URGENT. Do you rent from a HOUSING ASSOCIATION? Do you claim HB Then please READ THIS.

[HelenaDove]

Many tenants are now receiving letters from their housing associations asking for their rent to be paid weekly in advance.

Example. You do not appear to be paying your rent in line with your tenancy agreement. For example you may not be paying your rent weekly in advance.

Please contact us on the above no. to discuss your rent account so we can advise you how best to keep your rent payments up to date and prevent further letters being sent.

When i recieved the first letter on the 14th June i was told by HA when i phoned them they tried to say that it was because of a break in our claim about 4 years ago. He backtracked when i told him that was rubbish then after talking to someone in the office he said it was sorted.

3 weeks later (last week ) we got an identical letter. Rang them up. Told rent now must be paid weekly in advance. Despite them accepting it the way it is for the past 23 years.

HB is paid 4 weekly in arrears.

Got a letter today telling us that 4 weeks rent is outstanding. I rang them up to be told our account was a few pence in credit.

Tenants are recieving these letters when they are just a DAY late paying the rent.

I popped to the council today to tell them what was going on and i was the second person going along there today. Bloke i saw at the council was really nice and helpful. And after ringing up making enquiries to a supervisor it is evident that all housing associations are doing it.

But not everyone is aware which is why i am posting this.

A poster on another thread said it could be down to Universal Credit or the approach of it.

Why dont they put that in the letters though. Instead of frightening people with letters like this.

Disabled people, pensioners, single parents are or will be getting these letters dropping on the doormat.

Some people have even had letters seeking possesion.

Got

Snap they are getting one cheque. Then we will organise something after that

I don't think the "shit hot lawyer/paralegal and friend are right either. The HA did not enter into any three way agreement regarding rent payment. Court hearings would be assessed on rent arrears outstanding, efforts (or not) to pay (dependent on the clauses used for possession)

I think the real problem is going to come from people who are now going from a weekly budget to a monthly budget.

I did some consultancy in a loan firm that collected weekly. Apparently 13k households would be affected.

I believe there is some kind of relief payments whilst people translation onto UC.

I get why it's monthly payments, on the long term it's much easily managed (yearly costs divided by twelve), and apart for the 13k households it should be an easier budget manage.

If you don't do dds I suggest you do OP. It can often knock a few ££ of your bill.

Just add, most of the social housing sector lobbied the govt very vociferously about the welfare reforms including changes to UC and the removal of payments direct to landlords (now only available under certain circumstances) the govt chose not to listen (the sector is still presenting evidence of impact to select committees). In light of govt decision the HA only has its contractual relationship to fall back on which is direct with the tenant.

Well many of us have had no rent statements this year due to their computer glitch

If your tenancy agreement states, as is standard, that your rent is due weekly in advance you are obliged, legally and contractually, to pay your rent weekly in advance. The law is quite clear that it is your responsibility to pay the rent on time and not that of the Council, whether or not you are entitled to Housing Benefit.

If you regularly pay your rent in arrears then you are in breach of your tenancy and your Landlord is perfectly entitled to take legal action. The Courts would be extremely unlikely to enforce possession in such a case but the suggestion that they are acting illegally in asking you to comply with the terms of your tenancy is arrant nonsense.

And it's precedent/precedents not precedence.

I will discuss it with DH Rug But another tenant has just told me shes had one a week for 3 weeks and shes not behind at all.

Dull that was a copy and paste I didnt write it.

I don't blame you for not liking DD's when it comes to rent for housing, my local 'council' (now privatised) emptied my bank account when they wrongly decided I was in arrears, I got the money back but it didn't cover the bank costs I incurred, I received no warning or letter telling me they were going to do this either.

To pay my rent now I use a standing order, its easy to change with online banking, I'm more in control and they can only have what I allow them to

myrtle that is a fair enough explanation Thankyou

Their computer glitch has nothing to do with you paying your rent!
It seems to me you are trying to justify your actions.

Dimples thats exactly why we dont like them. It happened to a former work colleauge of mine back in 2003 Exactly the same as you They took several months council tax off her at once She was not in arrears. She was in tears when she got into work that day.

Standing order sounds a much better idea.

Whilst UC has all the potential to be a mess, it pales into significance when you look at the possible impact on supported housing arising out of government changes. If tenants want to join HA/Council landlords in fighting against those changes that would be awesome.

Cherie WTF the RENT IS BEING PAID WE ARE IN CREDIT. WE ARE NOT BEHIND WE ARE IN CREDIT.

And we are supposed to get rent statements. Many of us haveent had any THE RENT IS BEING PAID

may i suspect you give up the spliffs It might improve your ability to read.

The law doesn't work on "precedence". I suspect the facebook person means "precedents" ie case law

However, if a contract is clear, there is little point in going to court. In the first instance, any judge would look at the contract between the parties to determine the frequency and timing of rental payments. There maybe some argument that the contract had been varied of the paymentshsve consistently been made late or on another date but it is open to the HA to state that they will no longer accept that; particularly of there is no clear pattern pointing to a definitive variation

I can't quite follow the reasoning for not setting up a DD though.

At the moment we are showing up in credit
So some of the time you are in arrears.
As I stated previously the lack of rent statements has nothing to do with how and when you pay your rent.

Its because HB pay 4 weekly in arrears This is a state pension household.

Do you work for an HA Cherie

They are supposed to provide rent statements Your last post proves what i already thought about you.

I work for a HA and can only assume they are doing this because with Universal Credit they can only apply to get the payment direct one you are 6 weeks in arrears. If they suddenly claim you are 4 weeks in arrears by referring to old guidance then this would mean once someone is 2 weeks in arrears they could claim to have UC paid direct. The whole thing is a nightmare and they are trying to protect themselves but going about it the wrong way! We certainly don't consider outstanding housing benefit as real arrears as its a timing issue only!

Dragon that makes sense. Thanks. I dont even know whether this is a UC area.

I know they have to provide rent statements. As I keep stating the lack of rent statements has nothing to do with you paying your rent on time.

With regards your last sentence please explain what you are trying to say

Cherie the rent is paid. You are delibarately being goady. If the HA had written to me saying what myrtle or Dragonbait said i would have no issue with that at all.

Instead they employed similar tactics to you on this thread.

How am I being goady?

They told me themselves when i phoned them on the 14th June that they have a computer glitch and that my account was in credit. Because that was 4 weeks ago to the day that i phoned them and the HB had cleared like it has today 4 weeks later. And not to worry cos my rent account was fine. And that i wouldnt get any more letters When i asked for written confirmation of this they refused.

Looks like our area goes over to UC this October.