Sep

Will new BEIS and DWP chiefs sort out EPCs and Universal Credit for landlords?

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Landlords are waiting to discover if the new ministers in the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) and Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) will use their financial acumen to sort out Universal Credit payment headaches and uncertain EPC rules.

Work and pensions secretary Chloe Smith, who once worked for accountancy firm Deloitte, has been tasked with addressing what is seen by many as a broken benefits system.

About 25% of private renters receive UC payments and landlords are already concerned that only 46% of them have their rent paid in full by the benefit.

Many landlords have clashed with DWP staff when struggling to access Alternative Payment Arrangements, while UC experts have also cast doubt on plans to clamp down on landlords renting out poor quality homes to benefit claimants without sufficient resources.

New BEIS head Jacob Rees-Mogg also worked in finance and was former Brexit opportunities and government efficiency minister.

Green sceptic

The green energy sceptic who once claimed that “climate alarmism” was responsible for high energy prices promises: “As business secretary my overriding mission is to deliver affordable and plentiful energy to the British people and to make the economy as efficient, innovative and dynamic as possible. This will be the department for growth.”

He’ll no doubt be tied up for the foreseeable future, making decisions over whether to reform planning to boost onshore wind and potentially fracking, while addressing possible energy supply shortages this winter, but landlords will want him to give them some clarity about proposed EPC targets.

The government is currently considering proposals that would mean all new tenancies started after the end of December 2025 would need a minimum EPC rating of C, while all existing tenancies would need this from December 2028. A definitive decision on the date from the business secretary would help landlords plan for possible retrofit works.

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