Willow Park Housing Trust Freephone: Code: HB01/MM-03/13 rev4

Transcription

1 Willow Park Housing Trust Freephone: Code: HB01/MM-03/13 rev4

2 5 Contents Your rent Your Rent Officer Paying your rent Ways of paying your rent Your rent statement Rent increases What happens if I get behind with my rent? Housing Benefit The Money Matters team Welfare rights and benefit advice Debt advice Money Mentor service Money Matters workshops Other money advice services Manchester Credit Union National Debt Line Manchester Community Legal Advice Service Home contents insurance Saving money Reduce your energy bills Other ways of saving money Making sure you have enough money to pay your rent, buy food and pay your bills is very important. Running a home means you must know how much you need to spend each week to cover these basics and how much money you will have left over. We know that sometimes money will be tight. The next few pages tell you the options you have for paying your rent, how to get help or advice if you need it and how you can save money on your energy bills. Money matters Information contained in this leaflet is believed to be correct at time of going to press. We operate a policy of continuous development and certain details may change from time to time. Consequently this leaflet should be treated as general guidance only.

3 Your rent The weekly charge for living in your home and the services we provide is called rent. We will collect your rent when it is due and provide early advice if you think you are going to fall behind with your payments. Your Rent Officer Your Rent Officer can give you advice about your rent. You can get in touch with them by phoning our Customer Services Team or by going to your local Willow Park office and making an appointment. If you have an urgent rent problem a Duty Officer is available to help you at any Willow Park office. Your Rent Officer will be able to help you with any rent matter, such as: Deciding on the best way of paying your rent Preparing an income and spending plan so that a payment plan can be worked out Offering advice on benefits that you may be able to claim Helping you to make an application for benefits Doing a financial health check Renegotiating payment plans with other organisations Giving you advice on debt Helping with Housing Benefit issues like checking eligibility, challenging overpayment and reviewing claims You can look at your rent account on our website 24 hours a day, you just need to set up a free online account first. Paying your rent Your rent is the weekly charge for your home and is our main source of income. We mainly use it to pay for day to day repairs, maintain your home and provide you with services. We use some of it to pay the people who work for us and some to payback the money we have borrowed to improve your neighbourhood. Rent is payable weekly in advance and is due each Monday. This means that the rent you pay us on a Monday pays for your home for the next 7 days. We charge you rent for 52 weeks each year but you pay this over 50 weeks. Our year starts at the beginning of April and finishes at the end of March the next year. If your rent is paid up to date and you don t owe us rent arrears, you will get two rent free weeks, one in April and one in December. Your rent should normally be paid weekly but you can make an agreement with your Rent Officer to pay every two weeks or just once a month. Whichever payment method you choose you will pay the same amount over the year. If you do not pay us on time you will owe us money and this is called rent arrears.

4 At our offices Pay by cash, cheque, debit or credit card. By phone Call to speak to a member of our team or call to use the 24 hour automated service where you can pay by credit or debit card. At the Post Office Pay by cash, cheque, or debit card. You will need to take your rent payment card. Any store showing the PayZone or PayPoint logo Pay by cash, cheque, debit or credit card. You will need to take your rent payment card. Direct Debit or Standing Order from your bank Contact us on for a Direct Debit or Standing Order form. Via the Internet At using bank or credit card. To pay your rent online you will need your rent card but you will have to ring to initially register your rent card for the service. When the card is active and you want to make a payment go to By text Using the internet and your mobile phone. Register at Ways of paying your rent You will be given a rent card when you start your tenancy. There are lots of ways you can pay your rent (see table opposite). Your rent statement We will send you a rent statement 4 times a year. They will show you how much rent you have paid us and whether you are up to date or not. You can look at your current rent statement on our website once you have signed up for this free service. To sign up you just need to fill in an online form or phone the Customer Services Team. Rent increases The amount of rent you pay is reviewed each year and we will give you 4 weeks written notice when it changes. We set your rent using the Governments Target Rent Regulations. If your rent does change you should remember that: If you receive Housing Benefit and it is paid straight to us, we will notify the Revenue & Benefits Unit for you If you receive Housing Benefit and it is paid to you, you must notify the Revenue & Benefits Unit yourself If you pay by Direct Debit your direct debit amount will be changed automatically If you pay by Standing Order you will need to tell your bank to change the amount

5 What happens if I get behind with my rent? If you get into rent arrears, or are having problems paying your rent, you must contact your Rent Officer as soon as you can. We know that this situation is normally because someone loses their job, gets into debt or family circumstances change and we want to help. If you talk to your Rent Officer about what has happened we will do our best to help you. We will try to help you come up with a way of paying what you owe and clearing your rent arrears. We will look at how much you owe, what you earn and how much is left after paying your bills. If you don t talk to us, or don t keep to an agreement to reduce the arrears, we will have to take legal action to get the money you owe us. We may take you to court and as a last resort we could evict you. If we have to start legal action you will have to pay our legal costs. If you are evicted, our court fees and an eviction warrant will cost you at least 210 (at February 2013). Six good reasons to avoid rent arrears 1. You could end up paying more than your weekly rent to catch up with arrears 2. You could get a bad credit rating, which could affect your chances of getting a credit card, personal loan or mortgage 3. If we have to take legal action, you will have to pay the legal costs 4. It can reduce your chances of getting another home 5. You won t be able to buy your home under the Right to Buy scheme 6. You could lose your home Housing Benefit If you are the tenant of your home, on a low income and have less than 16,000 saved, then you should make a claim for Housing Benefit. If you get Income Support or income-based Jobseekers Allowance you will get help towards your rent depending on the number of bedrooms in your home and the number/age of people occupying it. If your income is above the threshold for Income Support or income based Jobseekers Allowance, you may still get some help paying your rent. You can fill in an online benefit application form at You must provide accurate information so they can decide if you will get help with your rent or not. You can also talk to your Rent Officer about making a claim for Housing Benefit. They will be able to give you advice and help you complete the form.

6 The Money Matters team When you make a claim for Housing Benefit you will need to give the Revenue & Benefits Unit some information before they decide if they can help you or not. The information they need is: Proof of identification e.g. passport, birth certificate or driving licence Evidence of your National Insurance number e.g. P45/P60, payslip or bank statement Examples of evidence of income and capital Your payslips, benefit award letter from Job Centre Plus, Child Benefit award letter, bank statements or building society account passbooks Evidence of rent charged Your Tenancy Agreement or a letter from us Proof of landlord Our full name and address, your tenancy start date, current rent and how often you pay it The Manchester Revenue & Benefits Unit may need proof that these documents are real, this is called validation. We can validate these documents for you at any Willow Park office. For more information you can get in touch with the Revenue & Benefits Unit: The Revenue & Benefits Unit PO Box 3 Manchester M15 5BA Tel: Monday to Friday 8am - 8pm Textphone for customers with hearing difficulties: benefit.enquiries@manchester.gov.uk Fax: The Money Matters Team is a specialist money advice team providing you with free, impartial and confidential advice about all of your money problems and queries. All of the advisors in the Money Matters Team work together to help you with all of your money problems, no matter how big or small. We provide one to one appointments in any of our offices or in your home. Here's how the Money Matters Team can help you.

7 Welfare rights and benefit advice We have a fully qualified Welfare Rights Officer who can help you with all of your benefit issues. We can help you to find out which benefits you are entitled to and give you support to challenge a benefit decision that you think may be wrong. Our Welfare Rights Officer can help you with queries about any of the following: Housing benefit Income Support Pension Credit Disability Living Allowance Job Seekers Allowance Attendance Allowance Employment Support Allowance Family Tax Credits Debt advice We have a specialist debt advisor in the Money Matters Team. If you are having debt problems and are finding it hard to pay your rent or other household bills, credit cards, loans, bank charges, or even catalogue bills we can help you. Our IMA qualified (Institute of Money Advice) advisor can give you free and confidential advice on: Different types of debt Dealing with debt Going bankrupt County Court Judgements (CCJs) Debt and mental health Loan sharks and illegal money lending Debt relief orders If you would like to talk to the Debt Advisor just call our Customer Services Team to make an appointment. We won t make any judgment about why you are in debt, we just want to help you get out of it. The Debt Advisor can meet you at any Willow Park office or visit you at home. Remember, if you are! struggling to pay your rent or other bills, get help as soon as you can. Don t ignore the problem. The sooner you get help, the sooner the problem can be fixed. Money Mentor service If you need additional advice and support with other money problems we have a specialist Money Mentor who can help. Our Money Mentor provides practical help and support to save you money. You can find out about planning a weekly/monthly budget, looking at ways to reduce costs, increasing your income, making grant applications, getting help to reduce your utility bills, shopping to save money, getting help to understand complicated letters and forms about financial products and also information on how to save money for a rainy day. We can help you to open a bank account, find the right kind of banking product, find the correct identification, set up direct debits and use the bank account without going overdrawn. If you would like to book your free financial health check with the Money Mentor just phone the Customer Services Team to make an appointment. We do not provide specific financial advice about particular products but if you need specific financial advice about a product you can contact the Money Advice Service on for free and impartial financial guidance or use their website

8 Other money advice services Money Matters for new tenants If you are waiting for a Willow Park home you will have to attend an appointment with the Money Mentor before you sign your tenancy agreement. You will be contacted by the Money Mentor once you have accepted an offer for a home to arrange this appointment. Manchester Credit Union The Manchester Credit Union provides convenient savings schemes and low interest loans to people who live or work in Manchester. It is a local scheme and is a genuine alternative to borrowing money from high interest lenders. Its services include: Easy ways to save Low cost loans Benefits Direct account Basic bank account Payroll deduction For more information you can get in touch: Manchester Credit Union, Wythenshawe Branch, Wythenshawe Shop, Unit 1E, Haletop, Wythenshawe Civic Centre M22 5RN Tel: Monday to Friday 10.00am pm (closed for lunch 12.30pm pm) The Credit Union s head office is in Beswick. You can leave a message on their answering machine outside office hours. Tel: info@manchestercreditunion.co.uk

9 Saving money National Debt Line The National Debt Line also provides free and impartial money advice. They will talk to you in confidence on the phone or through their website, and offer advice about all kinds of money problems. You can call them free on or visit Manchester Community Legal Advice Service The Manchester Community Legal Advice Service also provides free and impartial telephone and face-to-face advice on a range of issues, including debt advice, welfare rights advice, housing law, education, employment and immigration law. To speak to one of the advisors visit them at their new centre - no appointment is needed - or you can get advice over the telephone. Wythenshawe Community Legal Advice Centre 16 Rowlandsway Wythenshawe Manchester M22 5RG Tel: Mon & Wed 9.00am pm Tues, Thurs & Fri 9.00am pm Saturday 9.00am pm Home contents insurance We do not insure the contents of your home. If your possessions are stolen or damaged we will not replace them or pay you any money. We strongly recommend that you insure your possessions against fire, theft, vandalism and water damage. You can take out an insurance policy to cover your possessions with the Willow Park Home Contents Insurance Scheme or any other good insurance company. Information about Willow Park's Scheme is available in our offices or on our website. Reduce your energy bills If the size of your gas and electricity bill is worrying you, there are ways you can reduce them: Change your supplier You can change your gas and electricity supplier to a cheaper one. You can compare the prices charged by suppliers using a price comparison website to find the best supplier for you. You will need your recent gas and electricity bills and your postcode. There are lots of price comparison websites to try, two popular ones are: If you are using a prepayment meter you should try a supplier called EBICO. They provide gas and electricity at a fair price with no standing charge. To get a leaflet or download an EBICO application form, go to Paying your bill It is cheaper to pay by direct debit than by quarterly bill or pre-payment meter. If you are using a prepayment meter you can change to a standard meter so that you can pay by direct debit. To change how you pay your bill, speak to your gas and electricity supplier. What happens if I can't afford to pay my bill? You should contact your gas and electricity supplier straight away and tell them you can t afford to pay your bill. They should allow you to repay the money you owe them at a rate you can afford. You should then speak to a Debt Advisor as soon as you can. What other help is available? If you are having problems with fuel bills and your supplier is British Gas you may be able to apply for a grant from the British Gas Trust Fund. There are details at If you need help to complete the application form call the Citizens Advice Bureau or the Wythenshawe Law Centre. If you are over 60 you will get an extra heating allowance. You can get more information by writing to: Age Concern England, Astral House, 1268 London Road, London SW16 4ER Freephone:

10 Other ways of saving money Hot water Set the thermostat on the hot water tank to 60 degrees or below and you will need less energy to heat the water. Putting the plug in the basin when you run the hot water will save hot water and money. Central heating Turning the central heating thermostat down by 1 degree could reduce your bill by 10%. If you are going away for a few days, turn the thermostat down low so that it protects your home from freezing pipes without wasting energy and money. Curtains Close your curtains as soon as it starts to go dark to stop heat escaping through the windows. Open doors Opening doors in a sunny room will let warm air travel around your home. Electrical goods Do not leave things like the TV, DVD player or computer on stand-by. Take regular meter readings By taking regular meter readings and telling your supplier, you will know how much energy you are using and can cut back if you need to. By giving them a reading you will also only pay for what you use. Kettle Do not fill your kettle to the top every time you use it. Just boil what you need. Lights Turn the lights off if you are not using a room. Open your curtains fully to get maximum daylight. Replace all your old light bulbs with energy saving light bulbs. Fridges and freezers Don t open the door more than you have to and close it as soon as you can to keep the cold air in. It takes less energy to keep a full freezer or fridge cold than an empty one. Remember to defrost your freezer regularly to keep it working efficiently.