CHAC prevents eviction of widower with rent arrears
CHAC Case study
Harry’s story
Harry was an assured tenant of a local Housing Association who amassed rent arrears totalling almost £5,000 after his wife died.
Harry had been living in a three-bedroom property with his wife for many years without ever incurring rent arrears. It was his wife who had always dealt with their financial matters but she died, sooner than expected, after becoming terminally ill during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Harry had begun claiming Universal Credit (UC) shortly before his wife’s death but was unaware of the need to claim housing costs for the rent. As a result, Harry’s rent arrears began to mount by more than £100 a week.
Harry shut down after the death of his wife and became unable to cope due to his physical and mental health problems. He also had several heart attacks.
It was nearly one year before Harry claimed his UC housing costs for the rent but, by then, his rent arrears had reached almost £5,000. Harry’s landlord had served a Notice of Proceedings for Possession on him, and the housing association threatened to evict him.
Once Harry’s housing costs began being paid to the Housing Association by UC, he was still unable to pay a weekly rent shortfall of £30 (caused by the bedroom tax for two rooms) and he was also unable to pay off his rent arrears over a reasonable period of time.
How CHAC helped
As Harry had serious physical and mental health problems, we advised him to claim Personal Independence Payment, and began negotiations with his Housing Association. Initially, the Housing Association was not prepared to let him move to a one-bedroom property - unless he cleared all his rent arrears.
We applied to the Council for a Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP), asking them to pay off all Harry’s rent arrears. This application was refused. We negotiated further with the Housing Association and succeeded in persuading them to agree to moving Harry to a one-bedroom flat if he was able to clear half his rent arrears.
The outcome
We appealed the Council’s refusal to pay a DHP for half of Harry’s rent arrears and to pay his rent shortfall for the bedroom tax for one month. This appeal was successful and a DHP of £2,591 was paid to Harry’s Housing Association. This intervention prevented Harry’s eviction and enabled him to move to a one-bedroom flat.