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PAYING
YOUR RENT |
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| Under
the terms of your Tenancy Agreement you have an obligation
to pay your rent, rates and, if applicable, service charge
every week. Your rent is calculated on a points system. Points
are awarded for the age and type of property, number and size
of rooms and facilities such as the type of heating installed.
We do not charge you for any alterations or improvements you
carry out to your own home.
There
are a number of methods of paying your rent, rates and if
applicable, service charge. These include: |
- by
cash or cheque at the Association's office, during office
hours
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- by
Standing Order through the bank. Payments can be made every
week or once a month
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- by
cash through the Post Office using your rent book. Please
keep your rent book safe as this is your receipt of payments
made
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| The
Association is dedicated to improving its rent collection
procedures and to offer our tenants choice and convenience
in when and where they pay their rent. We are therefore pleased
to announce that we are introducing the Direct Debit Scheme
which is a more effective method of making rental payments.
We are keen to encourage our tenants to join the Direct
Debit Scheme and to take advantage of its many benefits. We
anticipate that this system will be introduced early 2009.
Every
three months we will send you a statement of your rent account.
You should check the statement against the receipts in your
rent book to ensure all payments have been received. The statement
will also provide details of payments made by the NIHE, or
any other agency making payments on your behalf.
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| RENT
ARREARS |
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| If
you find difficulty in paying your rent or find yourself in
rent arrears you should arrange an appointment with the Housing
Officer immediately. The Association offers an
out-of-hours appointment service to facilitate tenants who
are unable to meet with their Housing Officer during office
working hours. To avail of this service please contact
the Association.
If
it is not possible for you to repay the full amount at once
you can enter into an agreement to repay your arrears in regular
instalments along with your rent.
Where you have not made reasonable attempts to repay arrears
the Association may: |
- seek
to recover the money through the Courts, in which case you
may be liable for legal costs
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- seek
direct deductions from your Social Security Benefits
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- as
a last resort, we will issue a "Notice of Seeking Possession".
This Notice stays in effect for 12 months. If your arrears
increase during this time we may ask the Court for a Possession
Order. This can lead to eviction
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|
The
Association offers a Debt Counselling service
to tenants who are having difficulty repaying their arrears.
For further information, or to arrange a Debt Counselling
appointment please contact your Housing Officer.
Please
Note
Tenants in arrears who do not make an arrangement
to repay may be disqualified from obtaining a transfer or
mutual exchange.
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HOUSING
BENEFIT |
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| If
you are on a low income you may be eligible for help with your
rent and rates in the form of Housing Benefit. The amount of
Housing Benefit you may be entitled to depends upon: |
- how
much money you have coming in regularly
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- the
composition of your family
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- how
much rent, rates and service charge you have to pay
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| If
you are on Income Support then you may be entitled to the
maximum amount of Housing Benefit. Under certain circumstances,
you may also be entitled to Housing Benefit if you are in
full time employment, even if you are not receiving other
Social Security Benefits. You do not need to have paid any
National Insurance Contributions.
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LONE
PENSIONER ALLOWANCE |
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In
April 2008, a new discount was made available for pensioners
on low income to help pay their rates. This is called
Lone Pensioner Allowance (LPA).
If
you get Housing Benefit or Rate Relief (or both) but don't
get all your rates paid, the Housing Executive will use the
information it already has about you to work out how much
LPA you might be entitled to.
Lone
Pensioner Allowance is not means-tested so any social security
benefits you receive will not normally be affected.
Please
contact your Housing Officer for further advice on how to
apply for this discount. |
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FAMILY
CREDIT AND HOUSING BENEFIT |
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| If
you are in full time low paid employment you may be entitled
to claim Family Credit. To qualify for Family Credit you must
be working 16 hours a week or more and be responsible for
at least one child under 16 years. The amount of Family Credit
you receive will depend on your wages, savings, number of
children you have and their ages.
The amount of Family Credit you receive counts as additional
income when your Housing Benefit is being calculated. This
means that an increase in Family Credit or wages will reduce
your entitlement to Housing Benefit. It will then be YOUR
RESPONSIBILITY to make up the difference between your
total rent and the level of Housing Benefit you receive.
If you are employed but are off work temporarily due to ill
health you may be entitled to claim Housing Benefit or additional
help due to reductions in your income.
To get more information on Social Security Benefits telephone
the DSS Enquiry Service - Freeline DSS 0800 616757.
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CHANGES
IN YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES |
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| Whilst
in receipt of Housing Benefit, you are legally obliged to report,
in writing, any changes in your circumstances to the NIHE. These
changes may include: |
- entitlement
to Income Support or Income based Job Seekers Allowance
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- entitlement
to any other state benefit or Tax Credits
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- changes
in the number of people who live with you
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- if
any of your children leave school
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- if
you go into hospital or prison
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- increase/decrease
in savings or income
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| Where
such information is not given to the NIHE or the information
is incorrect, an overpayment may result. The NIHE is entitled
to recover these overpayments by making deductions from current
and future Housing Benefit claims.
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