Preventing homelessness: landlords delivering welfare rights
Summary
QXHA has found that in-house advice services provide an extremely important contribution to the prevention and control of rent arrears, thus helping to avoid the need for legal action. By establishing a relationship of trust with the tenant from the start, the landlord ensures that the tenant is far more likely to ask for help when difficulties are experienced.
While advice may well be available from external agencies, it is often not sought until problems reach crisis point, when it can be more difficult for advisers to find solutions. It is widely recognised that early intervention is the key to preventing rent arrears getting out of control, particularly where benefit problems are involved. In our experience the delivery of in-house welfare rights services plays a crucial role in achieving this aim.
If you would like to contact Steven to find out more about his work, please email practicescotland@shelter.org.uk in the first instance.
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The views expressed in the article are those of the author and not necessarily those of Shelter.
