21/02/2022
How we’re tackling rent debt
We hope you feel comfortable as soon as you step inside your Newtide home, and that you find managing your tenancy simple and straightforward. However, we know life isn’t always plain sailing, and things don’t always go to plan, so if you ever find yourself struggling to pay your rent, we’re here to support you and talk you through your options.
The sign-up process
We believe in setting tenants up for success from the get-go, which is why we’ll discuss how you’ll pay your rent moving forward and take your first rent payment in advance, during the sign-up stage. Our Rent teams will assess your individual circumstances and work with you to identify any support needs.
We’ll also discuss payment methods and work out the right option for you. We’ll always encourage you to set up a Direct Debit payment on a day that suits you, as this will give you peace of mind knowing your rent is taken care of. It means you don’t have to remember to make each payment, and this minimises your chances of falling into debt. More than half of our tenants who have a clear rent account pay by direct debit.
Benefit advice
If you’re finding it difficult to pay your rent, you may be entitled to help from the Government. With all the different types of benefits available it can be hard to understand what’s right for you and how to start the application process – luckily, we’re on hand to help! Our friendly Rents team will be happy to talk you through all the different options, from Universal Credit and DHP to Government grants to help with heating your home. We can also support you with the application process and help you challenge, or appeal benefit decisions.
Help with budgeting
Creating a budget that you can stick to is a great way to track your spending and understand where your money goes. We can help you complete income and expenditure forms to help you understand what you can afford and assist you with setting up bills once you move into your new home.
Support from external agencies
To provide further support and guidance, we will always refer tenants to their Local Authority, the National Debtline or another external agency. Some of the local agencies we promote include:
DIAL, Gt Yarmouth – Support with benefit and money advise, as well as debt advice.
Steam Housing Café – Gorleston mental health support café that runs activities
Ipswich Housing Action Group (IHAG) – Ipswich money advice service
Peabody – Essex outreach support
Anglia Care Trust – Housing Support in Ipswich and Essex
Deciding what’s right for you
If you’ve fallen behind with your rent payments, it’s important that we help you get back on track as soon as possible and work together to decide the best way forward. We’ll encourage you to clear any debts over a reasonable period of time, and this will be based on how much you have to pay back and what is affordable for you.
We hope this helped to shed some light on how we work to prevent you falling into rent debt and the options available if you find yourself struggling to keep up with your payments. For more information and guidance head over to the Your Rent page of our website and if you need a friendly face to talk to, find out how you can contact us.
