tenant on benefit not paying rent

Rent Arrears

Hi 

We have a rolling AST tenancy with a single mother with a child who has not paid regular rent since December. She has been a tenant for more than 4 years. She gets benefits and also works part-time. She has been about £ 2000 in arrears since December. She has not paid for the last 2 months. I assume we can start section notice 21.

We texted her 3 weeks ago and she mentioned that she is under investigation by DWP for her money and has put a hold on her money. We have asked her to have a meeting but she is not responding. We would be happy to keep her if she pays on time.

What are our options? We are planning to meet her when she responds. If not, we will notify her to arrange a meeting to know her plans.

Not sure how long DWP investigations can last? Any advice would be welcome from the NRLA forum. Thanks.