The Universal Credit (Claims and Payments) (Scotland) Regulations 2017

Tenants to be able to request direct payments for rent and services

4.—(1) A Scottish UC applicant or recipient whose award of universal credit will include, or includes, a housing costs element in respect of a rent payment or service charge payment may request at any time to have an amount of universal credit paid directly to the person to whom those payments are due.

(2) In paragraph (1)—

(a) “rent payment” has the meaning given by paragraph 2 of schedule 1 of the Universal Credit Regulations 2013; and

(b) “service charge payment” has the meaning given by paragraph 7 of that schedule.

(3) A person who has made the request referred to in paragraph (1) may at any time—

(a) request that the Secretary of State cancel it; or

(b) make a further such request.

(4) The Secretary of State must agree to a request made under paragraph (1) or (3), unless the Secretary of State considers it to be unreasonable to implement the request, in which case the Secretary of State must advise the person who made it of the reasons for its refusal.

(5) The amount of an award of universal credit to be paid in accordance with paragraph (1) is the amount of the housing costs element of the award that relates to liability to make rent payments and service charge payments or, if less, the amount of the award.

(6) Nothing in this regulation restricts the ability of the Secretary of State to direct that payments of universal credit be made to a person other than a claimant under regulation 58 of the 2013 Claims and Payments Regulations (payment to another person on the claimant’s behalf) or to make deductions and payments in accordance with the provisions of schedule 6 of those Regulations.