SALIX HOMES INTRODUCES MONTHLY UNIVERSAL CREDIT DROP-INS FOR RESIDENTS

Salix Homes will be holding monthly Universal Credit drop-ins to support their tenants with both existing and new claims.

Their Universal Credit advisers will be on hand to offer their customers guidance, including information on how their benefits could change, along with advice on budgeting and saving.

They’ll also be able to support anyone with complex appeals or new claims.

The next drop-in will be held in the Community Hub at Diamond House on Wednesday, 26 February.

Each session will be held from 10am-4pm on the last Wednesday of everyone month, until the end of June. 

Here are the dates for the upcoming drop-ins: 

Wednesday, 26 February 

Wednesday, 25 March

Wednesday, 29 April 

Wednesday, 27 May 

Wednesday, 24 June 

So what is universal credit?

Universal credit is a benefit for working-age people, it replaces six benefits by merging them into one single payment:

income support

income-based jobseeker's allowance

income-related employment and support allowance

housing benefit

child tax credit

working tax credit

It was designed to make claiming benefits simpler but in trials across the UK it seems to have caused a lot of problems and confusion for those switching over to it.

A single universal credit payment is paid directly into claimants' bank accounts to cover the benefits for which they are eligible.

Claimants then have to pay costs such as rent out of their universal credit payment which can cause issues with rent arrears - though there is a provision for people who are in rent arrears or have difficulty managing their money to have their rent paid directly to their landlord.

The latest available figures show that there were 2.6 million universal credit claimants as of October 2019. Just over a third of those claiming were in employment.

For more information about Universal Credit, visit our Help Hub or give us a call on 0800 218 2000. 

Photos: Salix