MONMOUTHSHIRE Housing Association (MHA) is launching a direct payment pilot project in conjunction with Monmouthshire Council to help its tenants to get ready for Universal Credit.
Universal Credit will see a single household payment of means-tested benefits paid to claimants monthly in arrears, which will include housing costs being paid directly to them.
This means the claimant will pay the rent to their landlord themselves.
MHA currently has 1,500 tenants who will be affected by the change.
MHA’s direct payment pilot project aims to help tenants to budget so they feel ready to manage their money when Universal Credit is rolled out across the UK.
About 200 households are expected to take part in the pilot.
Tenants will receive their first housing benefit payments in January and will then need to make arrangements to pay their rent to MHA.
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