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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

Lessons learned: our year modelling Council Tax Reduction Schemes

Janet Harkin Published on 12th December 2019

“Local authorities often take inspiration from successful schemes rolled out elsewhere. Despite the best intentions, different demographics and budget restraints mean that what works for one council does not always fit with another which is why data-led impact analysis is needed when modelling CTR schemes.”

Megan Mclean, Policy and Operations Analyst

In this webinar we share the 4 trends we’ve seen in council tax reduction schemes over the past year and give a snapshot of the schemes we’ve modelled for clients in 2019. We identify 7 drivers for change and focus on the one with the biggest implication for schemes, Universal Credit.

Most of the 150+ schemes we’ve modelled fall into 3 broad categories: income banded schemes, altered typical schemes and discount schemes. We cover two client case studies in depth, comparing an income banded scheme and discount scheme side by side.

In this webinar Policy in Practice gave a review of the 150 or so council tax reduction (CTR) support schemes we modelled for local authority clients in 2019. Zoe Charlesworth, Head of Policy, and Megan Mclean, Policy and Operations Analyst, recapped on highlights from our analysis, discussed trends we’ve identified and considered what this means for local authorities in 2020.

Listen back to learn