Supporting Vulnerable Tenants: A Look Back at Our Housing 2025 Panel

Housing 2025 was a big one. Across three packed days, we had hundreds of conversations at Stand E27 over cold Helpthemove IPAs and smoothies. Some stopped to hear about our two-hour void energy reconnect service. Others came for our £55 energy credit offer or to enter the Fortnum & Mason giveaway. But what really stood out was how ready the sector feels to challenge the status quo, especially when it comes to supporting vulnerable tenants.

Those conversations carried into our Knowledge Stage session, “Supporting Vulnerable Tenants with Easy Tech Solutions,” where our team — Rachael Braddick (Managing Director), Alistair Carruthers (Enterprise Business Development Manager), Marc O’Driscoll (Head of Sales), and moderator Stephen Cunningham (Marketing and Communications Manager) — tackled some of the most persistent friction points in tenant support journeys.

“It shouldn’t be this hard to get help.”

Is how Rachael opened the conversation, reflecting on the reality that too many tenants are made to engage with multiple services (housing, energy, council tax, benefits) through siloed systems, unclear forms, and zero joined-up guidance.

In practice, it means support often arrives too late. According to Citizens Advice, 45% of applicants in financial hardship give up before completing applications. And with one in three low-income households lacking basic digital access or confidence, the people most in need are the ones facing the highest admin burden.

Alistair summed it up plainly: “The support is there. But if someone has to upload ID three times across three different platforms to get it, they won’t.”

The Shift From Reactive to Predictive

A key theme throughout the session was timing. Too many systems only respond once someone is already in arrears, disconnected, or in crisis. As Marc put it, “We know what the early indicators are. Missed payments. New tenancies. Energy top-ups doubling overnight. The question is, why aren’t we acting on them sooner?”

Proactive support doesn’t have to be complex. Sometimes it’s as simple as an SMS prompt that links to a mobile-friendly form. In Greater Manchester, trials using nudges like this led to a 30% increase in voucher uptake. In Welwyn, a similar campaign saw redemption rates rise by 35%.

Stephen raised the topic of automation: where it helps and where it risks going too far. Everyone agreed that the goal isn’t to replace human contact, but to use tech to remove unnecessary friction. Rachael shared Hackney Council’s approach as a standout example: pre-filling council tax discount applications using existing data, removing the need for tenants to apply at all. “That’s what good support looks like,” she said. “It saves time, removes barriers and still feels personal.”

Tech That Just Quietly Works

The session also spotlighted the Flex Direct pilot by UK Power Networks, a scheme that identifies eligible households based on smart meter and tenancy data, and automatically enrolls them into energy-saving rewards. No sign-ups. No paperwork. Households saved between £60 and £110 a year because the system recognised their context and responded.

Marc noted that this “invisible” support is where the sector needs to go next. “It’s not about making people better at applying for help. It’s about removing the need to apply in the first place.”

At Helpthemove, we’re already building toward this. Our new platform, Benefit Buddy, is designed to help with supporting vulnerable tenants in practical ways by ensuring they don’t miss out on the support they’re entitled to, including council tax reductions, water discounts and Warm Home Discount schemes. It works in the background, auto-applying for help where eligibility is clear, and delivering real savings without added admin.

For housing providers, it’s one less system to manage. For tenants, it’s support that starts from day one and keeps working without needing to be chased.

Joined-up Systems Mean Better Outcomes

Support doesn’t fail because people don’t care. It fails when services aren’t connected.

The panel discussed how collaboration between landlords, energy providers and tech partners is what makes predictive, low-friction support possible. Coordinated support is key to supporting vulnerable tenants before they reach crisis point, spotting issues early, simplifying access, and ensuring no one slips through the gaps.

Marc pointed to the potential of shared early-warning systems. Alistair added that cross-training housing officers to understand utility schemes and vice versa can turn any frontline conversation into a chance to refer or resolve.

We talked about what this looks like in practice. In Greater Manchester, local energy markets are trialling data-sharing pilots that flag vulnerability early and deliver coordinated help. And nationally, there’s a growing appetite to co-invest in platforms that serve multiple functions at once, from tenancy sustainment to energy resilience.

Meeting Tenants Where They Are

One of the closing reflections came from a question Stephen put to the panel: Is your support journey something a tenant could complete on a basic phone, in the middle of a busy, stressful day?

It was a reminder that real-life conditions should shape how we design support, not just policy goals or system capabilities. Whether someone’s applying for help or simply checking what they’re eligible for, the journey should feel straightforward, clear, and accessible. That means making things work on mobile, using plain language, and offering help through more than one channel.

Rachael closed the session by reinforcing the point that simplicity and respect shouldn’t be seen as extras. They’re the foundation. And for tenants, they make all the difference.

Looking Ahead

The big takeaway from the session wasn’t that we need more tech. It’s that we need smarter, simpler systems that work for people under pressure. The tools are there. The data is there. And the sector is more aligned than ever.

Now, it’s about building better – together.