Housing Services
AUTUMN 2015
CONTENTS PAGE
1 SERVICE CHARGES
3 ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR
2 WELFARE REFORMS
4 ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR
3 WELFARE REFORMS
4 GET INVOLVED
INTRODUCTION OF SERVICES CHARGES Service charges to be introduced for council flats and sheltered schemes Tenants living in Tamworth Borough Council properties with communal areas, as well as those in sheltered accommodation, will have to pay a weekly service charge from 4 April 2016. Currently, the cost of cleaning, electricity and water in communal areas is paid for through the Housing Revenue Account. This means, in effect, that all tenant-related income, including rents, subsidises these services when the majority of tenants do not receive them. Following a decision by Tamworth Borough Council’s Cabinet at its meeting on Thursday July 9, residents in council-owned blocks of flats and sheltered schemes will be asked to pay a weekly service charge from April 2016 to cover the cost of those services. This ensures that those who benefit from the communal services pay for them. The cost to a household living in general accommodation will be around £7 per week, while for those in sheltered schemes, it will be around £11. The service charge will be collected as part of the weekly rent and will be included in the rent statement. The introduction of service charges will raise around £435,000 per year, which will be invested in improving the housing services. The introduction of service charges will affect a total of 1,013 tenanted households in Tamworth – 648 in general needs accommodation and 365 in sheltered schemes. Of those affected tenants, around 63% in general needs and 88% in sheltered accommodation will have the service charge fully covered by Housing Benefit. This equates to fewer than 300 tenants having to pay extra. ...continued over
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...continued from page 2 All those tenants who will have to pay the new service charge are being supported by Tamworth Borough Council housing staff. Help includes targeted welfare advice to check if they qualify for benefit, ability to vary payment arrangements and help from the Landlord Hardship Fund in extreme cases. There is also a free phone help number 0800 183 0454 which people can ring to answer any individual concerns. Drop-in sessions have also been arranged to allow tenants and those with concerns to come along and speak to council staff directly. All the sessions are being held at the High Rise Social Club on the Riverside estate, off Lichfield Street. The dates of the drop-ins are: l Tuesday August 25, 4pm to 7pm l Friday August 28, 10am to 2pm l Saturday August 29, 10am to 12noon
WELFARE REFORMS How does the Government’s Summer Budget affect you? Many of the changes to the welfare system will be phased in, with the first changes taking place in April 2016. The full details of the changes are still to be confirmed. The key announcements are: Reduction in the benefit cap The benefit cap is being reduced from £500 to £385 per week for couples with or without children and single parents with children who live with them. For single adults without children or those who have children who do not live with them, the benefit cap will be reduced from £350 to £258. Those already affected by the benefit cap will find their benefits reduced further, with less help towards their housing costs. Tax Credits and Universal Credit child element limited to two children For children born after April 2017, Tax Credits and Universal Credits will only be paid for the first two children. There will be no payments for a third child or subsequent children. Multiple births will be exempt. This will also apply to families who make new claims for Universal Credit after April 2017. Tax Credit Family Element The Family Element in Tax Credits will not be available for those starting a family after April 2017. Similarly the first child premium in Universal Credit will not available for new claims. Removal of Housing Support for benefit claimants aged 18 to 21 years From April 2017, Housing Support for 18 to 21-year-olds who are out of work making new claims in Universal Credit will not receive help towards their housing costs. Some exemptions are parents, vulnerable groups and those who are not able to live with parents - for example those claimants who have been in care. Housing Benefit will only be backdated up to four weeks From April 2016, Housing Benefit will only be backdated up to four weeks before a claim is made.
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Working age benefits to be frozen Working age benefits such as Tax Credits, Child Benefit and Local Housing Allowances are to be frozen for the next four years. Reduction in Universal Credit payments From April 2016, the amount you can earn before your Universal Credit payment is reduced will be a lower amount and this also applies to Tax Credits. Employment Support Allowance payments (ESA) to be reduced ESA claimants who are in the work-related activity group will be paid the same amount as Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) from April 2017. This change does not apply to those ESA claimants who receive the support element. Mothers returning to work Mothers, including single mothers who are claiming Universal Credit, will be expected to look for work when their youngest child turns three. Increase in National Living Wage The National Living wage for workers aged 25 years and over will be increased to £7.20 per hour from April 2016 with the intention to increase it to £9.00 per hour by 2020.
We can help you through these changes These are just brief details of the announcements. If you have any queries or concerns on how these changes may affect you or if you find you are experiencing difficulties in budgeting to pay your rent and other bills, please contact the Tenancy Sustainment team on 01827 709514. The Tenancy Sustainment team and their partnering agencies can offer you advice and assistance with ensuring you are receiving the right amount of benefits, budgeting, reducing heating costs, debt advice and also provide information on training courses and jobs.
ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR The new Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime & Policing Act came into force on October 20 2014. One of the new powers is the Absolute Ground for Possession. This new power speeds up the process for evicting those who carry out the most serious anti-social behaviour. To make sure that we are fair and proportionate in our response, an eviction consultation protocol has been introduced. This means that we will consult with all partner agencies involved in a case before applying for possession proceedings. 1
The Absolute Ground for Possession is a new mandatory ground introduced where a tenant or member of their household or visitor has met one of the following conditions:
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Convicted of a serious criminal offence
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Found by a court to have breached a civil injunction
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Convicted for breach of a Criminal Behaviour Order ...continued over
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Convicted for breach of a Noise Abatement Notice, or
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Property has been closed under a Closure Order
The new legislation also enables us to apply for injunctions against minors aged between 10 and 17. Landlord Services obtained its first new Civil Injunction under the new legislation following reports of drunken and dangerous behaviour by three occupants of a property in Bolehall. At the return hearing, none of the defendants attended and the court granted a 12-month injunction with a power of arrest against two of the offenders. Under the new legislation, if this injunction is breached, Tamworth Borough Council can apply to the court for outright possession of the property.
In the year to March 2015, Landlord Services received 296 complaints, compared to 584 the year before. That is a reduction of almost 50%. On top of this, we resolved 99% of all cases last year compared to 70% the year before. The costs of managing cases were added to the ASB case management system and showed that each case managed in the last year cost an average of around £80, including the costs of legal actions.
The ASB, Crime & Policing Act 2014 introduced Community Protection Notices which can be used by a number of agencies for a whole range of anti-social behaviours. As we continue to focus on tenancy sustainment, these Notices will set out what is unacceptable behaviour and what needs to be done to address it. If this is ignored, Tamworth Borough Council may serve a Fixed Penalty Notice up to £100. Please see our Community Protection Notice Factsheet which can be found on our ASB Zone.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO GET INVOLVED… Getting involved is a great way to know that you are contributing to and improving the services you receive and your voice can empower you and other tenants to improve the council’s performance and satisfaction in areas that matter to you. Everybody has busy lives these days but selecting the way you get involved from a wide range of options could fit into your lifestyle and put you at the heart of decision making. It doesn’t have to be all about attending meetings, it can be as active as completing a survey once a year or popping along to one of our consultation events. We believe in working together with tenants in a real partnership to improve the service we offer. If you are interested please contact the Tenant Regulation and Involvement team on 01827 709374 or email tenantparticipation@tamworth.gov.uk Tamworth Borough Council Marmion House, Lichfield Street, Tamworth, Staffordshire B79 7BZ. Enquiries: (01827) 709709 Main Fax: (01827) 709271
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Designed and Produced by Tamworth Borough Council (8/15) 1835