Specialist Income Management Service Standard

• Give you a unique payment reference number and tell you how much you need to pay each week.
• Make sure your rent is correct and is in line with our policy and government guidelines.
• Advise you and help you to claim Housing Benefit if necessary and work closely with the Council’s Housing Benefit service to make sure your claim is dealt with as soon as possible.
• Process your rent payments as quickly as possible; to make sure your account is accurate and up to date.
• Send you a clear rent statement if you ask for one and explain how we work out your charges and balance.
• Give you at least four weeks’ written notice of any increase in your total rent.
• Tell you as soon as possible if you miss a rent payment.
• Follow a clear procedure for recovering unpaid rent and explain each stage of the procedure to you.
• Agree a suitable arrangement for you to pay any overdue rent.
• Offer you advice on benefits and managing any debts or refer you to another agency that can do this.
• Give you the opportunity to discuss your rent in confidence if you visit our office.
• Take the time to explain your rent statement to you if you contact us.
• Explain how we work out your rent and other charges and send you a more detailed explanation of the service charge if you ask for one.
• Tell you the different ways you can pay your rent

• Pay your rent on time.
• Contact us urgently if you have any difficulty paying your rent, so that we can help you at an early stage.
• Claim any benefits that you are entitled to.
• Ensure you respond promptly to any letters or notifications you receive from the Housing Benefit team or regarding your Universal Credit (UC) claim, and remember to update your UC journal with any changes.
• Tell us and the Housing Benefit service about any changes to your personal circumstances, or if you are likely to be away from your home for more than thirty days.

We will only pursue eviction for non-payment of rent in exceptional circumstances.

You can pay your rent by:

• Direct Debit or Standing Order from a bank or building society account.
• Swipe Card at any Post Office or any participating Pay Point outlet.
• Cheque or Postal Order payable to Southend-on-Sea City Council, sent to the Civic Centre.   Please write your payment reference number on the back of your cheque or Postal Order. Do not send cash in the post.
• Contacting us on Freephone 0800 833160 during normal office hours and paying by debit or credit cards.
• Debit or credit card by calling the 24-hour automated service on 08702 406650. Calls are charged at the national rate.
• Debit or credit card on the Council’s website (www.southend.gov.uk) or the South Essex Homes website (www.southessexhomes.gov.uk).
• If you have a Smartphone, you can download the 'allpay' App or the South Essex Homes App for free directly from the Apple App Store or Google Play.  For more information, visit: www.allpay.net/allpay-payment-app
• Tenants with other types of mobile phones can pay by text message. To use this service you must first register on the website www.allpayments.net/textpay/login.aspx, then follow the instructions provided. Once you have created login details you can text your payment.
• Recurring card payments: any day, any frequency payments can be set up to be taken automatically from your debit or credit card. This is an ideal payment method for ongoing rent payments or to repay an outstanding debt you may have with us. Payments are agreed at set-up and cannot be changed without your prior permission.  You will also not be charged if there are insufficient funds in your bank account when the payment is attempted. In order to set up payment or to discuss alternative payment methods, please speak to your Tenancy Officer or our Specialist Income Management Team by calling 0800 833 160.

If you want to change the way you pay your rent or have any other queries about paying for your home, please contact South Essex Homes on 0800 833 160.

We will send you a quarterly statement of your rent account. If you need a statement at any other time please contact the Specialist Income Management Team, Tenancy Services Team or the Customer Contact Team. 

If you are on a low income, you may be eligible for help with paying your rent and Council Tax.  If you receive Income Support, Job Seekers Allowance, Employment Support Allowance or Pension Credit Guarantee Credits you could be entitled to benefits to cover all of your rent and Council Tax, depending on who else lives in your home and their income.  

Some charges (for example, water rates, heating and garage rents) are not covered by Housing Benefit, so you will need to pay these yourself.

If your circumstances change (for example, if a partner joins the household or an adult child returns to live with you), you must notify the Housing Benefits and Council Tax sections immediately.  Failing to do this may mean that changes are backdated, leaving you with rent arrears and liable to repay any overpaid benefits.

Under-occupancy

If you claim housing benefit and are under-occupying your property (more bedrooms than required) you will receive a reduction in the amount of housing benefit paid which is more commonly known as the bedroom tax. If you have one spare bedroom your housing benefit will be reduced by 14% and if you have two spare bedrooms it will be reduced by 25%. 

If you find yourself under-occupying your property there are several options you may want to consider.

Down-sizing

You may want to move to smaller accommodation that is more affordable and suitable for your needs. Officers at South Essex Homes can assist you in making an application for re-housing. You may also be entitled to Discretionary Housing Payment to cover the shortfall in housing benefit whilst you look for alternative accommodation and you may be entitled to funds from the Tenant’s Incentive Scheme for down-sizing to a smaller property. You may also want to consider mutual exchange which involves swapping properties with another housing association tenant.

Taking in lodger

You may want to consider taking in a lodger to occupy your spare bedroom(s). Although their income would be taken into consideration in your housing benefit claim you can charge them rent and financially could be better off. You must seek permission from South Essex Homes before taking in a lodger and Officers can give you further advice should you wish to consider this option. 

Stay and pay

You may decide that you can afford to cover the shortfall in housing benefit and stay in the property you currently occupy. 

There is a limit on how much a family can receive in benefits. 

To check if you will be affected, add up all your benefits, including those that might not be paid to you directly such as housing benefit. If the total amount is more than the limit, your benefit will be cut. This will come out of your housing benefit or Universal Credit and you will have to pay the shortfall. 

For further information and advice please see our website www.southessexhomes.co.uk or contact us on 0800 833 160

Universal Credit is for people of working age, designed to top-up your income to a minimum level and help with your housing costs (in place of housing benefit). Universal Credit will be replacing the following benefits:

• Housing Benefit
• Income Support
• Income-Based Job Seekers Allowance
• Income-Related Employment Support Allowance
• Child Tax Credit
• Working Tax Credit

Please note that Universal Credit does not include help with your Council tax, you must claim Council Tax Reduction separately (application can be found on www.southend.gov.uk)

Universal Credit is paid in one lump sum on a monthly basis and includes help to pay your rent. This money is not paid directly onto your rent account like housing benefit and usually all the Universal Credit is paid straight to you, so you have to pay your rent out of this money.