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Connecting support: Why your tenants are falling into arrears and what you can do about it Rising rent arrears, increasing income volatility and upcoming changes to disability benefits are creating new challenges for housing providers and local authorities across the UK.

Recent analysis by Policy in Practice highlights how built in features of the welfare system, such as real time income assessment, benefit deductions and policy reforms, are contributing to financial instability among tenants, particularly those already facing structural barriers like disability, caring responsibilities or single parenthood.

For many low income households, the issue isn’t budgeting, it’s that their income is eroded before it arrives. Over half of Universal Credit recipients are repaying debt through automatic deductions, leaving them short for essentials like rent. Others are impacted by erratic payment cycles or policy shifts, increasing the risk of arrears and even homelessness.

In response, Policy in Practice and Pocket Power have partnered to create a more joined up approach to tenant support. By integrating income maximisation tools with accessible referral routes, housing providers can now take a more holistic and proactive approach to preventing arrears and supporting tenancy sustainment.

Join this webinar to explore:

- The current policy landscape and how it impacts tenant incomes
- How integrated tools like the Better Off Calculator and Pocket Power referral service support a smoother customer journey
- Real world insights from guest housing providers who are using smart software to coordinate applications and reduce repeat data collection

If you're working to improve financial outcomes for tenants and reduce tenancy breakdowns, this session will offer timely, practical insights rooted in current data and frontline experience.

With guest speaker: Helen Burgess, Managing Director, Pocket Power

23/7/2025

10:30am BST

1.3 hours

Understanding the impact of disability benefits reforms on local authorities

27/8/2025

10:30am BST

1.3 hours

Blog

Budgeting support: Best practice ways to help low income households

Janet Harkin Published on 23rd January 2019

I was attracted to the Better Off Calculator because, as one tool, more consistency. It’s more than just an income and expenditure calculator. I was particularly excited about the better off scenarios work with our customers to show them how their income may improve, or not, depending how their circumstances change, which links heavily into the Universal Credit calculation. I also like the action plan functionality and the self service option.

Marie Hardeman, Customer Accounts Manager, The Guinness Group

Short of time? Listen to our guest speaker only (with subtitles)

Over one fifth of UK households have less than £100 in savings to cushion themselves against economic shocks. With Christmas gone, frontline organisations anticipate more money related enquiries from people in need as they seek support with their household finances.

In our first webinar of 2019 Policy in Practice’s Donna Gallagher and Peter Carter talked to Marie Hardeman, Customer Accounts Manager at The Guinness Group, to hear what budgeting support they give to their tenants and how using Policy in Practice’s Better Off Calculator helps.Donna set the context by sharing the latest research on personal debt from NAO and TUC, amongst others. Marie then spoke in detail about how 3 core teams within Guinness use our software to offer different types of support to their 140,000 tenants nationwide. Peter followed up with a short demo of the software used by The Guinness Group.

Listen back to hear:

Personal debt in the UK: the size and nature of the problem
How the Lettings team uses the Better Off Calculator as a tenancy affordability tool
How the Collections and Prevention team use it to help evidence action and collect arrears
How the Customer Support team use it to maximise income and support appeals

View slides (no audio) hereDownload Better Off Calculator flyer
Download Example of household whose financial situation has stabilised