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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.

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

How South West Water used data to tackle water poverty and cut debt

The problem

South West Water (SWW) aims to eradicate water poverty in the South West. SWW has to be efficient given the already high costs of serving a sparse coastal population. Its offer includes efficiency measures, smart meters, debt support and a 15-85% off WaterCare tariff. Like all water companies, awareness of support was low. Brett Conibere, Head of Customer Insight, Support Services and Metering said: “We cannot wait for people to come to us”.

What they did

SWW partnered with CACI, an analytics company, to build a high resolution view of estimated water affordability down to groups as small as 12 households. SWW segmented customers, offering efficiency measures and smart meters where that was enough to bring them out of water poverty, and providing additional support like their WaterCare tariff where it was needed.

Behind the scenes

Technically, SWW and CACI combined several data sets, including matching SWW’s billing data and CACI’s Ocean data set (which draws on Electoral Roll, research surveys, open data, government data and other sources) at postcode level, along with other data sets like OBR’s income forecasts, to estimate water poverty at household level. To enrol customers onto social tariffs, benefit receipt was checked with DWP through an API. Legally, CACI’s data is aggregated facing fewer data governance hurdles. DWP’s API relies on the Digital Economy Act Section 38 to assist people in water poverty.

Impact on customers

By the end of 2024, SWW has helped over 1,000 customers with water efficiency measures and over 2,000 with smart meters, on top of the 26,000 customers enrolled onto WaterCare. And this is only the beginning: by 2030, SWW plans to have supported 1 in 10 customers with water efficiency measures.

Impact on the utility

SWW found customers more willing to engage in other support when coupled with financial support. Despite the cost of living crisis, SWW’s commitment to aiding and supporting customers struggling with debt has decreased its doubtful debt charge by 45% from £16 million in 2012-13 to £8 million in 2023-24.

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