The Social Publishing Project announces major new initiative to help social renters survive the migration to Universal Credit with their tenancies intact.

This morning at the CIH Housing 2015 conference in Manchester, the Social Publishing Project announced the launch of a major new publication to support tenants preparing to make the transition to Universal Credit.

The Tenants’ Guide to Universal Credit will be published in September 2015. Like SPP’s previous success story, the New Tenants Guide, now in its seventh edition, the Universal Credit Guide will be a 32-page lifestyle magazine designed to simplify complex information about the new system.

Focusing on the key challenges tenants will face, editorial will include SPP’s ‘budgeting pyramid’, which helps readers plan their finances in priority order, with rent and bills at the top. Vital information about banking products to ring-fence monies for rent and bills will follow, plus an in-depth guide to getting online and managing the Universal Credit claim. As with SPP’s flagship publication, Quids in! magazine, content will be light in tone and bright in design, making a virtue of the brand’s independence and overcoming scepticism from tenants.

“Our partners in social housing are reporting horror stories about the challenges they and their tenants face with the introduction of Universal Credit,” explained SPP director Jeff Mitchell. “One landlord in one of the UC pathway areas has a shocking 100 per cent failure rate, with all tenants who are making the transition to UC falling into arrears. Around a third of them are now facing eviction proceedings. SPP won’t take this lying down and if we can’t change the system, we can certainly help tenants better prepare for the changes.”

More information about obtaining the Tenants’ Guide to Universal Credit is available here.

More about the Social Publishing Project.