Income Management / Paying your rent
Standard
We will provide information, advice and support to enable you to pay your rent and maintain a clear rent account. We will be sympathetic and provide practical debt advice or signpost you to agencies that can help if you should experience financial problems.
How we will work to achieve this standard
We will:
• We will provide you with a number of ways to pay your rent.
• Provide easy access to information and assistance by offering choices of home visits, office interviews, site surgeries, and referrals to other agencies.
• Work closely with Local Authorities as part of their strategic housing enabling role, including Housing Benefits departments and Supporting People.
• Respond to enquiries about rent or service charge accounts within 7 days.
• Respond to requests to change payment methods within 7 days.
• Provide rent statements and sundry debtor account statements at least quarterly, with arrears documents and on request.
• Respond quickly to written requests for refunds.
• Consider a realistic repayment plan in cases of financial difficulty.
• Keep tenants informed of any required action they need to take or of any action to be taken by us in the event of rent arrears.
• Encourage tenants to attend court hearings if legal action becomes necessary and to provide information on legal proceedings.
• Treat personal financial information in confidence.
• Provide tenants with at least 28 days notice of annual rent and service charge changes, together with supporting advice and information.
• Provide a free and confidential welfare benefits advice service and debt counselling services.
