Rent and Welfare

Frequently asked Questions

When should I pay my rent?
What happens if I can’t pay my rent?
Am I entitled to Housing Benefit
I have lost my job and am now unable to pay my rent, what shall I do?
I have received a letter showing I am in arrears, what do I need to do?
I have received a Notice of Possession Proceedings (NOPP) – what does this mean?
What happens at County Court?
What is a Suspended Possession Order?
Can I be evicted for not paying my rent?
I am on Housing Benefit and have just been offered a job, what do I need to do about my rent payments?
Do you think I should take out a loan to pay off my arrears?
My son/daughter has just moved in with me will this affect my rent?
I have just gone on to monthly pay, I can’t pay anything for a month, what should I do about my rent arrears?
It’s a rent free week next week, do I need to pay anything?
Is it true that if I pay by Direct Debit I don’t get any rent free weeks?

When should I pay my rent?
If you ignore paying your rent it could result in the loss of your home.
Rent is charged weekly and is payable in advance on or before each Monday.  Any payment not made on time will be treated as arrears, unless an alternative agreement has been made with the Rent/Welfare Team.  If you do not do this, your account will be in arrears and we will have to send a warning letter.  If these are ignored this will result in further action.

What happens if I can’t pay my rent?
You must contact the Rent/Welfare Team on 01527 534193 or call into the One Stop Shop as soon as you know you have a problem.  We can advise how best to deal with the problem and you can make an arrangement to pay your arrears by affordable instalments.
The earlier you contact us the easier it is for us help.  If you delay in taking action this can lead to a serious problem.  Do not ignore any letters that you receive.

Am I entitled to Housing Benefit?
You could be entitled to housing benefit if you are on a low income.  Please contact us for further advice and assistance to help you to calculate your entitlement to benefits and tax credits.

I have lost my job and am now unable to pay my rent, what shall I do?
If you are the main income provider for your household, or live by yourself then you are likely to be entitled to Job Seekers Allowance or Income Support and should make an application for benefit if you haven’t already done so.
You may be entitled to Housing Benefit (HB), which would pay full rent, or pay towards your rent.  If you are unsure about applying please contact the Rent/Welfare Team on 01527 534193 or the Housing Benefit department on 01525 534050
Read our leaflet on Increasing Your Income
You are responsible for your rent payments even whilst a Housing Benefit application is being assessed.  If you are unable to pay your full rent you must discuss this with the Rent/Welfare Team and arrangements can be made for part rent payments.  The amount of which will depend on your income and an appropriate amount can be agreed by your Rent/Welfare Officer.   These payments will need to be reviewed once your Housing Benefit claim has been assessed.  Please contact us for further advice and assistance.

I have received a letter showing I am in arrears, what do I need to do?
Read the letter carefully.
Check you are receiving any Housing Benefit you are entitled to.
Check that you are paying the correct amount.
If you know you are in arrears, pay off what you owe as soon as possible.
If you cannot pay off what you owe or are unsure contact the Rent/Welfare Team on 01527 534193 to make an arrangement.
Read our leaflet on Increasing Your Income
Read our How to Deal with Your Rent Arrears leaflet.

I have received a Notice of Possession Proceedings (NOPP) – what does this mean?
If you receive a NOPP pay off the rent that you owe.  If you are unable to do this then you should contact the Rent/Welfare Team on 01527 534193 or speak to a One Stop Shop advisor.
A NOPP is the first stage of possession proceedings, and means that in 4 weeks time RBC can apply to the court for a possession order.
The NOPP is valid for a year, and at any time, without further notice RBC can apply to the court for a possession order.
If you clear your arrears and maintain regular payments then possession proceedings will not be necessary and you will not be evicted.

What happens at County Court?
If you have been summoned to the County Court for a possession hearing due to rent arrears then you should make every attempt to attend the hearing.  The judge will give you an opportunity to give the court information that you wish to be considered and will ask you questions concerning your circumstances.  The hearing will be held in chambers, not in an open court.  If you cannot attend the hearing you must put in a written submission to the court.

See leaflets
What happens if the Council takes court action against you for rent arrears?
What happens when a possession order is made against me?

What is a Postponed Possession Order?
A postponed possession order means the court has decided you may stay in your home provided that you maintain the payments as described in the court order.  This is usually your current rent plus an agreed weekly instalment off the amount you owe until the arrears are cleared.  The amount is usually agreed by looking at your income to see what is affordable.
If you miss a payment then we will the apply to the County Court Bailiff to arrange for you to be evicted.  If you cannot make a payment you must contact the Rent/Welfare Team on 01527 534193 immediately.

Can I be evicted for not paying my rent?
The council can evict you if we have obtained a court order and you are not keeping to the terms detailed in the order.  If this happens you are likely to be found intentionally homeless and we are not obliged to re-house; neither would any other council or a Registered Social Landlord.  If you cannot pay in line with your court order you must contact the Rent/Welfare Team immediately.  The Citizens Advice Bureau may be able to help you, they can be contacted on 0844 415 22 21.

I am on Housing Benefit and have just been offered a job, What do I need to do about my rent payments?
Tell Housing Benefit Section.
Depending upon your current income details, (E.g. Do you have a partner that’s earning?  Are you in receipt of or applied for any benefits such as Tax Credits?  Do you have any children? Are you in receipt of Income Support/Job Seekers Allowance?) you will be advised on an amount of rent to pay.  Contact the Rent/Welfare Team on 01527 534193 for advice on amounts to pay
See section on Methods of Payment, if you already have rent arrears or cannot start making payments immediately please contact the Rent/Welfare Team to arrange a payment plan.
You may still be entitled to part benefit depending upon how much you will be earning.

If in doubt speak to the Rent/Welfare Team or Housing Benefit Department.

Do you think I should take out a loan to pay off my arrears?
Getting into further debt to clear a debt is not advisable and the Council will accept regular instalments to slowly reduce the arrears without any interest charges.
Contact your Rent/Welfare Officer for basic debt advice or see the CAB if you are struggling with multiple debts.  We will help you make an affordable arrangement to clear your arrears.
See Dealing with Priority Debts leaflet.
See CAB website also www.adviceguide.org.uk

My son/daughter has just moved in with me will this affect my rent?
If you are on Housing Benefit, you should notify Housing Benefits immediately with the date they moved in.
Any non-dependant moving into a property will affect Housing Benefit entitlements and rent contributions should commence.  For customers above 60 years the charge will be deferred for 26 weeks.  Check with Rent/Welfare team or Housing Benefits for the correct non-dependant rates.

I have just gone on to monthly pay, I can’t pay anything for a month.What should I do about my rent arrears?
Contact the Rent/Welfare Team to make an arrangement to pay your rent monthly in advance so that the account does not go into rent arrears.
We understand that it is not always possible for someone to go straight from weekly payments to payments monthly in advance.  In these cases we will make an arrangement with you for monthly payments with an extra amount each month over a period of time to reduce the arrears that would accumulate over the month.
A suggested amount would be 1 week’s rent extra each month over 4 months, although the amount agreed should be affordable to you.  It may be advisable to complete a financial statement to be sure what is affordable.

It’s a rent free week next week.Do I need to pay anything?
Are you in rent arrears?
If there are rent arrears or a court order is in place then you should continue with the full rent plus any arrears arrangement, or court order they have.

Is it true that if I pay by Direct Debit I don’t get any rent free weeks?
No, you still get charged rent for 48 weeks of the year like every other tenant.  Monthly Direct Debit payments are 12 payments of 4 weeks rent (48 weeks).  4 weeks rent is paid every month, even in 5 week months.
This does not apply to cases with arrears arrangements being paid by Direct Debit, speak to Rent/Welfare team for further details.