News Articles
- How to manage your spending in the run up to Christmas... and pay your rent and other bills!
- Cracking Christmas Credit!
- Fires and Thefts over Christmas
- Money – Are you getting enough?
- Festive Rewards for People who Pay
- Summer Prize Winners
- Service Charges at Sheltered Courts are being reviewed
- Do you want the chance to win £100??
- Pre Eviction Protocol a Success
How to manage your spending in the run up to Christmas…and pay the rent & other bills!
Christmas can be an expensive time and spending can quickly spiral out of control. Before you know it you’re struggling with buying presents, paying your rent and other bills. Charnwood Neighbourhood Housing works closely with Clockwise Credit Union, in order to improve the financially ability of our tenants.
During the run up to Christmas many people find they need to borrow money. We encourage all tenants to avoid using door step lenders as they can charge up to 350% APR, which means you pay back £35 on a £10 loan over a year! Instead turn to Clockwise; a non-profit organisation, offering ethical savings at a very affordable lending rate of interest, especially to those on no or low incomes.
- You can apply to open an account and for a loan at the same time, so you don’t have to wait to borrow money.
- You can save with Clockwise, using their variety of savings accounts.
- Clockwise also offer Current Accounts, with direct debit facility to have your rent and your bills paid automatically, this takes the stress out of remembering which bills to pay and when.
Cracking Christmas Credit!
Clockwise are offering a special £100.00 loan guarantee, which means anyone can apply for a £100.00 loan and be guaranteed it (subject to a credit check.) You can apply for more but £100.00 will be guaranteed. Make sure you apply quickly as this offer ends on 31st December 2009.
If you would like more information or to make an appointment, you can contact Veena at Clockwise Credit Union on 07833 946302 or email her directly: veena@clockwise cu.co.uk
Fires and Thefts over Christmas
With Christmas rapidly approaching, many of us are now decorating our homes with imaginative lighting displays using multiple lit features but BE WARNED …. this increases the risk of fire and damage to your home. Fires can be easily started by faulty Christmas lights which haven’t been used since last year and haven’t been tested. Aon Home Contents Insurance offered by CNH, covers losses for as little as £0.54 per week for over 60’s and £0.81 per week for all other tenants.
As everyone spending money on gifts and festive treats in the run to Christmas, the chances of household break-ins and theft increases. Aon Home Contents insurance also covers losses due to theft at the same rates as above.
So why not joint today for peace of mind to cover the cost of either of these terrible events which could affect you. For more information contact the Housing Income Team on 0800 6335548 or email: housing.income@cnh.org.uk
Money – Are you getting enough?
1000’s of pounds worth of benefit goes unclaimed every year and with the credit crunch gripping our pockets can you afford not to claim them? Why not contact the Money Management Officer at CNH to see whether you are entitled to any additional benefits to increase your income.
The Money Management Officer has secured an extra £130,000 of housing benefit for CNH tenants over the last 18 months, by assisting tenants to make claims, request backdates, and appeal against backdate refusals.
Many tenants need to claim benefits from time to time when their circumstances change, but the forms can be complicated and required copies of bank statements and other benefit entitlements before they claim is processed. It’s important to claim benefits as soon as your circumstances change otherwise you could miss out on benefit as back dates are not guaranteed.
Our Money Management Officer can help you to fill in forms and copy bank statements and benefit letters in the comfort of your own home!
So why not contact us today, free of charge on 0800 6335548 or email: housing.income@cnh.org.uk to arrange an appointment to make sure you are getting enough money!
Festive Rewards for People who Pay
CNH are offering 5 chances to win a Christmas hamper worth £100 each, in a prize draw for all tenants who have a clear rent account by the close of business on 18 December 2009. The Hampers will be distributed to the lucky winners on 21 December.
So check your rent statement enclosed and clear any arrears outstanding before 18 December 2009 to guarantee your entry in the prize draw!
Summer Prize Winners
Back in August 2009 a prize draw was offered for 2 prizes of £250.00 to tenants with a clear rent account by 7 August 2009. The winners were:
Mrs Darby of Woodthorpe Avenue Loughborough
Mrs Clarke of Oxford Court Syston
Also 2 prizes of £100 in high street gift vouchers were offered to tenants who joined the home contents insurance scheme by 3 August 2009. The winners were:
Mr Hall of Unitt Road Quorn
Mrs Bailey of 237 Wanlip Road Birstall
Service Charges at Sheltered Courts are being reviewed
If you live in an elderly person’s sheltered property, you will have some other charges in addition to your rent which you must paid weekly. These can include heating, electricity, water, laundry, and communal facilities. The actual costs of these services is being considered against the charges currently in place to ensure that tenants at each court are only paying for the services and cover the costs which each court incurs.
Once all the charges at each court have been reviewed, the proposed future charges for each service will be notified to all tenants affected for comments in the form of a letter.
Any changes to the charges currently in place are subject to the Council’s approval and will be submitted to the Council for consideration in February 2010, for proposed changes to take effect from April 2010.
All other changes such at Rent, Council Tax, mobile and resident warden charges, will be reviewed in line with normal rent and service charge review carried out by Charnwood Borough Council in February 2010.
Do you want the chance to win £100??
Simple… complete the Direct Debit form below to pay your rent and return to the Housing Income Team by 25 January 2010 to be entered into a prize drawn.
There are a variety of dates available when Direct Debits can be collected to suit your needs; these are on the 8th, 15th & 25th of the month or weekly on Tuesdays.
Existing Direct Debit payers, who have paid their rent in this way for the last 12 months, will be entering into a separate prize draw for £100 which will be drawn on 29 January 2010.
- Direct Debit Form (PDF, 326 Kb)
Complete the form and send back to the Housing Income Team at Charnwood Neighbourhood Housing, PO BOX 8749, Southfield Road, Loughborough, Leics, LE11 9EF.
Pre Eviction Protocol a Success
As all tenants are aware, failure to pay the rent can result in court action leading to eviction from your home and court costs being added to the debt outstanding.
During the first half of 2009/10, CNH have evicted 8 tenants from their homes due to non payment of their rent. This is a reduction of at least 2 tenancies during the same period over the last 3 years. This coincides with the introduction of the pre eviction protocol adopted by CNH which brings together all departments in housing to consider the actions being taken towards evicting the tenant and the impact any eviction may have of the tenant with regard to a homeless application.
If you are struggling to pay your rent and have difficulties managing your tenancy and day to day life, help is available in the form of tenancy support which can be provided by Charnwood Neighbourhood Housing or from other organisations like The Bridge. To find out more about the support services available, contact Gill Taylor on 01509 632577, which could prevent you from losing your home.
