Helping customers manage their money. Ian Cory Business Improvement Facilitator Aster Communities & Synergy Housing Part of the Aster Group

Transcription

1 Ian Cory Business Improvement Facilitator Aster Communities & Synergy Housing Part of the Aster Group

2 Why do social landlords need to help customers manage their money?

3 Reduces arrears Prevents evictions Allows us to invest in new properties Helps to create sustainable communities Encourages healthy living Promotes independence and self reliance Helping customers who are less able to help themselves is what we do, it s why we exist and it is why we get up in the morning.

4 History repeats itself Well so does housing management. Back in the late 20 th C Octavia Hill promoted an approach to housing management that focused on knowing your customers.

5 But I ve got 1000 customers on my patch I can t get to know them all! So use the information you do have to prioritise who might need help. What are the risk factors that might highlight that a customer is at risk of arrears with the introduction of welfare reforms?

6 Suffering from the bedroom tax Currently on benefit History of erratic payments Low level of literacy and numeracy English not first language Low IT skills No access to IT equipment Living in rural area Each organisation will have different data sets and different environments so do make your own lists

7 By prioritising customers you will be able to target your limited resources where they can have most impact. You can then offer those customers a range of services based on their needs. If you send them a survey or questionnaire you should consider following up non-returns on the phone. You might want to consider communicating via Parish magazines, local radio or at local markets.

8 So you have lists of customers to whom you can target services. What services? Services that focus on resolving and preventing financial exclusion. What factors point to financial exclusion?

9 Issues that can cause financial exclusion following introduction of welfare reforms: No bank account Current debt / bankruptcy Low level of literacy No access to PC equipment Lack of IT skills Lack of budgeting skills Living in rural area

10 We can t do it all We must work in partnership. The consequences of financial exclusion will be felt by a wide range of agencies and they should be part of solution not part of the problem. Identify the agencies who will be affected by and can help resolve the causes of financial exclusion

11 For each cause of financial exclusion you should know: What you can do What others can do How customers can access services

12 Aim to complete a matrix that will identify what you do and what others can do. This will help to identify the gaps and provide a resource for staff to signpost customers to external services. Cause of Financial Exclusion What we can do What others can do Never had a bank account Advice and instruction. Refer to Credit Union. Weekly meets to review how the account is being used. Monthly phone call. Monitor arrears. XXX bank in YYYY Town do jam jar accounts. Credit union savings account. Local Education unit offers money management course.

13 As a landlord what can we do? Target those at risk. Identify the potential triggers for increased rent arrears. Contact customers and offer support based on those triggers. Develop estate based sessions. Develop individual support plans. Deliver, monitor and report. Mixture of individual support plans and group sessions to promote things like estate purchasing, money management or IT skills.

14 Estate based sessions could focus on: Group purchasing to get the offers. Buddy shopping. Shared taxis. Mutual support. Growing food and cooking skills. Linking people up with people. Use community involvement teams to offer help to communities to find their own solutions

15 Each support plan: Will be agreed with customer at a face to face visit. Will involve a planed programme of activity. Will focus on giving customers the skills and knowledge to resolve their own problems in the future. Complete a benefit form for someone and they get benefit for the month. Give a person the skills to complete it themselves and they will have benefit for life!

16 Debt and welfare benefit advisors are key. Through a planned programme of activities they can support customers to: Open and manage bank accounts Budget and make financial plans Complete benefit applications Appeal benefit decisions Negotiate with creditors and service providers Access other services

17 Don t forget the link with sustainability and fuel poverty. Link up with your local Energy Saving Trust. Provide advice to reduce fuel use and fuel bills. Target heating improvement programmes at those who are in arrears AND engaging with us.

18 Don t forget the knowledge and skills your organisation has: Could your HR teams offer interview experience or help writing CVs? Could your repairs teams offer work experience? Could your finance team offer help with excel? Could your IT dept. offer old PCs? Could your organisation commit to taking on apprentices from your local area or offer education grants to help customers children access further education.

19 Customers who claim benefits are facing huge changes managing change is a skill housing staff have had to learn over the last few years. So see it as a management of change process: Agree the need for change Plan the change Deliver the change Review and reflect to ensure new habits are good! We all learn habits some turn out to be bad habits! Challenging those habits takes confidence, time and patience. They were learnt over many years so will not be changed over night. The key to success will be the quality of the relationship between individual staff and an individual customer.

20 And don t forget to learn from the private sector Provident door knockers are happy friendly people. Provident debt chasers are not! Good cop bad cop? If customers engage with you and work with you to resolve their issues then be friendly, be supportive. If customers don t engage then perhaps ground 8 is the answer?

21 A case study: Customer A has arrears of 750 which is increasing at a rate of 5 per week. He is a HB claimant but has his rent paid directly to him. He has multiply debts and says he cant pay his rent in full because of his debts. The Debt Team work with him, slowly gaining his confidence as his creditors are contacted and more realistic repayments are agreed. In return he agrees to have his HB paid directly to us ensuring his arrears no longer increase. Advice is given in relation to his energy supplier and energy use habits. As a result he saves 5 a week in energy costs. A CU savings account is established and he now saves 5 a month so he has something extra at xmas. Budgeting advice allows him to stay in credit with his bank avoiding the charges. He agrees to pay 3.50 off his arrears every week.

22 As a result of the intervention we now have an arrear that is reducing. We have prevented an eviction. We have not written off his debt that could have increased to many thousands once he knew we were intent on eviction. We have a customer who is telling his neighbour how they too can save money. So what did it cost? 10 visits = 20 hrs 20 hours follow up work Overheads, on-costs??? Less than 1000 BARGIN!

23 And finally put yourself in your customers shoes What would you want if you were faced with serious debt or with the potential loss of your home? Timely warnings before it is too late. Clarity about what is offered, the benefits and the consequences. Helpful advice at a time that is appropriate. Empathy from all involved. Options with clear pros and cons.