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Money Matters

Rent Arrears (owing us money)

If you have problems paying the rent you owe us, please ring us straight away. Don't wait until you owe a large amount of money before you get in touch. We'll try to help you.

You can talk to us to arrange an amount you can afford to pay each week. The agreed amount will be enough to ensure your rent and any arrears are paid.

There are a few easy steps that you can take to help you resolve debt issues:

  1. It’s not a good idea to borrow from money lenders to pay off any money you owe us or other people. They often charge higher interest charges than the high street lenders such as banks or building societies. This means you might end up owing a lot more money than you originally borrowed.
  2. Make a list of the amounts you owe. Make sure you pay priority debts such as rent and council tax first. Contact the people you owe money to. Most, like us, can help you; you are not on your own. Take advantage of the fact that we want to help you to stay in your home.

We expect you to pay your rent before you pay any other money you owe. But if you can’t do this for a genuine reason, please ring us to talk about it. We want to try and help you so please call us on 0800 876 6060.

There are lots of people you can speak to who can give you advice and help if you can’t pay your bills. Here are their details:

Citizens Advice BureauThe Citizens Advice Bureau can help with money advice.

Maidenhead
01628 621006
High Wycombe     0844 4994108
Slough 0845 1203712
Basingstoke 01256 322814
Wokingham 0844 4994126
Broxbourne 01992 635858
Aylesbury 0870 1264056

 

You can also speak to the National Debtline on 0808 808 4000 or go to their website www.nationaldebtline.co.uk. They offer advice on debt problems and free booklets and fact sheets on dealing with debt.

Or you can find out online if you can claim any benefits by clicking on this link: Are there any benefits I can claim?

If you want to see if you can get any benefits (from anywhere in England), the first thing you should do is telephone 0800 05566 88 (Textphone 0800 023 48 48). An advisor will fill out a claim form over the phone from the information you give them. You'll then be given a date and time to go into the local Job Centre to sign the statement and make sure the details are right.

Help! I want to undestand money issues better

These websites are run by the Financial Services Authority, the organisation in the UK set-up by the government to regulate financial services and protect your rights. Because they’re the regulator, they’re not selling anything. So, all their information is impartial.

Other useful numbers

  • Advice UK - 0207 7407 4070 - www.adviceuk.org.uk
    All members provide free and confidential advice on a range of subjects, but not all provide money advice.
  • Consumer Credit Counselling Service (CCCS) - 0800 138 1111 - www.cccs.co.uk
    CCCS offers a structured programme on how to manage your money.
  • Credit Action - 020 7436 9937 - www.creditaction.org.uk
    Provides information and guidance for people looking to manage their money better or to deal with debt or money worries.
  • Debt Advice Network - 0300 011 2340 - www.debtadvicenetwork.org
    A charity with a nationwide network of advisors offering free, impartial advice on any type of debt problem.
  • Payplan - 0800 917 7823 - www.payplan.com
    Free confidential advice on debt problems.

Struggling with heating bills?

If you are struggling to pay your gas and electricity bills there is plenty of help available.

First contact your energy supplier, as they may be able to offer you a special tariff or payment plan to help you stay on top of your bills.

If you are over 60, disabled or chronically ill you should contact your supplier to make sure you are on their Priority Service Register. This entitles you to a range of free services including quarterly meter reads if you have difficulty reading the meter.

Here are some simple starting points:

  1. Contact the Home Heat Helpline, a free, expert service for vulnerable people, on 0800 336699. They can speak to your fuel supplier for you and find out if you can obtain any extra financial help.
  2. Contact your power supplier for advice and to see if they have special tariffs for low income customers. Contacts include:

    British Gas - Essentials Tariff: 0845 850 22 07
    EDF - Energy Assist: 0800 328 9010
    EON - Age Concern Tariff (over 60’s only): 0800 015 6784
    Npower - First Steps: 0808 172 6999
    Scottish & Southern, Southern Electric, Atlantic - Energyplus Care:   0800 622 838
    Scottish Power - Carefree Plus Tariff:

    		 08452 700 700
     
  3. Contact the Energy Saving Trust advice centre for energy saving advice: www.energysavingtrust.org.uk
  4. Check if you can save money by switching to a new supplier. Contact a free 'fuel comparison service' for advice. You need old bills to make a comparison. You can do it by phone or fill out an online form.
Where to get further advice if you have access to the internet.
 
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