Westminster Hall debate on Universal Credit and debt

Shelter is aware and highlights numerous problems tenants are experiencing with the Universal Credit system. Private tenants find that their rents are not covered by the new benefits system; they experience prolonged waiting periods during which they do not receive payments, and, as a result, find themselves homeless or accumulate debt.

Shelter provides some key statistics, illustrating the scale of the problem, and gives recommendations to change this situation.

Recommendations address the Local Housing Allowance (LHA), asking for the current LHA freeze to be lifted, and names the Five Weeks Wait, (a regulation which assumes tenants have money to cover a five weeks wait until they received benefits and housing allowance), at the heart of the problem

The briefing includes a list of references for further reading.