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Dear Tenant,

Everyone at Housing Leeds hopes you’re well and looking forward to enjoying the warmer spring days ahead.

Last week the Prime Minister set out a four step plan to ease restrictions and provide a route back to a more normal way of life. You can find out more about this on the government’s website as well as keep up to date about how the COVID-19 vaccine is being given to people in Leeds. With the national lockdown continuing until at least Monday 29 March, we wanted to remind you of the help and support available, as well as keep you updated about our services:

• During COVID-19 we have seen an increase in the numbers of customers needing financial support. If you are struggling financially, we can work with you to help make sure you’re getting any benefits you’re entitled to. Between April and December last year we worked with over 4,000 tenants to help them claim benefits and access financial support, amounting to over £3 million of additional household income for tenants in total. Start the conversation with us today by contacting your local housing teams.
• We continue to accept and carry out all types of repairs. However, due to COVID-19 we may not be able to carry out all repairs in the usual timescales. We thank you for your patience and assure you all repairs will be completed as soon as we can. 
• To keep you and our workers safe, please can you ensure that you:
  • Tell us if you or anyone in your home have any symptoms of coronavirus before we visit, or are awaiting test results
  • Maintain 2m social distancing with our staff and contractors
  • Where possible, open the windows slightly during the visit to ventilate your home and help prevent the spread of the virus
• Large scale improvement projects are continuing to be delivered, this includes new heating and hot water systems, fire safety works along with replacement kitchens, bathrooms, roofs, windows and doors. We thank all tenants and families who are helping us and our contractors work safely. We appreciate that there are more people at home during the day who are impacted, but the investment will give a better quality of home once complete.

If there are any future changes to our services we will let you know here. 

1 in 3 people have registered! Register now to: make a rent payment view details of repairs ordered within the last 28 days view your up to date rent account and print off a statement access information about your tenancy update your personal information including mobile telephone number You’ll need an email address and your rent account number. You can find your rent account number on your rent statement. If you don’t know your rent account number, you can call the Contact Centre on 0800 188 4000 or speak to someone at your local housing office.

On Universal Credit? You need to tell the DWP about your change in rent.  You must resubmit your housing costs on your online Universal Credit journal. To make sure you get what you are entitled to, you must do this before the last day of your monthly assessment period which includes the 5 April 2021.

Join a growing number of tenants sharing their ideas and views on different projects and proposals at Your Voice Leeds.  By registering you can:

• Join the conversation with Hunslet Tenants and Residents Association about the creation of a new ‘Welcome to Hunslet’ sign and asking for ideas about Hunslet Greenspace.
• Take part in virtual walkabouts in Cottingley and Lincoln Green, Burmantofts and Richmond Hill
• Give feedback to the Tenant Scrutiny Board, with your ideas and suggestions are on how we can best listen and respond to your feedback
• Help shape the Greener Gipton and Harehills Campaign action plan

Contacting us

To request a repair:

• Call 0800 188 4000 or log a non-essential repair online.
• Outside of office hours we will only take calls for emergency repairs.
• Swarcliffe PFI areas please call Yorkshire Housing on 0345 366 4403
• Little London, Beeston Hill & Holbeck PFI areas please call Engie on 03331 210 074

To check your rent balance or make a payment: go to www.leeds.gov.uk/ssp or call 0113 395 7100

For all general enquiries:  Call 0800 188 4000 (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 9am to 5pm; Wednesday 10am to 5pm)

For all ongoing tenancy matters please contact your local housing office

To keep up to date with services available at the Hubs visit here.

Useful reminders:

The census is coming. By taking part, you can help inform decisions about services that shape your community, such as healthcare, education and transport.  For more information, visit www.census.gov.uk

Leeds Older People’s Forum have launched a new Dementia Friendly Leeds What's On Listing of online, phone and face to face social opportunities for people living with dementia and their carers.

If you’re an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen living in the UK – and resident in the UK by 31 December 2020 – you can apply to the EU Settlement Scheme to protect your family's rights in terms of living and working in the UK, alongside access to healthcare, benefits and pensions.  Deadline for applications is 30 June 2021. https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families#north