Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the criteria are for a social landlord to gain access to the universal credit landlord portal.

Following the successful pilot of the Landlord Portal Service, DWP is enrolling more landlords in stages, in tandem with the expansion of Universal Credit Full Service. Priority has been placed on enrolling the largest landlords that are eligible where possible in order to maximise the number of UC claimants that can be handled via the portal.

When we look at enrolling landlords, we will consider things such as whether Universal Credit has rolled out in their area, the size of the landlord, and the properties that they own. We will then have discussions with landlords that are suitable for enrolling onto the portal.

Additionally, whilst there is no formal process for landlords to bid for the portal, interested landlords can liaise with their local Universal Credit Partnership Team regarding potential enrolment.