If you are falling behind on rent payments, help is available to stop you from risking your home.
It is important you contact us to talk about your options.
You can call your rents officer for help with:
- claiming benefits, with help from our financial inclusion advisors
- budgeting support
- access to independent debt advice
- different ways to pay
- other support
If you are unable to pay the full amount you owe, we can arrange affordable repayments. This may mean paying an extra amount with your rent each week or month until the debt is cleared.
If you do not pay your rent or keep to a repayment plan, we will issue you with a written notice and take legal action, which could mean losing your home.
Discretionary housing payment
If you get housing benefit or Universal Credit housing costs, and face financial difficulties due to a shortfall, you can apply for a discretionary housing payment (DHP)
Local welfare assistance
The local welfare assistance team can review your situation and finances, and may make a payment to reduce your arrears, if you are experiencing difficulties.
This benefit is from a fixed yearly fund and is not awarded to everyone.
Other help available
If you are not already on benefits and your income has reduced or stopped, you may qualify for:
You can find free and confidential advice from the money advice service
Keeping in touch by text
We are reintroducing our text messaging service.
If you have given us a mobile number, we may use this to send important service updates about your tenancy rent account, such as:
- rent and service charge reminders
- appointment confirmations
- links to surveys
This is a one-way service, so you are not able to reply to the messages.
You will still get letters and phone calls as usual and can contact your rent officer.
If you want to opt-out of this service, email your housing hub