Problems paying your rent
If you are struggling to pay your rent or your other bills we want to help. Often, the earlier people seek support the better. Our experienced team is here for you.
We have a team of skilled staff that can give you advice on benefits, money management and support you when things change in your life.
They are here to help you to find practical solutions so that nobody falls behind with their rent.
Here to help
Bills, food, school uniforms, it all mounts up.
If you’ve fallen behind or are having trouble paying your rent get in touch as soon as possible.
If you are behind on your rent payments
If you find yourself in rent arrears, we’ll write to you, call you or visit you to discuss how you can pay your arrears in affordable amounts.
Together we will work on a repayment plan. See below what will happen if you don’t keep up with that plan.
Want money advice, such as keeping to a budget or how to check any benefit entitlement?
There are a number of agencies that may be able to help.
Budget planning
- Money Helper is a free online budget planning tool.
Visit: Money Helper - Budget Planner - They can also help you to manage your debt.
Visit: Money Helper - Dealing with Debt
Citizens Advice Bureau
Main office on Sunderland St, Macclesfield
Advice: 03444 111 444
Admin/Appointments: 01625 432847
E-mail advice: advice@cecab-north.org.uk
Appointments and drop-in sessions available at offices in Macclesfield, Knutsford, Wilmslow and Poynton.
Christians Against Poverty (CAP) and Hope Central
Completely free and available to anyone living in SK9 and WA16, CAP have partnered with Hope Central to provide a debt counselling service that takes into account your wider circumstances, emotional needs, and your financial situation.
Ring 0800 328 0006 for more information (lines are open between 9:30am and 5pm Monday to Thursday, and between 9:30am and 3.30pm on Fridays).
CAP has also produced this self-help guide.
Our staff can help you to apply for Employment Support Programmes like New Leaf and Springboard, which aim to help you get on with training, education and/ or work.
Email trust@peaksplains.org and asked to be referred to these Employment Support Programmes.
LEAP is a free service that is helping people keep warm and reduce their energy bills without costing them any money. See how you can save.
- Visit www.applyforleap.org.uk
• Freephone 0800 060 7567
• Email support@applyforleap.org.uk
Cheshire East can help with Council Tax Support (CTS) gives you a reduction on your Council Tax bill if you are on a low income. You will get a revised Council Tax bill with a reduced balance.
High Peak Council can help you to understand if you are eligible for ‘council tax reduction’.
- High Peak: Help paying your Council Tax
Cheshire West has online information about its Council Tax reduction scheme.
Entitledto is an independent online benefit calculator that helps people to work out what they can claim from national and local government.
Visit: entitledto.co.uk
When a customer goes into hospital they are still liable to pay rent on their property. We would always advise a customer to let us know if they expect a prolonged stay so that a note can be added to the customers account. You could give us permission to discuss your rent account with a named family member while you are in hospital (you would need to sign a permission to discuss form which you can request from us by calling the customer service number).
Our Income Team can help you to set up a direct debit and in that way if you go into hospital rent payments would still be made without you having to worry about it. You can set up a DD at any time and it would be prudent to do so if you are going into hospital for a period of time.
In the event that you have not informed us that you are in hospital and rent arrears do start to accrue then the income officer responsible for your account would try to get in touch with you using various channels (phone, email, text, letter) to try and find out what is happening. If no contact is made then the officer would make a house call to try and establish what is happening.
Only if you do not make any contact with the Trust or your income officer and your rent arrears are getting high would the Trust would look at starting a legal process, this is rare and your income officer will do everything they can to find a solutions and set up a payment arrangement. Please let us know if you are going into hospital so that we can support you to continue paying your rent.
When things go wrong
As a customer, it’s your responsibility to make sure you pay your rent on time. But if you are struggling to pay your rent, we’re here to help.
Possession order
However, if you don’t keep up with a repayment plan, we will take legal action to take possession of your home by serving a ‘Notice of Seeking Possession’.
This means that if you don’t pay your arrears or agree a repayment plan with us, we’ll apply to the County Court for a possession order.
Court
If we must take you to court, you’ll be responsible for paying £404 for the court costs, and the judge will also order you to pay your weekly rent and arrears by instalments each week.
The judge might also grant us immediate possession of your home, which means you will need to leave.
You’ll also be given a County Court Judgement.
Last resort
If you continue to miss payments, we’ll apply for an eviction warrant and you could lose your home.
Eviction is always our last option when we have tried all other options.
We want to keep people in their homes. After all, it's why we're here.