In this newsletter
Financial Inclusion for Tenants
The Broxtowe Borough Council Financial Inclusion Service offers free, confidential and impartial advice to Council Tenants and Council Leaseholders with the aim of improving income and living standards.
Neil Brown and Teresa Seymour are our Financial Inclusion Officers. They can be contacted either by email: financial.inclusion@broxtowe.gov.uk or by telephone: 0115 9173658.
Neil and Teresa are now also available on a Monday, working alongside Citizens Advice at the Council Offices in Beeston between 10am-1pm every week.
They are also available at the Beeston Job Centre, 3 Acacia Walk, Beeston NG9 2LW on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month 1pm-5pm. No appointments are necessary at the Citizens Advice or Job Centre.
The Financial Inclusion Officers can help with the following matters:
Benefits and Tax Credits
- Benefit checks to make sure you're claiming all you're entitled to
- Supporting you to challenge decisions
- Representing you at benefit appeal tribunals (when required)
Debts
- Preparing financial statements and offering budgeting advice
- Supporting tenants with arrears and possessions proceedings
- Advice around debt management options such a payment plans, charity trust bankruptcy or Debt Relief Order (with signposting to debt specialist)
If you think this service would help you, particularly during this current cost of living crisis, please contact Neil or Teresa, alternatively you can speak to one of the Income Collection Team who will be happy to make a referral for you.
Success Stories
- We helped a tenant who was experiencing work poverty as she was working part-time, living alone and struggling to pay her bills. We arranged for a £90 Tesco food voucher to be issued the same day!
- We received a referral as one of our tenants had said “I don’t know how to pay my rent I have had all my benefits stopped”. After further investigation we discovered that their entitlement to Housing Benefit had been suspended due to a change of circumstances. The DWP had ended their Employment and Support Allowance claim due to them becoming pensionable age. However, due to tenant having a brain injury they didn’t realise they had to claim their State Pension and they had been without income (other than PIP) for 2 months. We assisted to get the Housing Benefit entitlement back up and running and applied for a grant which resulted in a payment of £90 being made to the tenant whilst we helped with the application for her State Pension.
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Mental Health Awareness Week
It's Mental Health Awareness Week from 15 - 21 May, and this year's theme is 'anxiety.' Anxiety is a normal emotion in us all, but sometimes it can get out of control and become a mental health problem.
We can get anxious when it comes to things to do with money and not being able to meet our basic needs, like heating our home or buying food.
Focusing on anxiety for this year's Mental Health Awareness Week will increase people's awareness and understanding of anxiety by providing information on the things that can help prevent it from becoming a problem.
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Eggcellent Easter in Independent Living
This Easter, Independent Living tenants got together to make crafty Easter goodies.
Tenants got creative and decorated chocolate Easter eggs.
'It was good fun, though it was a little warm in the room so they've melted a bit, but that won't affect the taste!'
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Another scheme had a facilitator run a workshop to make Easter Flower baskets and scented soap.
'It was a great session. It's very clever and creative the way Barbara uses recycled materials to create the baskets and chicks.'
Interested in finding your next home in one of our Independent Living Schemes? Find out more by visiting the Independent Living Service
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National Gardening Week
2 - 8 May
The theme for National Gardening Week in 2023 is ‘Create Your Coronation Container’ to celebrate His Majesty King Charles III and his love of horticulture.
The King is known as a champion of the environment and a supporter of the nation’s passion for gardening, so we are inviting people to produce jubilant planting schemes to mark the beginning of his reign.
National Gardening Week
Community Fund
Did you know you could use the Community Fund to spruce or create a community garden?
Tenants across the borough have successfully put in bids to secure funding for community garden supplies. From planters, benches to soil and plants.
In the image above, tenants from The Spinney applied for a bench with planters on the end.
'The planter bench is great. We can sit outside and enjoy the nice weather and watch the flowers we planted bloom.'
Got an idea? Apply Now!
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Deaf Awareness Week
1 - 7 May
There are over 50,000 deaf children and young people in the UK. Celebrate Deaf Awareness Week (1 to 7 May 2023) and make everyday life more deaf-friendly for children and young people.
Tenant Lead BSL Sessions
A Tenant has started running British Sign Language (BSL) course to other tenants.
After chatting to the Activities Coordinator, Barbara suggested that she could run workshops for any tenants to join and learn BSL.
Barbara worked for the Social Service as a 'deafblind' communicator before she retired. Once retired, she did voluntary work and continued to use her BSL with service users. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to volunteer that way anymore, but still wanted to make a difference.
''The group is very informal and it’s a happy group with lots of laughs as well as a cup of tea.
We hand out sheets with signs on and suggest downloading the BSL app if they are internet familiar.''
Are you a Broxtowe tenant and interested in attending a session? Email housingengagement@broxtowe.gov.uk
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Rent a Garage in Stapleford
What's safe and secure, but always open when you need it? Your garage! It can be used for storage, your car or even a personal gym space.
We've got garages available in Stapleford: Merton Court, Montrose Court, Radburn Court, Rockford Court, Sheridan Court and Albany Court.
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Do You Know Someone Looking to Sell Their Ex-Council Home?
They could sell their ex-Council property without the estate agent fees!
We are looking to buy ex-Council leasehold flats or houses at full market value. Once back in Council ownership, the properties are used to provide housing for those on the Council’s housing list.
For further information, please contact our Homeownership team on 0115 917 7777 or email acquisitions@broxtowe.gov.uk
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Housing's Jargon Buster:
Income
Here are a few phrases that our Income and Rent Collection use:
Rent in Advance: When you start your tenancy, you will need to pay rent in advance to ensure that you do not go into arrears. The tenancy agreement for your home states that your rent is due weekly in advance and is payable on a Monday. If you pay monthly, fortnightly or 4 weekly, you must also pay in advance.
Rent Arrears: If you fall behind with your rent payments (whether paid by Housing Benefit or yourself), you are said to be in rent arrears. This means that you owe your landlord money. Tenants who are in rent arrears would be advised to contact us, as being in arrears is a breach of the tenancy agreement and can lead to eviction.
Housing Revenue Account (HRA): Housing's account into which rents and any money from the Government are paid. It pays for repairs, managing and maintaining the housing stock, and repaying any money borrowed for past building and improvements. The HRA is ‘ring-fenced’, which means it can only be used for owning and managing council housing.
Universal Credit: It is a single payment that replaces income-based Jobseekers Allowance, Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support, Child Tax Credits, Working Tax Credits and Housing benefit payments.
Are there any more phrases you've heard and want to know what it means? Send us an email at housngengagement@broxtowe.gov.uk
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Where are Housing this May?
Our next 'RIG on the Move' evening meeting will be in May. Look out for the date and location on our social media channels.
Find out about our latest performance figures, Housing Updates, the Community Fund and how to become a Neighbhourhood Champion.
Open to all tenants and leaseholders, both General Needs and Independent Living.
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Get Together for the King's Coronation
Find out what your local area is doing for the King's Coronation!
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