Get Connected Autumn Winter 2017
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THE MAGAZINE FOR RESIDENTS<br />
<strong>Autumn</strong>/<strong>Winter</strong> <strong>2017</strong><br />
25 years<br />
of support<br />
Celebrating our<br />
homeless service<br />
Universal Credit help<br />
<strong>Winter</strong> Safety<br />
1
In this issue:<br />
3 High Five<br />
Latest news and events<br />
Welcome<br />
4<br />
CRF’s best friend<br />
Tenants make new<br />
furry friends at their<br />
general meeting<br />
5 Sharing Talents<br />
Sharing skills for World<br />
Mental Health Day<br />
6<br />
7<br />
Cooking up<br />
conversations<br />
<strong>Get</strong>ting to know our<br />
communities better<br />
Complaints<br />
Introducing a new<br />
complaints policy<br />
8 <strong>Winter</strong> safety<br />
Tips to stay warm and<br />
safe this winter<br />
10 Home tips<br />
Condensation and light<br />
bulb changing advice<br />
11 We want you!<br />
<strong>Get</strong> involved in a service<br />
charge consultation<br />
12 Party time<br />
Our homeless scheme<br />
celebrated their 25th<br />
anniversary<br />
As the clocks go back and<br />
the nights draw in we hope<br />
that you find this edition a<br />
good winter read.<br />
In this issue, we cover the<br />
25th anniversary of our<br />
service that supports young,<br />
single homeless people<br />
in Kirklees.<br />
On the theme of celebrations,<br />
Connect Residents<br />
Federation (CRF) has<br />
been celebrating the work<br />
that guide dogs and their<br />
volunteer trainers do.<br />
We marked World Mental<br />
Health Day with a talent<br />
show at Thrive. The<br />
community were invited<br />
to share their skills in front<br />
of a supportive audience.<br />
Our Community Housing<br />
Officers have been out and<br />
about chatting to tenants and<br />
gaining useful insight to help<br />
shape our services.<br />
Tenants at Hawthorn Mill had<br />
a celebration on the theme<br />
of culture for International<br />
Older People’s Day.<br />
We’ve got some handy tips<br />
to help you look after your<br />
home and keep warm during<br />
the colder months.<br />
As Universal Credit rolls out<br />
across the country, we hear<br />
from our Income Services<br />
Manager, Ilyas about<br />
the changes.<br />
We hope you enjoy this<br />
issue of <strong>Get</strong> <strong>Connected</strong> –<br />
happy reading!<br />
Share your<br />
thoughts<br />
<strong>Get</strong> in touch by<br />
phone, email,<br />
Facebook or Twitter<br />
0300 5000 600<br />
communications@<br />
connecthousing.org.uk<br />
/ConnectHousing<br />
@ConnectHousing<br />
13 Culture club<br />
COPS celebrate cultures<br />
from around the world<br />
14 Universal Credit<br />
A Q&A on the new<br />
benefits system<br />
Thank you<br />
Tenants, volunteers and community partners have all been<br />
involved in this issue of the magazine. We’d like to say a big<br />
thank you to the Connect Residents Federation (CRF) and<br />
Thelma, Rhoda and Sabre from the Dogs Trust, all of the staff<br />
at Community Links and Rebecca from Sakura CMT who made<br />
Sharing Talents a great event, the residents of Hollinbank – our<br />
single homeless scheme for celebrating 25 years of support<br />
and all of the Connect Older People’s Strategists.<br />
2
High Five<br />
News you can use<br />
Festive closure times<br />
Our offices will close at 5pm on Friday 22nd December for the<br />
holidays and will reopen at 9am on Tuesday 2nd January.<br />
For all emergencies during this time, please call 0300 5000 600.<br />
We wish you all a happy New Year.<br />
It matters –<br />
Annual Review<br />
We are proud to release our Annual Review,<br />
which celebrates some of the important things<br />
we have been focusing on over the past year.<br />
In a world where change and uncertainty has<br />
become the norm, we remain committed<br />
to our passion for a fairer society<br />
where people’s homes, health<br />
and happiness matter.<br />
To see the report visit:<br />
www.connecthousing.org.uk/ar17<br />
Welcome<br />
on Board<br />
We would like to give a warm<br />
welcome to Helen Forman,<br />
Karen Lythe, David Wilmshurst and<br />
Yasmin Hussain who have joined us<br />
recently as new Board members.<br />
Our Board are vitally important and<br />
they volunteer to give their expertise<br />
and knowledge to the organisation.<br />
Find out more about the Board at:<br />
www.connecthousing.org.uk/board<br />
Volunteer at<br />
Thrive<br />
Value for money<br />
We’ve carried our annual Value for<br />
Money (VFM) self-assessment of<br />
our activities, which is looked at<br />
by our regulator and is published<br />
on our website.<br />
A summary version and our VFM<br />
strategy can also be found at:<br />
www.connecthousing.org.uk/VFM<br />
We are currently looking<br />
for volunteers to help us<br />
in our community focused<br />
café and meeting space –<br />
Thrive in Dewsbury.<br />
If you’d like to gain<br />
valuable experience in the voluntary sector<br />
and help us continue to make a difference in<br />
the community, this could be the opportunity<br />
you’re looking for.<br />
Find out more information and apply at:<br />
www.connecthousing.org.uk/thrivevols<br />
3
CRF<br />
CRF’s<br />
best friend<br />
v<br />
On Tuesday 12th September the Connect Residents Federation (CRF) held<br />
their bi-monthly general meeting. There was something different about<br />
this meeting though, their special guests were dogs! Thelma from the<br />
charity ‘Guide Dogs’, brought in her two Labradors to meet the CRF and<br />
talk about the good work that the dogs and volunteers do.<br />
v<br />
The charity trains dogs to<br />
aid visually impaired people,<br />
and has 16,000 volunteers<br />
countrywide (and always on<br />
the lookout for more!).<br />
The potential guide dogs are<br />
trained for the first two years<br />
of their life and take a test<br />
to see if they would make<br />
suitable guides.<br />
Not every dog is destined to<br />
be a guide, but these highly<br />
trained pooches are still in<br />
demand with many people<br />
wanting to adopt any that<br />
don’t make the cut. Rhoda<br />
and Sabre didn’t pass the<br />
guide dog test because of<br />
allergies and a squirrel<br />
chasing habit, but they are<br />
successful in bringing joy<br />
and happiness as loving pets.<br />
It was heart-warming and<br />
Rhoda and Sabre have new<br />
fans with the CRF.<br />
If you’d like to find out more<br />
about guide dogs, how to<br />
volunteer or sponsor a<br />
puppy, visit their site at<br />
www.guidedogs.org.uk.<br />
The CRF spent the afternoon<br />
crafting tea light holders and<br />
catching up with each other.<br />
They raised £100 for Prostate<br />
Cancer UK in memory of a<br />
much loved member.<br />
If you’d like to attend a meeting or find<br />
out how to join the CRF, please contact:<br />
Lisa Longbottom, Tenant Involvement Officer<br />
T: 0300 5000 600<br />
E: lisa.longbottom@connecthousing.org.uk<br />
Join the CRF<br />
The CRF is an independent<br />
organisation run by<br />
tenants for tenants.<br />
They scrutinise Connect<br />
and help to shape and<br />
improve services.<br />
2018 Meetings<br />
Tuesday 13th February<br />
1pm - 3pm in Leeds<br />
Tuesday 10th April<br />
6pm - 8pm in Leeds<br />
Tuesday 12th June<br />
6pm - 8pm in Huddersfield<br />
4
v<br />
THRIVE<br />
Sharing Talents<br />
World Mental Health Day was on Tuesday 10th October this year, and we<br />
marked it with a talent show, Sharing Talents. In partnership with Community<br />
Links, we opened our doors at Thrive in Dewsbury and welcomed singers,<br />
poets, guitarists, artists, photographers and supporters.<br />
World Mental Health Day<br />
is an opportunity to raise<br />
awareness of mental<br />
health, the stigma that<br />
some sufferers face and the<br />
support that is available.<br />
Sharing Talents was an<br />
opportunity for people to<br />
showcase their talent in front<br />
of a supportive audience.<br />
The event promoted the link<br />
between creative hobbies<br />
and good mental health.<br />
The participants felt<br />
that painting, writing<br />
songs, poetry and taking<br />
photos positively affected<br />
their wellbeing.<br />
On show at the event, you<br />
could see vibrant sculptures,<br />
paintings and photographs<br />
with stories from the artists,<br />
explaining their positive<br />
experience of creating the<br />
pieces. The songs were<br />
performed and written by<br />
service users with help from<br />
music therapist, Rebecca<br />
from Sakura Community<br />
Music Therapy.<br />
There was a mental health<br />
quiz, karaoke, lots of coffee,<br />
cake and conversations. The<br />
event was a huge success.<br />
Sing your<br />
socks off!<br />
Do you want to get<br />
involved with music too?<br />
Community Links run<br />
a free music group at<br />
Thrive, which aims to<br />
improve wellbeing by<br />
bringing people together<br />
to sing and play.<br />
<strong>Get</strong> involved<br />
Contact Community Links<br />
on: 01924 465054<br />
5
COMMUNITY<br />
Cooking up<br />
conversations<br />
Our Community Housing Officers (CHOs) are spending more time<br />
out and about having conversations about what matters to you in your<br />
local community.<br />
v<br />
From these informal<br />
conversations, you have<br />
been telling us what it is like<br />
living in your community<br />
and have given us some<br />
thought provoking ideas<br />
about what would make your<br />
neighbourhood a better place<br />
to live in.<br />
So far, you have given us<br />
some great suggestions and<br />
we are looking at how we<br />
can work with you to take<br />
these forward.<br />
We also want to find out about<br />
any community initiatives or<br />
resources that are available in<br />
your area, and your ideas as<br />
to what would really make a<br />
positive impact.<br />
We appreciate that you know<br />
your local area best.<br />
With all of the insight that we<br />
are gathering, this will help<br />
us to make better informed<br />
decisions based on what<br />
matters to you.<br />
We would love to hear more –<br />
if you have ideas and would<br />
like a chat with your CHO<br />
please get in touch.<br />
These conversations<br />
give us some great<br />
local knowledge and<br />
ideas about what<br />
we can do to make<br />
communities more<br />
welcoming places<br />
to live.<br />
Helen Gallimore,<br />
Senior Neighbourhood<br />
Housing Officer<br />
If you would like to have a chat with your<br />
Community Housing Officer, please contact:<br />
Helen Gallimore<br />
Service Manager - Neighbourhoods<br />
T: 0300 5000 600<br />
E: helen.gallimore@connecthousing.org.uk<br />
6
v<br />
Building a new complaints<br />
system around you<br />
<strong>Get</strong>ting it right for tenants is our top priority and we’re<br />
making changes to our complaints procedure to make it easier for customers<br />
when things do go wrong. We understand that things aren’t always perfect<br />
and know it’s important to put things right quickly.<br />
Our proposed changes<br />
When you aren’t<br />
happy with the<br />
service, this will be<br />
formally logged as<br />
an expression of<br />
dissatisfaction.<br />
If we are unable to<br />
resolve your issue,<br />
you can raise a<br />
formal complaint<br />
at any stage,<br />
however we will<br />
ask you to justify<br />
your complaint and<br />
give further details.<br />
We will aim to<br />
resolve these<br />
quickly and will<br />
treat them with the<br />
same seriousness<br />
that we do formal<br />
complaints. This<br />
will be an improved<br />
experience with<br />
fewer delays.<br />
A manager will<br />
reply within 21 days<br />
of receiving your<br />
complaint (stage 1).<br />
By logging all<br />
expressions of<br />
dissatisfaction,<br />
we will gain<br />
a better<br />
understanding<br />
of when our<br />
processes or<br />
services go wrong.<br />
If you are unhappy<br />
with the response,<br />
you can appeal<br />
and a Director will<br />
review and respond<br />
(stage 2).<br />
Tell us<br />
We want to hear<br />
what you think of our<br />
proposal. Do you think it<br />
will improve the way we<br />
handle complaints and<br />
are there any changes<br />
you would make?<br />
Please share your<br />
feedback with us.<br />
Contact us<br />
To have your say,<br />
please contact:<br />
Richard Baggott<br />
Customer Experience<br />
Manager<br />
T: 0300 5000 600<br />
E: richard.baggott@<br />
connecthousing.org.uk<br />
If you are still unhappy, you can refer the issue to the Housing Ombudsman. Our new process will<br />
enable us to resolve problems much quicker, which means we can make improvements to our<br />
processes and services. The process will launch next year.<br />
Tackling anti-social behaviour head on<br />
Since we have introduced<br />
a new approach to working<br />
in the community with the<br />
Community Housing Officer<br />
team, we have had greater<br />
success in resolving<br />
anti-social behaviour<br />
(ASB) cases.<br />
Our new approach encourages<br />
neighbours to be considerate<br />
and tolerant of one another,<br />
and supports tenants to<br />
try and resolve issues for<br />
themselves. For serious cases,<br />
we have an Enforcement<br />
Officer who works with<br />
tenants through the process,<br />
keeping them informed of the<br />
action being taken.<br />
This has enabled us to work<br />
more efficiently and gain<br />
better results in enforcement.<br />
7
SAFETY<br />
<strong>Winter</strong> Safety<br />
As the nights draw in and the thermometer mercury drops, we thought<br />
it would be good to share some practical hints and tips to help you keep<br />
warm and well this winter.<br />
Financial<br />
support<br />
Some people will be eligible<br />
for some financial support<br />
during the cold months, here<br />
is some information on what<br />
you might be able to claim.<br />
KEEPING YOUR BILLS LOW<br />
Our Money Matters team can<br />
help you look at your budget<br />
and lower your energy and<br />
fuel bills, contact them on:<br />
0300 5000 600<br />
COLD WEATHER PAYMENT<br />
You may receive a cold<br />
weather payment if you are<br />
on certain benefits. You can<br />
get a payment if the average<br />
temperature in your area<br />
is forecast, recorded as or<br />
is zero degrees Celsius or<br />
below for seven days in a row.<br />
You will receive £25 for every<br />
seven day block of very cold<br />
weather between the dates<br />
of 1st November <strong>2017</strong> and<br />
31st March 2018. For more<br />
information, visit:<br />
www.gov.uk/cold-weatherpayment<br />
WINTER FUEL PAYMENT<br />
If you were born on, or before<br />
5th August 1953, you can<br />
claim between £100-£300<br />
to help with your winter fuel<br />
bills. You usually get this<br />
paid automatically if you<br />
receive state pension. If you<br />
qualify but don’t receive this<br />
payment, you can make a<br />
claim at: www.gov.uk/winterfuel-payment<br />
Staying<br />
Warm<br />
Setting your home thermostat<br />
to the right temperature<br />
can keep your home warm<br />
and efficient. Make sure it’s<br />
between 18-20°C and set the<br />
timer so it comes on early in<br />
the day and clicks off when<br />
you go to bed.<br />
Keep yourself warm during<br />
the day by wearing plenty of<br />
layers, eating and drinking<br />
hot food and beverages such<br />
as soups and casseroles,<br />
accompanied by a hot water<br />
bottle to warm the cockles.<br />
It’s also a good idea to keep<br />
well stocked up with food in<br />
case bad weather, such as ice<br />
or snow, prevents you getting<br />
out and about.<br />
8
Looking after<br />
yourself<br />
The flu jab is available on<br />
the NHS for people who are<br />
vulnerable, however it is<br />
worth having the jab even if<br />
you aren’t at risk to protect<br />
yourself. To find out if you can<br />
get the jab for free and if you<br />
are considered at risk, visit:<br />
www.nhs.uk/conditions/<br />
vaccinations/pages/fluinfluenza-vaccine.aspx<br />
Alternatively, you can speak<br />
to your local pharmacy or GP.<br />
If you have any prescriptions<br />
or medication delivered,<br />
make sure you order them in<br />
plenty of time, especially if the<br />
weather or forecast is poor.<br />
If you feel unwell at any point<br />
and it’s not an emergency,<br />
call the NHS hotline on: 111<br />
for medical advice.<br />
The service is available<br />
24/7 and is free to call.<br />
The website is also useful for<br />
checking symptoms:<br />
www.nhs.uk/conditions/<br />
Pages/hub.aspx<br />
Looking after<br />
your home<br />
PREVENTING CRIME<br />
Prevent crime during winter<br />
by keeping valuables and<br />
Christmas presents out of<br />
sight. If you are going out,<br />
ensure your home is locked<br />
and looks occupied with<br />
a light timer switch and<br />
possibly leave a radio on.<br />
Make sure your keys are not<br />
on show.<br />
INSURANCE<br />
Make sure your home is<br />
insured just in case the worst<br />
happens. We insure the<br />
structure and fittings in your<br />
home, but your belongings<br />
aren’t covered by us.<br />
If you need support with<br />
insurance, our Money Matters<br />
team can help you, contact<br />
them on: 0300 5000 600<br />
LOOKING AFTER FROZEN PIPES<br />
If your pipes freeze and you’re<br />
without water, we advise<br />
you to follow the guidance of<br />
Yorkshire Water which<br />
can be found at:<br />
www.yorkshirewater.com/<br />
winterready<br />
SNOW AND GRITTING<br />
We will help you by taking<br />
reasonable steps to ensure<br />
safety by gritting key<br />
footpaths and communal<br />
areas. We actively risk assess<br />
estates to make sure we<br />
put grit down where it is<br />
most needed.<br />
Low risk: If there is no grit<br />
bin on your estate, you can<br />
collect self-help bags from<br />
our offices during prolonged<br />
periods of icy weather.<br />
Medium risk: In severe<br />
conditions we’ll top up<br />
grit bins on estates every<br />
fortnight. We can’t spread the<br />
grit or clear footpaths.<br />
High risk: We’ll top up<br />
bins and clear footpaths<br />
for designated supported<br />
housing schemes and for<br />
older people.<br />
For more information on how<br />
we grit, visit our website:<br />
www.connecthousing.org.uk/<br />
grit<br />
9
HOMES<br />
Home tips<br />
Reducing condensation<br />
Condensation is more common during the winter months. Everyone gets<br />
condensation but it’s how you manage it that makes a difference and ensures<br />
you don’t get any build-up of black mould in your home.<br />
Here are 10 top tips to help prevent a build-up of condensation and black mould on walls:<br />
During winter, you should try to<br />
maintain a even temperature in your<br />
home. The cold air causes warm air<br />
to release moisture. If the air is all<br />
the same temperature then this<br />
won’t happen.<br />
Keep your home well ventilated by<br />
opening windows daily to allow airflow<br />
that will combat condensation.<br />
Dry your clothes outside or in an<br />
enclosed room with an open window.<br />
If you use a tumble dryer, the vent pipe<br />
should run outside your home.<br />
You should leave a small gap between<br />
your walls and your furniture as<br />
this allows the air to move away<br />
from the bottom of the walls and<br />
circulate effectively.<br />
Before and after cooking, always turn<br />
the extractor fans on a high power. If<br />
possible, open the kitchen windows<br />
while cooking for added ventilation.<br />
Always keep the lids on pots and pans<br />
while cooking so the moisture does<br />
not escape.<br />
To stop condensation forming in the<br />
bathroom after a bath or shower,<br />
the windows should be opened and<br />
extractor fans turned on.<br />
Trouble lighting up the bathroom?<br />
10<br />
Your property’s airways such as<br />
airbricks and chimneys should be clear<br />
to allow airflow in and out of your home.<br />
If possible, check your roof to see if<br />
there are any problems such as<br />
water leaks – but don’t climb ladders.<br />
Check guttering and down pipes to<br />
ensure that they are carrying the water<br />
away and that there are no damaged/<br />
blocked gutters or drains causing the<br />
external walls to become wet.<br />
Here is a short guide on how to change light bulbs (lamps) in enclosed bathroom fittings.<br />
The lamps are your responsibility to change and maintain, so we advise you to:<br />
1 2 3 4 5<br />
Turn the light<br />
switch off at the<br />
wall.<br />
Remove the<br />
cover taking out<br />
the screws and<br />
supporting it,<br />
you may need to<br />
push it inwards<br />
within the<br />
mounting and<br />
slide it to one<br />
side to release.<br />
Change the<br />
lamp by<br />
holding the<br />
centre point of<br />
the unit (not<br />
the lamp itself)<br />
and pull it out<br />
of the fitting.<br />
4<br />
Buy a new<br />
lamp: we<br />
recommend<br />
you take the<br />
old lamp with<br />
you to make<br />
sure you get<br />
the correct<br />
type and keep<br />
a spare one.<br />
To replace:<br />
simply push the<br />
new lamp back<br />
into the fitting,<br />
re-fit the cover<br />
and secure with<br />
the screws.
Setting new<br />
standards<br />
Early next year we are going to review the service<br />
standards for communal cleaning and grounds<br />
maintenance and we would like your help to do it.<br />
We would like to hear from you<br />
if you live in a property where<br />
we employ contractors to clean<br />
the hallways and stairs, or to<br />
look after the garden areas.<br />
We are going to try out a new<br />
approach, gathering feedback<br />
online and we would like<br />
to involve as many tenants<br />
as possible.<br />
In addition, we’ll host an event<br />
for those of you who would like<br />
to give feedback in person.<br />
In exchange for a small<br />
amount of your time, you<br />
can help us reshape these<br />
important services.<br />
If you would like to help, visit:<br />
www.connecthousing.org.uk/<br />
consultation<br />
HELP<br />
WANTED<br />
Contact us<br />
If you would like more<br />
information, contact:<br />
Lisa Longbottom<br />
Tenant Involvement<br />
Officer<br />
T: 0300 5000 600<br />
E: lisa.longbottom@<br />
connecthousing.org.uk<br />
New policy on<br />
mobility scooters<br />
We have recently clarified tenant responsibilities when storing and<br />
using mobility scooters around their homes, particularly where there<br />
are shared spaces.<br />
The policy focuses on<br />
health and safety, storage,<br />
maintenance and insurance<br />
of mobility scooters. It also<br />
highlights schemes<br />
which have suitable storage<br />
facilities available.<br />
The policy highlights safety<br />
aspects that you should<br />
consider if you are thinking<br />
about buying a scooter or if<br />
you already own or use one.<br />
The storage of mobility<br />
scooters can be a fire risk if<br />
they obstruct escape routes.<br />
One of the aims of the policy<br />
is to keep our communal<br />
areas safe.<br />
If you are considering buying<br />
a scooter or you already own<br />
one, you can see the policy at:<br />
www.connecthousing.org.uk/<br />
scooters<br />
or you can call: 0300 5000 600<br />
11
SUPPORT<br />
25 years<br />
of support<br />
Our young homeless service, Hollinbank hosted an anniversary party to<br />
celebrate 25 years of supporting people in Kirklees.<br />
v<br />
The service is vital in<br />
providing a home and<br />
support for young homeless<br />
16-25 year olds from<br />
all backgrounds.<br />
Hollinbank staff support<br />
residents in many ways,<br />
including emotional support<br />
and help with their mental<br />
and physical wellbeing.<br />
There is also practical<br />
support such as learning<br />
how to cook, how to manage<br />
on a budget and life skills<br />
needed to live independently.<br />
The party celebrated this<br />
important milestone.<br />
It was enjoyed by service<br />
users and staff with a party<br />
atmosphere, food, music<br />
and laughter.<br />
The event was a trip down<br />
memory lane and everyone<br />
was able to reflect on the<br />
achievements and positive<br />
impact the service has.<br />
If you would like more information on our<br />
young homeless support, please contact:<br />
Matthew Ginn<br />
Service Manager - Single Homeless Services<br />
T: 0300 5000 600<br />
E: matthew.ginn@connecthousing.org.uk<br />
Services like<br />
Hollinbank<br />
are vital for<br />
providing<br />
support<br />
when people<br />
need it the<br />
most and in<br />
tackling the<br />
homelessness<br />
crisis in our<br />
communities.<br />
Anna Broadbent,<br />
Senior Manager -<br />
Support Services<br />
12
Culture<br />
club<br />
On Wednesday 4th October, Connect Older<br />
People’s Strategists (COPS) celebrated the<br />
International Day of Older People at Hawthorn<br />
Mill, Leeds. The theme was cultures around the<br />
world through the generations and it was a<br />
colourful celebration.<br />
Hawthorn Mill had been<br />
decorated brightly for the<br />
party. Flags, props and<br />
costumes from different<br />
cultures and memorabilia<br />
spanning from the 1950’s<br />
were on display.<br />
After the strategising<br />
business was complete, it<br />
was time for a trip down<br />
memory lane, with cultural<br />
quizzes on food and music<br />
from around the world.<br />
Members shared their<br />
experiences of the 1950’s –<br />
which brought back lots of<br />
memories of rationing,<br />
when food was seasonal and<br />
there were no supermarkets<br />
or freezers.<br />
Fortunately, there was a<br />
good choice of food at the<br />
COPS buffet and not a spam<br />
fritter in sight. The event was<br />
enjoyed by all and the group<br />
can’t wait to meet again.<br />
Join COPS<br />
(Connect Older<br />
People’s Strategists)<br />
If you are a Connect<br />
tenant over the age of<br />
50 and interested in<br />
the services and wider<br />
issues affecting older<br />
people, COPS is the<br />
group for you. You’re<br />
welcome to join a<br />
session, meet<br />
like-minded people,<br />
have fun and help design<br />
the services.<br />
Contact us<br />
If you are interested in<br />
joining COPS, contact:<br />
Sarah Lumb<br />
Senior Scheme Manager<br />
T: 0300 5000 600<br />
E: sarah.lumb@<br />
connecthousing.org.uk<br />
13<br />
13
MONEY<br />
MATTERS<br />
Universal<br />
Credit<br />
Q&A<br />
with Ilyas<br />
This is an update on Universal Credit and how we can support you with the<br />
benefit changes. We caught up with our Income Services Manager, Ilyas<br />
Lunat for a question and answer session.<br />
Q. What is Universal Credit?<br />
A. Universal Credit is the new<br />
benefit that will be replacing<br />
existing benefits such as<br />
Income Support, Job Seekers<br />
Allowance, Employment<br />
Support Allowance, Housing<br />
Benefit, Child Tax Credits and<br />
Working Tax Credits.<br />
These are now known as<br />
‘legacy’ benefits.<br />
Q. What is the frequency<br />
of payments?<br />
A. Tenants will receive each<br />
monthly payment in arrears.<br />
Q. Who does it affect?<br />
A. Universal Credit will<br />
eventually affect everyone<br />
of working age. If you are of<br />
state pension age or in receipt<br />
of Pension Credit you will not<br />
be affected by this change.<br />
14<br />
It’s affecting people in<br />
different ways due to the<br />
Government rolling it out<br />
in stages.<br />
If you live in Kirklees or<br />
Calderdale and you have a<br />
change in circumstances that<br />
affect your benefits, you will<br />
be asked to make a new claim<br />
for Universal Credit.<br />
This will transfer you from<br />
the old ‘legacy’ system.<br />
Once you have transferred,<br />
you will not be able to claim<br />
any of the ‘legacy’ benefits.<br />
If you currently receive<br />
any ‘legacy’ benefits and<br />
don’t have any change in<br />
circumstances, you won’t<br />
be affected until 2019<br />
when the migration to<br />
Universal Credit is<br />
fully implemented by<br />
the Government.<br />
Q. How does this affect<br />
Housing Benefit?<br />
A. Once you start receiving<br />
Universal Credit, you will<br />
no longer receive Housing<br />
Benefit. However, you will<br />
receive help towards<br />
rent within your Universal<br />
Credit payments.<br />
You are responsible for paying<br />
your rent to us and budgeting<br />
other costs. The most<br />
significant change is that you<br />
will only receive your money<br />
once a month, so how you<br />
budget is important.<br />
Q. Are tenants who are<br />
working affected as well?<br />
A. If you are working and<br />
claiming Working Tax Credits<br />
you will eventually be moved<br />
onto Universal Credit. If you<br />
have a change in your income,
v<br />
which means your Working<br />
Tax Credits are re-calculated,<br />
you will be asked to claim<br />
Universal Credit.<br />
Q. How do affected tenants<br />
receive payments?<br />
A. In order to receive<br />
Universal Credit payments,<br />
you will need:<br />
• An email address, and<br />
have access to your<br />
emails.<br />
• A bank account to receive<br />
payments.<br />
• To be able to budget<br />
monthly as Universal<br />
Credit is paid monthly<br />
in arrears.<br />
• Understand when and<br />
how to pay your rent to us.<br />
Q. What can tenants do to<br />
prepare for Universal<br />
Credit if they think they’ll<br />
be affected?<br />
set up and an understanding<br />
of when their rent is due and<br />
how to budget.<br />
We also encourage tenants<br />
to start paying a little more<br />
towards their rent to build a<br />
buffer to put them ahead.<br />
Universal Credit will be paid<br />
in arrears every month. This<br />
puts tenants at risk of falling<br />
behind on their rent.<br />
It’s beneficial for tenants<br />
to be in credit on rent<br />
accounts, prior to the<br />
changes coming into place<br />
so they are prepared.<br />
Anybody who feels they need<br />
support, please contact the<br />
Money Matters Team.<br />
We can help<br />
Our Money Matters<br />
team can help you<br />
prepare for the<br />
transition to Universal<br />
Credit and make it<br />
easier for you.<br />
They can show you how<br />
to budget, give debt<br />
advice, help with<br />
digital skills and give<br />
careers advice.<br />
Contact<br />
If you need help with<br />
Universal Credit,<br />
please contact:<br />
T: 0300 5000 600<br />
E: moneymatters@<br />
connecthousing.org.uk<br />
A. Tenants will need to<br />
ensure that they have an<br />
email address, bank account<br />
Keeping up the festive spirit<br />
The Christmas holiday is a<br />
time to spend with friends<br />
and family, but for some<br />
people it can be worrying and<br />
stressful, both financially<br />
and emotionally.<br />
The festive period can place<br />
pressures on people to spend<br />
and entertain, even though<br />
their bills and rent have yet<br />
to be paid.<br />
If you’re struggling to pay<br />
your rent or having any<br />
difficulties with debt over the<br />
festive period or any time of<br />
the year, please contact our<br />
Money Matters team.<br />
15
<strong>Get</strong> in<br />
MONEY<br />
MATTERS<br />
touch<br />
0300 5000 600<br />
www.connecthousing.org.uk<br />
hello@connecthousing.org.uk<br />
Connect Housing is<br />
a charitable housing<br />
association.<br />
Our passion is for a<br />
fairer society, where<br />
people’s homes, health<br />
and happiness matter.<br />
/ConnectHousing<br />
@ConnectHousing<br />
Leeds Office<br />
205 Roundhay Road<br />
Leeds, LS8 4HS<br />
Mon, Tues, Thurs: 9am - 5.30pm<br />
Weds: 10.30am - 5.30pm<br />
Fri: 9am - 5pm<br />
Dewsbury Office<br />
21 Bond Street<br />
Dewsbury, WF13 1AX<br />
Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri: 9am - 5pm<br />
Weds: 10.30am - 5pm<br />
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