued to present a risk to the Council with more tenants migrating across to universal credit and the delays experienced with putting management payment arrangement for some tenants where the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) deduct rent payment as source.

As part of the Councils ongoing response to mitigate the impacts on tenants and ensure the long-term financial stability of the Housing Revenue Account, in 2021 Audit Wales undertook a comprehensive review to assess the effectiveness of the Council in supporting tenants.  The Audit Wales review acknowledged the proactive measures already taken by the Council in supporting tenants and stabilising rent collections during a period of unprecedented change, especially with the rollout of Universal Credit and the impacts of the pandemic.

Councillor Rosetta Dolphin thanked the officers for the report and welcomed that there had been only 1 eviction, which she felt avoided causing further pressure on the homelessness service.  She referred to the table showing the banded arrears for 2022/23 commenting on the different levels of rent paid by tenants, and asked if the levels of rent could be identified within the table in future reports.  The Service Manager - Revenues and Procurement agreed to look into whether this could be provided in future reports. 

            Councillor Dennis Hutchinson thanked officers for the report, which he felt provided the most accurate and up to date information  ...  view the full minutes text for item 18