Rent Arrears Policy - Section 10
10. Welfare Reform
10.1 It is a tenant’s responsibility to pay any shortfall in the rent as a result of any changes to their benefit entitlements in order to avoid rent arrears.
10.2 In all cases, the Council will seek to ensure that tenant’s understand their ongoing responsibilities to meet changes to their benefit entitlement such as the under occupancy charge payment on their tenancy. In pursuing the payment of under occupancy charges, the Council will, however be mindful of the individual circumstances of such households.
10.3 Where the Council is satisfied that tenants who are subject to a reduction in benefit through under occupancy are doing all they reasonably can to avoid falling into arrears, the Council will use all legitimate means to collect rent arrears.
10.4 The Council will maintain appropriate records to assist ‘client profiling’ to identify and target support to vulnerable tenants or those at risk of arrears quickly escalating. All data gathered will be managed to comply with data protection legislation.
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