potential loss of housing assistance after migration from housing benefit to UC

i would just like to put to the forum,qualified advisors,experienced folk etc a potential problem a good friend of mine is experiencing with a mandatory migration UC notice letter. briefly my friends problem,or potential problem is to do with the the housing benefit he recieves,it is soon to be claimed by him under the UC system.it is the only benefit he recieves that is currently involved in the UC changes. he does receive PIP at the daily living enhanced rate.his main issue is he is retired early on medical grounds,these last 28 years or so and he is now aged 63 with but a few months to go till he turns 64.he has these intervening years been living on his private pension granted to him on medical grounds,along with help from DWP and the local authority with his rent in the form of housing benefit. his main fear in being migrated to UC is possibly being forced to sign some sort of work based, or work related, agreement in order to retain his eligibility for housing benefit under UC. he simply cannot do this as he is physically and mentally incapable of doing so.can the DWP or UC use descretion her in the form of a bye,or put him straight through into the LCWRA group without the stressfull assesment given his allready proven medical situation? his main worry is that to sign a work based agreement even just as an aside to get his housing benefit continued,would or could in the eyes of the private pension provider,and the DWP,s own PIP advisor,paint him as previously fraudulent .there surely must be in UC rules of exemption or exception to cater for this situation of which i am sure there are plenty. all help from advisors and benefit educated folks who read this gratefully excepted. apologies for the presentation here as i have not a clue how to use a keyboard. yours gratefully larry b.

thank you David for the speedy reply and the valuable information within.so it would seem as though prior it was just his early retired status on medical grounds was enough to claim housing assistance,now with the change to UC he has to, at the age of 64 ,say it is maybe possible for him to work after all,sign on the dotted line to such a statement,and possibly jepordize his private pension status.,though not his PIP,in order to receive housing help.i am almost sure that any assesment will have him in the lcwra group and he will be a state pensioner before any reexamination of his award,then he will be claiming housing under UC without any work based obligations at all.i think it is mainly the commitment to work admittance which is wrong ,and his private pension status that worries him so.

thank you gary for the information along side davids also. it is very helpfull on casting light on where my friend stands now with the UC changeover.i am aware as now clarified by your good self that his amount of private pension is taken into consideration whilst assesing the amount of UC help given to him for his housing needs,and it goes without saying,i think,that he will not receive any other UC monies other than a housing element,though potentially he may be subjected to,but i certainly doubt it given his conditions,a full work based agreement,but in effect only be paid a fraction of what other folks would get because of his private pension.i hope i am correct on this issue,any further clarification on this point is very welcome am i correct in saying if the DWP are to be as antagonistic as they potentially can be,and expect my friend to jump through hoops ie appeals etc to get help with rent,then he can just cancel his claim for UC without prejiduce,and just struggle by on a vastly reduced income because he just cannot in all honesty satisfy the requirments of UC that the DWP may insist upon?again as ever all help and assistance is gratefully recieved.