At the Heart Winter 2017/18 by Havering Council

Magazine for tenants and leaseholders Winter 2017/18

Stay safe this

Christmas Read our tips on pages 10 and 11

At The Heart Winter 2017/18

You can report, apply and pay for a variety of housing services online. For all enquiries please visit www.havering.gov.uk/askhousing

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Dear residents Welcome to the Winter 2017/18 edition of At the Heart. I hope you have a very happy festive time of year and like me are looking forward to an exciting 2018. Our ambitious housing regeneration programme reaches a key landmark in February when we will be announcing with which company we will be partnering to deliver our ambitious plans to regenerate 12 of our housing developments across the borough. The first demolition work to prepare for the new building work should take place before the next Christmas edition of At the Heart. I am particularly looking forward to the opening in early 2018 of the brand-new Sapphire Ice and Leisure facilities in Romford. This fantastic development features a large dance studio, fitness suite, sauna, steam room and cafĂŠ in addition to a 25 metre swimming pool and a full-sized ice rink that will soon be able to host the home matches of the Romford Raiders ice hockey team. This development is just one of a series of improvements to leisure facilities in our borough including a new gym extension at Central Park Leisure Centre in Harold Hill, the opening of a large new sports complex in Noak Hill and plans to rebuild and improve the Hornchurch Leisure Centre. Also early in 2018 we will be able to publish the details of the findings in our Tenants' Survey that around 2,000 households were kind enough to complete earlier this year. We have been closely examining the findings and in each area where you have told us we need to do better we will prepare a Service Improvement Plan, give staff any appropriate training and let you know about any planned changes. If you are on housing benefit there are some important changes ahead as Universal Credit is set to be rolled-out to Havering in June and I encourage you to read our special welfare update that starts on page 12. We have a team of people at Havering Council able to assist you with any queries. Lastly, at the risk of coming across as a bit of a Christmas Grinch, please do read our feature on page 10 on ways in which you and your neighbours can enjoy your Christmas and New Year celebrations safely so we can all enjoy a healthy and prosperous 2018! Cllr Damian White Deputy Leader of Havering Council and Cabinet Member for Housing

www.havering.gov.uk/askhousing

If you want to meet Councillor White to discuss a housing issue please book to attend one of his surgeries at www.havering.gov.uk/HousingSurgeries or complete the form on page 19 of At the Heart. Published by Havering Council | Job no. 5291 Winter 2017/18

www.havering.gov.uk

• • • News • • • News • • • News • • • News • • • News

Keep paying the rent If you are a tenant it’s really important that you continue paying your rent on time over the Christmas/New Year period. If you allow rent arrears to build up then you face the normal eviction process that applies to any tenant with rent arrears at any time of the year. This includes tenants living on sites set for regeneration. If you are evicted due to rent arrears then you may be deemed to have made yourself intentionally homeless which means you:

• • •

Will not be rehoused by Havering Council Will not be rehoused by any other local authority in the country Will have court costs added to the money you owe the Council.

In addition if you live on one of the regeneration sites you will also not receive the Home Loss Payment or Disturbance Payments. If you are having trouble paying your rent on time please contact the housing services Money Advice Team before the problem escalates. More info www.havering.gov.uk/MoneyAdvice

New leader for Tenancy Support Service Neehara Wijeyesekera recently joined our Housing Services Management Team and leads the Tenancy Support Service. In his first few weeks, he has spent time visiting regeneration sites; attending residents meetings; inspecting hostel accommodation, and reviewing sheltered accommodation. He has also engaged with front line staff and attended staff meetings with a number of departments including income collection, sheltered accommodation, tenancy sustainment, hostels, and the out of hours service. He brings with him a wealth of senior housing experience working for local authorities and housing associations with expertise covering many areas including estate management and community engagement. Recently he spent eight years on the executive team at Hackney Homes where he established a community venture to assist residents getting back into work. Neehara commented: “I have been really impressed with staff and managers across Housing and the Council. Colleagues show a real commitment and passion for their roles. We need to work hard to ensure our customers receive high quality services and our challenge is to provide this consistently well during a period of positive change for Havering and its residents.”

At The Heart Winter 2017/18

• • • News • • • News • • • News • • • News • • • News • Havering has three TMOs (Tenant Management Organisations) which are set up by tenants to run particular estates in the borough. More info www.havering.gov.uk/TMOs

BETRA TMO

BETRA TMO was formed in 2004 and looks after 13 houses on the Barnstaple Road estate in Harold Hill: • Accrington House • Alcester House • Ampthill House • Angmering House • Cardigan House • Devizes House • Kirkham House

• Oundle House • Radstock House • Southsea House • Stroud House • Thornbury House • Upton House

More info www.betratmo.org

DELTA TMO DELTA TMO manages 276 flats, bungalows and maisonettes in Elvet Avenue and Durham Avenue and four properties in Squirrels Heath Lane in Gidea Park. More info www.deltatmo.com

PETRA TMO

PETRA TMO took over local housing management services for the three tower blocks on the Parkhill and Sunrise Estate on 1 April 2003. The low-rise blocks, which are sheltered housing, remain under the management of Havering Council. It looks after: 1 – 48 Overstrand House, 1 – 50 Parkview House, 1 – 48 Uphavering House More info http://petratmo.weebly.com

Repair Meetings All three TMO Managers are now having regular quarterly meetings with senior staff from The Breyer Group to discuss repairs issues. The aim is to address any problems that arise and solve them quickly by agreeing smarter ways of working. Residents on TMO estates should still report their repairs and maintenance requests in the usual way.

Leaseholder Forum Meetings The Leaseholder Forum gives a voice for Home Owners to raise issues of concern. Meetings takes place between 6.30pm and 8.30pm at Havering Town Hall, Main Road, Romford, RM1 3BD. The next meetings are on: • Tuesday 20 March 2018 • Tuesday 24 July 2018 If you are a Council leaseholder and want to join the forum please contact Community Engagement Officer Joanne Mahony through the web page below.

More info: www.havering.gov.uk/LeaseholderForum

Discount for deserving residents

If you are a single adult resident living in a property you’re entitled to claim a 25 per cent discount on your Council Tax bill and Havering Council is keen to ensure that this discount is claimed by taxpayers who are genuinely entitled to receive it. We need to check that the right people are getting this discount and prevent fraud and by doing so make sure that money is available for vital frontline services. If you already receive this single resident discount you may receive a review letter and form with instructions to either return the paper form to the address specified or complete it online. The form can be completed online at: www.havering.gov.uk/singlediscount The review is being carried out on behalf of Havering Council by Capita Local Government Services working with Equifax the credit reference agency using up-to-the-minute, data-matching technology to identify where people are claiming discounts that they are not entitled to.

www.havering.gov.uk

• • News • • • News • • • News • • • News • • • News • • •

Ending violence against women Will Perrin Court in Rainham was the venue for an event to mark the international Day for the Elimination of Violence against women on 24 November. Staff and residents spent the morning celebrating the day with a presentation and talk from Pauline Flynn from the Believe Foundation. Speaking afterwards Pauline said: “Everyone in that room touched me today in different ways and I am very happy that you asked me to come and talk. If it has helped one person, job done. Everyone that is staying in the hostel is amazing.” The residents were also moved by Pauline’s stories and one of them, Kim Abraham, (pictured below) who has survived domestic violence, read out a poem she had written.

I'M ALIVE

I laid alone u pon the sand , my head wa s filled with so didn't want to rrow, move at all, n ot looking for to My head was morrow. sinking deepe r, then my bo d y began to fo I carried on ta llow. king the pills, drowning in d eeper sorrow I woke upon . the warmth besid bed that night not sure if I was dead, th e en felt a me and my d aughter was rubbing my h ead. Mum she said did you know God loves you he knows how from your hea d to toe, many strand s of hair are u pon your hea He saved you d. mum , he love s you so, he w ouldn't want I felt so sad, h you dead. ow selfish of me to do this to my family. I am alive an d she was rig ht or I wouldn 't have surviv I started thin ed the night. king deep wit hin, God can you forgive me fo r my sin? Yes he said I kn ow you’re sad the bad. but I'm going to deliver you from Each day tha t followed I be came stronge and filled wit h hunger. r, I was waitin g for him Then he appea red bold and bright and from light. that day I see the Not going ba ck, not any tim e now. I'm glad I'm h ere to tell the tale. Kim Abraham

Check out news for your area The latest news and information about the Housing Regeneration Programme, including details of forthcoming Residents’ Open Meetings can be found online. Each regeneration area has its own web page and a Lead Officer in the Community Engagement Team who can answer any questions regarding that estate: Chippenham Road, Farnham Road and Hilldene Avenue www.havering.gov.uk/Hilldene or email Julieann.Brewster@havering.gov.uk DELTA TMO estate www.havering.gov.uk/DeltaTMO or email Joanne.Mahony@havering.gov.uk Maygreen Crescent and Park Lane www.havering.gov.uk/MaygreenEstate or email Kimberly.Miller@havering.gov.uk Oldchurch Gardens www.havering.gov.uk/OldchurchGardens or email Denise.Kelly@havering.gov.uk Napier House and New Plymouth House www.havering.gov.uk/NapierandNewPlymouth or email John.Bloss@havering.gov.uk Waterloo Estate www.havering.gov.uk/WaterlooEstate or email John.Bloss@havering.gov.uk and Julieann.Brewster@havering.gov.uk Sheltered Housing Schemes www.havering.gov.uk/ShelteredHousingDevelopment or email Chelsea.Hattersley@havering.gov.uk Leaseholders and freeholders Ian.Nolan@havering.gov.uk

• • • • • • • •

More info www.havering.gov.uk/HousingRegeneration

At The Heart Winter 2017/18

Housing fraud crack down locks out chea ts and saves Council £5 million A project tackling subletting and other types of tenancy fraud has seen 53 homes recovered, saving Havering Council more than five million pounds. Over the last two years, the Tenancy Fraud Team has visited 8,426 homes since the launch of a pilot scheme, aimed at auditing Council owned properties. The project aims to find out exactly who is living in the properties and how they are being used. When it’s suspected that a property is being used illegally, the case will be handed to the Council’s Fraud team who will launch an investigation. People found guilty of committing tenancy fraud could be fined up to £50,000 or face two years in jail. Cllr Damian White, Cabinet Member for Housing and Deputy Leader of the Council, said: “People cheating the housing system costs the Council huge amounts each year and hinders our ability to provide accommodation for people in desperate need of a home. “We continue to call on residents to help us catch more fraudsters by reporting any suspected cases. I would also urge anyone cheating the system to own up before we come knocking.”

over to you See it or suspect it? Report it for a £1,000 reward*. Key amnesty. If you’re committing tenancy fraud, give up your keys before January 2018 and face no consequences**.

Tenancy Fraud hotline

01708 432405 www.havering.gov.uk/knockknock *reward depends on information leading to the Council taking back the property. ** The amnesty only applies if you’re not being investigated at the time of surrendering your keys.

08 | NOVEMBER 2017 | LIVING in Havering

www.havering.gov.uk

Fab labs available for

News Free Kitchen Kit

Read all

Average cost of wasted food per household per year

residents - to save you money!

The Havering Recycling Team are offering residents of Havering the chance to receive a free kitchen toolkit to help reduce food waste and save money, as part of the funding received for the Sainsbury’s Waste Less Save Students working inMore one ofcampaign. the new labs The kit includes a selection of items and information

about it £700

£470

Record numbers of Havering primary school children took part in this year’s summer reading Children were encouraged to read six books during the summer holidays and then talk to a volunteer about them, receive a sticker, and ultimately a medal and certificate for completing the challenge.

2017 – 3,343 materials that will help you with portion controls, Paul Wakeling (left) and Paul Ramsbottom shopping, and storage of food to prolong the life of 2016 – 3,003 the food, as wellstate-of-the-art as give you tips and tricks science labs on forways 21st century Chemistry 2015 – 3,323 that youwere can officially reduce your household food waste and College at the end of teaching opened at Havering Sixth Form save up toafter £60 a month. Total children registered September successful bid to the Wolfson Foundation secured £100,000 funding for the project. For information on how to claim your free kitchen kit, Paul Wakeling, Principal of the college in Wingletye Lane, Hornchurch, welcomed go to: 2017 – 2,616 Paul Ramsbottom, CEO of the Wolfson Foundation, to formally open the bright www.havering.gov.uk/freekitchenkit 2016 – 2,365 spacious labsconditions and new prep room, and to meet science students as they carried Terms and apply. Source: Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Comittee, House of out a practical experiment. 2015 – 2,548 Commons 2017. The opening ceremony followed news that the college’s A Level Chemistry results Number of children this year were in the top 10 per cent in the UK.

Two new

During the Christmas/New Year period, there will be some changes to your refuse and recycling collections. completing all 6 books See below or click on www.havering.gov.uk/christmasbins for more details.

Havering Refuse & Recycling Collection Dates Christmas/New Year 2017/18

l l a u o y h s i w We s a m t s i r h C y a Mer r ! r a e Y w e N y p a nd a Hap

Collection times are likely to change. Please present waste/recycling by 7.00am on the day of collection. There will be no Garden Waste collections from Monday 25 Dec. Collections will resume the week commencing Monday 8 Jan. www.havering.gov.uk/greenwaste

Seasonal opening times at Gerpins Lane Reuse & Recycling Centre, Upminster: Christmas Eve Christmas Day Boxing Day New Year’s Eve New Year’s Day All other times (Mon - Sun)

7.30am – 4.30pm Closed 9.30am – 4pm 7.30am – 4.30pm 9.30am – 4pm 7.30am – 5.45pm

Collections will run as normal up to and including 22 Dec Normal collection date Mon 25 Dec Tues 26 Dec Wed 27 Dec Thurs 28 Dec Fri 29 Dec Mon 1 Jan Tues 2 Jan Wed 3 Jan Thurs 4 Jan Fri 5 Jan Mon 8 Jan Tues 9 Jan Wed 10 Jan Thurs 11 Jan Fri 12 Jan

Revised collection date * Wed 27 Dec Thurs 28 Dec Fri 29 Dec Sat 30 Dec Tues 2 Jan Wed 3 Jan Thurs 4 Jan Fri 5 Jan Sat 6 Jan Mon 8 Jan Tues 9 Jan Wed 10 Jan Thurs 11 Jan Fri 12 Jan Sat 13 Jan

Normal collections resume Monday 15 January 2018 *This also applies to the Clinical Waste Service. There will be no Bulky Waste collection service from Monday 25 Dec. Service recommences Monday 8 Jan.

Collection dates may change depending on weather conditions. Keep checking www.havering.gov.uk

At The Heart Winter 2017/18

Five go off to work In November five more people have been helped into employment by our Job Clubs. Below you can find details of all the regular weekly meetings organised by our Job Clubs. Don’t forget that the Clubs will be closed for the Christmas/New Year holiday from Monday 25 December and will re-open on Tuesday 2 January.

Find your local job club Contact the Job Club Team on 07923 054727 or just come along with some ID to any of the job clubs listed below. Mardyke Community Centre - Mondays 9am to noon Mardyke Community Centre, South Street, Rainham, RM13 8PJ North Romford Community Association - Tuesdays 10am to 1pm Room 6, North Romford Community Association, Clockhouse Lane, Collier Row, RM5 3QJ Betty Strathern Centre - Wednesdays 10am to 1pm Betty Strathern Centre, 41 Myrtle Road, Harold Hill, Romford, RM3 8XS Hornchurch Library - Thursdays 10am to 1pm Hornchurch Library, 44 North Street, Hornchurch, RM11 1TB Havering Citizens Advice Bureau - Fridays 10am to 1pm Havering Citizens Advice Bureau, 9 Victoria Road, Romford, RM1 2JT (Moving to Central Library in Romford from 2 January 2018)

More info: www.havering.gov.uk/JobClubs

Home Contents Insurance for all Tenants

The cost of Tenants Contents Insurance under the Havering Council scheme is now lower than it has been in years!*

Prices for standard cover start from: 79p per week for £9,000 cover for under 60s 53p per week for £6,000 cover for over 60s

35p per week for £4,000 cover for those in sheltered accommodation

Or you can choose to upgrade to full accidental damage cover from: £1.13 per week for £9,000 cover for under 60s 76p per week for £6,000 cover for over 60s 50p per week for £4,000 cover for those in sheltered accommodation

You simply need to choose the level of cover to suit you, up to £40,000. Avoid unexpected costs with cover included for items such as lost or stolen keys, freezer contents and broken windows – all specially designed just for tenants!

NO EXCESS if you need to make a claim

There is also a range of optional covers to choose from, including cover for personal belongings away from the home, wheelchairs, mobility scooters, hearing aids and pedal cycles.** No increase in your premium if you do make a claim – the prices quoted are fixed for at least the next two years

Pay weekly with your rent– no additional interest charges! Call now 01708 434000 or visit our website for an application form.

*Review conducted from 1996 to 2017. Based on £9,000 worth of standard cover for under 60’s. Price does not account for increases in Insurance Premium Tax.

**Please speak to a member of staff for more details on applicable items and limits available. The policy is underwritten by Aviva Insurance Limited. FP.ENT.2053.MH

More info: www.havering.gov.uk/HomeInsurance

Homes recovered

If you’re thinking of exercising your Right to Buy (RTB) make sure that you are following the rules. In the last two years the Home Ownership Team has identified 55 RTB applications which caused concern and were referred to Tenancy Fraud investigators. The investigations showed that the 55 applicants were committing fraud by not providing accurate information and their RTB was cancelled. Many of those applicants then had to hand in their keys to avoid fraud prosecutions meaning an extra 55 properties were available for genuine Council tenants. That tough action saved the Council £4,784,438 in discounts which would have been given if RTB had gone ahead.

More info: www.havering.gov.uk/RightToBuy

Cancelled

www.havering.gov.uk

Do It In A Day

Getting repairs done quickly and effectively is important, which is why a new system has been introduced so that all day-to-day repairs in a specific street will be tackled on one day by the Council’s contractor, the Breyer Group.

Housing Services Responsive Repairs Manager, Elina Rice, said: “The aim is to improve the repairs service to Havering’s tenants and leaseholders. By having a known day, residents can plan ahead and the Council will do more repairs on time and at the first visit, because we will be in one location if a tenant needs something done.”

Tenants should report repairs in the normal way and the Council will programme non-urgent repairs to be carried out during these special days. Also if there is a repair that hasn’t been reported, we may be able to complete it for you on the day. The dates for the repair days are listed below.

Date

Area

19 December 2017

Highfield Road, Hillrise Road, Highfield Towers, Highfield Link, Hendon Gardens, Harlow Gardens

3 January 2018

Prospect Place

10 January 2018

Suffolk House, Norfolk House, Sussex House, Surrey House, Kent House, Durham House, Devon House, Cumberland House, Rutland House, Mawney Close, Rodney Way, Valiant Close, Victory Way

17 January 2018

Brunswick Avenue, Macon Way, Lexington Way, Roseberry Gardens, Waycross Avenue, Moultrie Way, Griffin Avenue, Brunswick Court (Sheltered)

24 January 2018

Maygreen Crescent, Park Lane (Sheltered)

31 January 2018

Rush Green Gardens

7 February 2018

Ongar Way, Theydon Gardens, Danbury Road, Fyfield Road, Canfield Road, Harlow Road, Writtle Walk

14 February 2018

The Rotunda, Fambridge Court, Cottons Court (Sheltered)

21 February 2018

Farnham Road, Hilldene Avenue, Chippenham Road, Kings Lynn Drive, Dartfields, Rothbury House, Crediton House, Wantage House, Ingleton House, Stratford House, Ripon House, Keswick House, Ringwood House, Morpeth House, Matlock House, Lincoln House

28 February 2018

Malan Square, Bader Way, Wood Lane, Thomas Sims Court

7 March 2018

Leyburn Crescent, Leyburn Road , Southall House, Ulverston House , Runcorn House, Talgarth House, Wallingford House, Coleford House, Denbigh House, Chesham House, Havant House, Atherton House, Middlesborough House, Lampeter House, Enfield House, Helmsley House, Langport House, Orton House, Pulborough House

14 March 2018

Carnforth House, Marsden House, Bracknell House, Brackley House, Bedford House, Arnside House, Heathfield House, Hungerford House, Lodden House

21 March 2018

Morecambe House, Minefield House, Macclesfield House, Lynmouth House, Luton House, Thrapston House, Haslingdon House, Halifax House, Glossop House, Epsom House , Gillingham House, Camelford House, Wilmslow House, Wolverton House, Newmarket House, Portmadoc House, Northampton House, Nelson House

28 March 2018

St Helens Court

4 April 2018

Napier House, New Plymouth House, Dunedin Road, Gisborne Gardens, Queenstown Gardens, New Zealand Way, Christchurch Avenue, Auckland Avenue

More info www.havering.gov.uk/repairdays

At The Heart Winter 2017/18

Know your elf and safe Christmas is definitely a time for celebration but is also a particularly dangerous period within your home. However, all it takes is a little extra care and a little more focus to completely safeguard your home and your family from the dangers of fire. Simply follow these tips:

Candles…

Never use candles near furnishings or flammable items. Do not leave candles unattended and always ensure that candles are properly placed within non-flammable holders, securely so they do not fall over. Candles should always be fully extinguished, never go to sleep or exit the property leaving candles alight.

Christmas trees…

Careful fire safety measures should be taken with your Christmas tree – especially if you are buying a real one! A burning tree can rapidly fill a room with fire and deadly gases so it is crucial that, if you are having a fresh tree this year, it should be kept thoroughly watered. When selecting your tree, one of the best tips is to check the needles. If the tree has been freshly cut the needles should be hard to pull back from the branches and should not break. If they do, it has probably been cut down too long ago and dried out – making it a fire hazard. Whether your tree is real or artificial, it should never be placed close to a heat source, such as fireplaces, lights and heat vents, and you should also take care when placing lights and decorations on to the tree.

www.havering.gov.uk

ety this Christmas Extensions and sockets… During the Christmas period it is likely that your sockets will be getting much more use than normal. Fairy lights, plug in decorations and window adornments are all going to need electrical power, but it is vital that you don’t overload your sockets or use too many extension cables. The picture below was taken recently in a sheltered scheme communal lounge.

Fairy lights…

Before putting up and plugging in your fairy lights, it is very important that you check the fuses are the right type – you should check the box for details on the maximum size of fuse you should use. You should also check that your lights conform to the British Standard BS EN 60598 and this should be printed on the box. When putting up your fairy lights it is vital to make sure they are not near to or touching anything flammable, such as paper and fabrics. Finally, it is crucial that you always switch off your fairy lights and unplug them before going to bed or leaving the house.

Decorations…

A lot of decorations are made of light tissue paper and cardboard and, as we all know, these are the kinds of materials which burn the easiest – and the fastest! Therefore, it is very important to consider exactly where you are placing these kinds of decorations. Never attach them to lights or heaters and keep them far away from candles. It is also recommended that you never place decorations or greetings cards immediately above or around the fireplace, fire or heat source as this can pose a significant ignition threat.

At The Heart Winter 2017/18

• • • Welfare update • • • Welfare update • • • Welfare

Here to help you

Dionne Gordon (left) and Alex Healey from Havering Council’s Financial Inclusion and Welfare Benefits Team The Government has embarked on a series of changes to welfare payments and to help you understand these changes Havering Council has set up a team of people in the Housing Office, Chippenham Road, Harold Hill. This Financial Inclusion and Welfare Benefits team are able to provide information, advice and sometimes help with taking action on your behalf. The main welfare reforms the team deal with are universal credit, the benefit cap and under occupancy. The team can assist with general welfare benefit checks and financial assessments to help income maximisation and money management. They work with lots of different partner organisations both within the council and external and can make tailored referrals where a person needs specialist help in other areas. The team’s aim is to try to ensure that Havering residents know that there is someone within the Council who they can raise concerns with or ask questions to, regarding the many Government benefit changes, budgeting and dealing with debt. See the following pages for a summary of the main changes and issues relating to Universal Credit, the benefit cap, under occupancy (the so-called “bedroom tax”), and fuel poverty.

m Contact the tea Call: 7 3 5 2 3 4 8 0 017 Email: k .u v o .g g in r e v a h @ welfare.reforms

www.havering.gov.uk

e update • • • Welfare update • • • Welfare update • • •

Universal Credit: What is it?

Credit is a new social security benefit for people of working age; it does not affect pensioners. • Universal t combines six means tested benefits into one benefit for adults, children, and housing costs. The existing means • Itested benefits and tax credits for working age people are going to be eventually abolished. f you make a new claim in any of the following circumstances in Havering from June 2018, you will need to claim • IUniversal Credit: – a lone parent with two or less children – sick or disabled – a carer – unemployed or in low paid work – you need help with living expenses including your rent or mortgage

If this applies to you all adults in the household will need to sign a claimant commitment, which will set out what you have agreed to do to prepare for and look for work, or to increase your earnings if you’re already working. It will be based on your personal circumstances and will be reviewed and updated on an ongoing basis. Each time it’s updated, you will need to accept a new claimant commitment to keep receiving Universal Credit. The claimant commitment is your record of the responsibilities that you have accepted in return for receiving Universal Credit, and the consequences of not meeting them.

Good things to know:

niversal Credit is only paid once per calendar month and in arrears so you need to be prepared to budget for a • Umonth at a time. • If you are renting from a registered social landlord (like Havering Council or housing associations) you need to be

aware that unlike housing benefit Universal Credit is paid directly to you and not your landlord and that you will then be expected to pay your rent to your landlord.

eductions - the Universal Credit award letter does not always give details of any deductions made from the • DUniversal Credit award e.g. for under occupancy, non-dependants deductions or third party deductions. • Sanctions – The penalties are harsher, for a longer period than the old benefit system. There are four levels of

sanctions with the longest being for three years and the shortest being until you do the activity they said you failed to do. Although you cannot have two sanctions at the same time, you can have back to back sanctions.

More details: www.gov.uk/universal-credit

At The Heart Winter 2017/18

• • • Welfare update • • • Welfare update • • • Welfare

Universal Credit: How to help manage the changes udgeting – it’s always worth taking a look at your shopping habits: are you getting the best possible deals on your • Bessential purchases or could you get them cheaper if you tried a different shop. Can you make your money stretch further by planning meals ahead, and buying less take-away meals?

rioritise any debts or obligations you may have. Rent (housing costs), Council Tax, and utility bills should be top • Ppriorities. • Saving for emergencies – for example, join a credit union and pay in a small amount each week. • If you use a car for school runs or work could you car-share with a friend or neighbour to use less fuel? ake sure you’re taking advantage of all available help – free oyster card for children, free school meals, free • Mprescriptions, reduced price travel cards, freedom passes, taxi cards, and if you smoke join the NHS stop smoking programme.

eek help immediately when finding it hard to manage. Speak to your landlord, benefits agencies, Havering Citizens • SAdvice Bureau, debt agencies, and to Havering Council (contact details below).

We can help: Havering Council’s Financial Inclusion and Welfare Benefits team can help you make a claim online for Universal Credit. They can also help with personal budgeting support which includes budgeting, money management, dealing with debts, and generally working out the best way forward. They can carry out a holistic household assessment for you and work together to create a household action plan to try to minimise the impact as much as possible.

m a e t e h t t c a t n o C Call: 7 3 5 2 3 4 8 0170 Email: v.uk o .g g in r e v a h @ s welfare.reform

?? www.havering.gov.uk

e update • • • Welfare update • • • Welfare update • • •

How does the Benefit Cap work?

There’s a limit on the total amount of benefit that working aged people can get. The cap which includes housing benefit is £442.31 per week for couples, couples with children or lone parents living in Greater London. The limit for single claimants is £296.35 per week.

If you are affected by the cap, the benefit that is reduced to take you under the cap is your housing benefit, which means that the amount of rent you have to pay is increased. You’re not affected by the cap if you or your partner work and get Working Tax Credit or Universal Credit with an income of more than £430 per month net. You’re not affected by the Benefit Cap if you get certain benefits, most of which are related to disability or carers e.g. carers allowance, disability living allowance, personal independence payment, or guardian’s allowance. The cap applies to the total amount of benefits that your household (you, your partner and any dependent children living with you) get from particular benefits.

The Benefit Cap applies to households of all tenures, including private sector landlords, Havering Council, or housing association. There are special rules for specified accommodation e.g. hostels but those households are not automatically exempt from the cap.

Could y o benefit u have your s cappe d? •

If you a re a lon e paren rent is m t wit ore tha n £150.1 h 3 children w YOU CO hose 2 per w ULD BE eek CAPPED If you a ! re a cou ple with more th 2 childr an £175 en who .56 per YOU CO se rent week ULD BE is CAPPED !

•

What’s the impact of the Benefit Cap?

The majority of residents likely to be affected by the Benefit Cap have children and its introduction will mean that residents on income support, jobseekers allowance and employment and support allowance who have traditionally not had to pay rent may now have to budget to make rent payments.

Ways to become exempt from the Benefit Cap:

Work enough hours to qualify for working tax credit. This is 16 hours per week as a lone parent, 24 hours per week as a couple with one person working at least 16 hours per week, or 30 hours per week as a single person over 25 years old.

If you or your partner are disabled and have been in receipt of ESA for a long time, you may be able to get working tax credit by working reduced hours.

How can Havering Council help?

Havering Council’s housing team will send you a letter if you are affected by the Benefit Cap to notify you that you will be capped, the date that the cap will be applied, the amount your housing benefit will be reduced by and the amount of housing benefit you will receive in future. This letter includes contact details for Havering Council’s Financial Inclusion and Welfare Benefits Team. If you are affected by the Benefit Cap please get in touch with them on 01708 432537.

At The Heart Winter 2017/18

• • • Welfare update • • • Welfare update • • •

Under Occupancy

If you are a housing benefit claimant living in social housing, aged between 16 years old and Pension Credit age having a 'spare' bedroom can lead to a cut in your housing benefit. There are options available for tenants affected by under occupancy. These include covering the shortfall from your personal income, finding work, or trying to increase your hours if working part time. Another option is to consider taking in a lodger or other family so you no longer have a spare room. Alternatively, you may want to downsize. Havering Council offers a financial incentive for council tenants moving into smaller accommodation Move from...

to...

you get...

PLUS...

Four beds

Three beds

£1000