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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Patrick Butler Social policy editor

Ministers scrap DWP program allowing landlords to tap into tenants’ benefits

Kendall on a sofa gesticulating with arms while talking
Liz Kendall: ‘I am determined to right the wrongs that have persisted in the benefits system for too long.’ Photograph: Andy Hall/The Observer

Ministers are to scrap a controversial “computer says yes” program that automatically approves landlord requests to deduct hundreds of pounds from tenants’ universal credit benefits without their consent.

Last month, a judge ruled that the “click-screen” program used by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to process tens of thousands of deduction requests each year was unlawful.

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