home news spring 2011

www.warwickdc.gov.uk/homenews

KEEPING YOUINFORMED

ISSUE 66 – SPRING 2011YOUR WDC HOUSING MAGAZINE

SPEND A DAY WITH AN INCOME RECOVERY OFFICER

JOIN OUR TENANT PANEL

GET READY FOR THE DIGITAL SWITCHOVER

www.warwickdc.gov.uk

CONTENTS

Published by Housing and Property Services, Warwick District Council (WDC), Riverside House, Milverton Hill, Royal Leamington Spa CV32 5QE. Tel: 01926 410 410.

Designed by The Printroom, WDC – 01926 456 108. Managing Editor (WDC) Fiona Walsh 01926 456 447. Editor Nicki Hughes 01926 456 119.

The virgin fibre used in the paper for this product has been derived from sustainably managed forests. This product is fully recyclable.

2 RENT STATEMENTS NOW ON-LINE 3 ADAPTATIONS TO PROPERTIES CENSUS REMINDER TOP TIP FLEXIBLE TENANCIES

4 TENANT PARTICIPATION UPDATE

8 A DAY IN THE LIFE OF... AN INCOME RECOVERY OFFICER

10 LEASEHOLDERS - ARE YOUR ELECTRICS SAFE? - IS YOUR FRONT DOOR FIRE RESISTANT ASBESTOS

11 FIRE SAFETY IN FLATS 12 GAS SERVICING ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR

13 MEET LILIAN

14 ALL CHANGE 15 DON’T LOSE YOUR VOTE 16 FEED A FAMILY OF 4 FOR £4

17 WATCH OUT!

18 OUR NEW ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR NEW LOCAL PLAN

19 THE RE-USEFUL CENTRE

20 RENT LOST FROM EMPTY HOMES DIGITAL SWITCH OVER

21 DIALLING OPTIONS

22 GARDENING NEWS

23 BRITISH BIRDS WORDSEARCH COMPETITION WINNERS

2

RENT STATEMENTS NOW ON-LINEWould you like to know the balance on your rent account? You can now view your rent statement on-line whenever you want.

Your account ID and password were sent to you along with your rent increase letter in February and you will be asked to change your password the first time you log in.

Go to:www.warwickdc.gov.uk/housing/tenants

You can either view a snapshot of the last 3 weeks or view your rent statements from 2008 onwards.

There is also a link to the secure on-line payment page.

If you have lost your password or have any other questions please call 456408, 456409 or 456445 or e-mail: [email protected] and we

will be happy to help.

2

will be happy to help.

HOME NEWS

3

HOME NEWS


At the Meeting of the Full Council on 23rd February, 2011 a report was presented setting the Housing Rents and Revenue Account Budget for 2011/12.

Council approved additional money for 2011/12 to reduce both the backlog and waiting times for customers in need of aids and adaptations and have increased the aids and adaptations budget for 2012/13 and 2013/14 by an additional £500,000 per year to meet customer demand.

This is good news for those who have been assessed as being in ‘substantial need’ by their Occupational Therapist and who have been on the waiting list for up to two years. It will take some time to clear the backlog but it is hoped that most of the outstanding requests will be completed during 2011/12. All outstanding applicants will be contacted this month.

ADAPTATIONS TO PROPERTIES

CENSUS REMINDERHave you completed your census form yet?

If not, please fill it in and send it back as soon as possible. You might not realise that you have a legal duty to do this. If you need any help with the form, just call the Helpline on 0300 0201 101 open from now until 15 May 2011.

FLEXIBLE TENANCIESThe council is required to develop a strategy for how it goes about allocating its properties. This is to look at the introduction of “flexible tenancies”, which will be allocated for a fixed term period, rather than for life, and is to ensure that housing is managed efficiently and is available for those who need it.

Any changes will not affect the tenancies of those of you already living in council housing; it will be a strategy for new tenants. The council will be involving tenants in consultation around how we take this forward.

CEREHavyou

If notit bacmigha legneejust02015

Do you have a stair lift or a bath or bed hoist in your home?

TOP TIP

If it stops working, just try replacing the batteries in the remote control before you call a contractor out. It could save you being without it while you wait for an engineer to turn up.

If you change the batteries and the problem is still there, then please call and speak to repairs! 01926 412828

4

TENANT PANEL JOIN OUR TEAM!

TENANT PARTICIPATIONHOUSING AND PROPERTY SERVICES

HOW DID IT COME ABOUT?The Tenant Services Authority was set up in 2008 and its full range of regulatory powers came into force on 1 April 2010. The main one being the emphasis on tenant regulation and monitoring of the services provided by Housing & Property Services.

JOIN US AND HAVE YOUR SAY!Anyone can join – you just need to be a Warwick District Council Housing Tenant living in the district. Your opinions and comments will be welcomed; however the panel is not able to deal with individual and specific issues.

You can do as much or as little as you like, but the more tenants who get involved the more representative the Panel becomes of the whole district and also, it means there are more people to

share the work! Tim Eden, Vice Chairman of the Panel says, “The Tenant Panel has an important role to play in monitoring the Council’s

Housing and Property Service. Already we are involved in a number of projects across all areas of housing and the more people that join the panel, the louder our voice will be!”

CHAMPIONSThe Panel is setting up Service Improvement Groups to look after particular areas of Housing, with panel members “Championing” certain areas. John Wheatcroft is the Champion for recruiting new members for the panel and getting people involved. You might have seen him at Riverside House where he has been talking to tenants about the Tenant Panel – leaving leaflets, putting up posters and is now taking phone numbers and email addresses of people who are interested in joining.

He is keen to get as many people from across the district as possible “If the panel is to be successful, we need to involve a real cross section of tenants and in particular some younger people, so we can represent their issues and opinions.”

Your tenant panel has been up and running now for six months with about 20 tenants already involved. Gathering information about different parts of Housing and Property Services, the panel is now ready to take on its monitoring and scrutinising role.

“The more people that join, the louder our voice will be.”



Lance Hutchinson is another Champion, for Repairs and Maintenance. Following a trip to Daventry to meet their Tenant Panel, Lance came back with some ideas for the future. “They have about 200 tenants involved in their panel and people have joined up because they can see how successful they have become. Their enthusiasm for their role is great to see and I hope we can have that sort of success here in Warwick district.”

In fact members of the panel visited Daventry’s panel so that they could ask questions and find out how they did things over there.

Lance has made some good contacts in Daventry and is planning a return trip to look at their Repairs in more detail.

The Tenant Champion groups will be more or less self-operating, they will report into the Tenant Panel and all their reports will link back to the Service Improvement Plan, which monitors Housing and Property Services.

Other Service Improvement Champions will look at the following areas;

- Performance management- Allocations and lettings- Housing management

5 www.warwickdc.gov.uk

NEW RESIDENTS ASSOCIATIONSet up at Fetherston Court, it is already a great success!

With over twenty tenants involved they have already set up a weekly Bingo night - Thursdays at 7pm in the lounge area and looking at setting up more social events in the future, including a regular quiz night. Check the notice boards for news and updates or call Hazel if you want to get involved on 01926 770120.

MYSTERY SHOPPERS AND TENANT INSPECTORSYou might be interested in getting involved in inspections or “mystery shopping” – where you call up the repairs line and report back on the service you receive. Training and support will of course be given; in fact the tenant panel visited the Customer Service Centre in February to look at its role alongside that of mystery shopping.

INTERESTED?If you are thinking about joining the panel then you do not need any qualifications or experience, you just need to have opinions and things to say about your housing. You will be given all the information you need to get involved and carry out your role. You can do as much or as little as you want; it is entirely up to you.

If you would like any more information, please contactMargaret Allen, Tenant Development Officer on:tel – 01926 456 451 mobile – 07810 654 669email – [email protected] – www.warwickdc.gov.uk/tp


6

This event co-ordinated by Margaret Allen and the Tenant Panel committee, was held at the shopping precinct in Crown Way, Lillington. With support from the housing team, recycling, act on energy as well as the local shops, there was a good turn out from the community, despite the freezing cold weather!

This event promoted the new Tenant Panel and gave tenants the opportunity to meet the housing team. Those attending could share their opinions and ideas or join the Tenant Panel there and then! Tenants could also find out about setting up residents groups as well as training opportunities for them. There was information on gas and electrical repairs and saving money on your bills....in fact all things housing were there for you to turn up and find out more!

HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS

Competition Winners on the day;

Thornton’s Chocolate Hamper:Mrs Quantrill, Parklands Ave

Nail Voucher: Mr Leahy, Eden Court

Giant Teddy Bear: Ms Conway, The Crest

We are planning to hold more of these events in other areas. Fallow Hill in Sydenham’s Road Show is on 20 April, 10am.

ctrical repaairs re there foor



TENANT SURVEYSQuestionnaires were sent out last this year to help us understand more about you, our tenants when we are planning for the future. If you completed it and returned it to us by the end of November last year, you would have been entered into a free prize draw to win a £100 voucher.

And the winner was Mrs Kathleen Butler.....congratulations! And thank you to everyone who did complete their questionnaires.

7

HOUSING

TENANT

DROP IN


Drop in and meet the housing team, have a chat over a cup of coffee and let us know how you’re getting on, if you have any issues or concerns and we’ll do our best to give you advice and support.

April

Thu 28 April - The Gap Warwick 2pm – 4pm

May

Tue 3 May - Tenant PanelTown Hall 7pm – 9pm

Tue 10 May - Village Hall Cubbington 10am – 12noon

Wed 11 May Beauchamp Court 10am – 12noonSt Paul’s & Kennedy Square 7pm – 8pm

Thu 12 May - PackmoresWarwick 10am – 12noonBrunswick Resident Group7pm – 8pm

Thu 26 May - The Gap Warwick 2pm – 4pm

June

Tue 7 June - Tenant PanelTown Hall 7pm – 9pm

Thu 9 June - PackmoresWarwick 10am – 12noon

Tue 14 June - Village Hall, Cubbington 10am – 12noon

Wed 15 June - Beauchamp Court 10am – 12noon

Thu 23 June - The GapWarwick 2pm – 4pm

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF..... AN INCOME RECOVERY OFFICER

HOME NEWS

If a tenant does get into arrears with their rent and fails to keep to an arrangement to clear the arrears then it is Yusaf’s responsibility to enforce the conditions of tenancy. This could lead to the council taking legal action, and the tenant losing their home. If people do not pay their rent it means that the council has less money to carry out services such as installing new kitchens and bathrooms and carrying out works to improve the environment on our Estates.

The first thing Yusaf does when he arrives at his desk in the morning is to check his emails and his calendar for the day.

Yusaf’s day starts out on his patch in South Leamington, with visits to the homes of tenants who are in arrears and who have failed to respond to letters and phone calls. The purpose of the visit is to help Yusaf get an understanding of the tenant’s situation “maybe they have had a change of circumstances, such as losing their job, or a relationship breakdown. It helps if we have this contact as early as possible, because I can then put them in touch with organisations that can help them such as the Citizens’ Advice Bureau. This means we can try and resolve the arrears situation while it’s at a low level, and so

reduce the debt for both the tenant and the council.”

Yusaf visits a property to deliver a Notice of Seeking Possession, which is the first stage of Court proceedings. Yusaf explains that he prefers to hand the Notice to the tenants, “so that I can explain how serious the situation is. Also at this stage we will take a financial statement from the tenant and work out a payment plan for the tenant to pay the debt off. It also helps to establish the reason for the arrears, and whether the tenant is entitled to additional income from housing or other welfare benefits.”

“This is the most rewarding part of my job, despite the tenant getting into arrears with their rent; they have kept in touch with me so we were able to help before the situation became unmanageable.”

Yusaf holds a weekly surgery at the Brunswick Healthy Living Centre. During a discussion with one tenant Yusaf was able to agree with the tenant how he was going to clear the debt.

Once the agreement is made it must not be broken, otherwise the recovery process continues.

Next there is a meeting with the council’s Solicitor to discuss the Possession Cases that are being held at the Justice Centre the following week. If a tenant fails to pay their rent and the arrears continue to increase the council has no option but to apply to the County Court for a Possession Order. The case will be heard by a District Judge who will make the decision as to whether a tenant can remain in their home. When making their decision the Judge will consider whether the council has followed the ‘pre-court protocol’ , which insists that landlords try every avenue to assist their tenants to pay their rent and deal with their arrears before taking action to evict them.

The remainder of Yusaf’s day is spent managing his case work. This can involve referring someone to the Money Advice Worker at the Citizens Advice Bureau for Debt Advice, or liaising with colleagues in the Housing Benefit Department to organise for a visiting officer to call and help a tenant apply for benefit. Another tenant is now working and no longer entitled to Housing Benefit and Yusaf arranges for them to make future rent payments by direct debit. There is phone call from a tenant who

Yusaf is a member of the Rents and Finance Team and the purpose of his role as an Income Recovery Officer is to maximise the Council’s income by preventing people getting into arrears with their rent.

8www.warwickdc.gov.uk

is having problems managing her weekly budget, so Yusaf suggests that she drops in to see the Coventry and Warwickshire Co-operative Development Agency(CWCDA) who can help with budgeting skills along with other financial information on bank accounts and low cost loans.

Before he leaves for the day Yusaf checks his calendar for the next day. He will be carrying out an eviction at 10am, so he confirms that the bailiff will be attending and the tradesman has been booked to change the locks.

HOME NEWS

www.warwickdc.gov.uk9

“This is a really difficult part of the job. Often I find that it isn’t until we go to Court and get an Eviction Warrant that tenants really face up to their situation. The tenant then risks losing their home and will still owe the Council the debt.”

It is highly recommended that, as a property owner, Leaseholders should get their homes electrically tested every five years.

ARE YOUR ELECTRICS SAFE?

Fire resistant doors are built to restrict and delay the path of a fire. If you are a leaseholder it is your responsibility to ensure that your front door meets the 30 minutes fire resistant standard.

Our fire risk assessments across the district show that many front doors have been replaced by leaseholders that do not meet this standard and we will be contacting the leaseholders concerned to arrange assessments. If the assessment shows your front door is not a fire resistant door, you will need to replace it. If you are already aware that your front door does not meet the required standard you should have it replaced with a fire resistant door as soon as possible.

Some, but not all, wooden doors are fire resistant. In nearly all cases, new UPVC or plastic doors are not sufficiently fire resistant. Doors should also be self-closing. To find out more about options for replacing your front door, please contact: [email protected].

IS YOUR FRONT DOOR FIRE RESISTANT?

HOME NEWS


A period Inspection record should be carried out by a competent qualified Electrician who is registered with the NICEIC. The inspection will establish the overall condition of all the electrics and state whether they are satisfactory for continued use, and should detail any work that might need to be done. Most importantly it will tell you that you are electrically safe in your home.

For further information, please contact Ellie Phillips on 01926 456 067.

The next meeting of the Leaseholders Action Group will take place on Wednesday May 11th, this is also the Annual General Meeting so we hope to see lots of members attending - 7:30pm at the Town Hall.

You can contact LAG by email on [email protected]

LEASEHOLDERS

ASBESTOS UPDATEManagement SurveysWe currently have asbestos surveys for 77% of our houses and we have set a target to reach 100% by 31st March 2011. Letters will be sent out to all homes that still need to be surveyed. These surveys help us identify and manage asbestos containing material. If you receive a letter from us, it will be advising you that our Asbestos Survey Contractor,

PTL Occupational Hygiene will be contacting you for an appointment to survey your home. It won’t take long, but it will mean you will be better informed.

Controlling the risks of AsbestosAsbestos is not always a hazard, however it is important that asbestos containing materials are identified, as exposure to

asbestos fibres increases the likelihood of contracting asbestos related diseases such as Asbestosis, Mesothelioma and Asbestos related Lung Cancer. If asbestos can be maintained in a good condition then it is recommended that it is left alone and its condition

ncreases

estos relateds Asbestosis, nd Lung

be

Communal areas outside your flat provide an essential escape route in the event of fire and therefore must be kept clear of anything that might hinder your escape out, or the Emergency Service’s access in. Communal areas must also be free of any flammable materials that present a fire risk.

� Keep communal areas clear of refuse sacks, bicycles, children’s buggies, disability scooters, plant pots, doormats, washing or other obstructions.

� If you have a balcony, you must make sure that any items stored on it are fire proof: barbecues, fuel containers or gas bottles and furniture must not be stored there.

� Never wedge open doors within the corridors.

We know that you might feel the policy is unfair, especially if you want to put decorative items outside your flat to brighten up the communal areas; however this policy is there for the safety of you and your family and has to be applied consistently and fairly to all.

LegislationThe Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 placed extra responsibilities on the council to identify and manage fire risks, with particular focus on escape routes and communal areas.

We must all work together to follow the legislation and you must do your bit, by calling the council to report any incidents such as damage to walls or doors in common areas, including your own front door, or to report the build up of rubbish or other obstructions in common areas. Call repairs on 01926 412 828.

We regularly inspect communal areas and shared spaces to ensure they are kept free from obstructions and fire risk. We will contact you if there are items of concern, however if something is causing an immediate obstruction or a fire hazard, we may remove it. To avoid this, please keep your possessions inside your flat.

If you have a mobility aid that you store in the communal area, please contact your Housing Officer to discuss possible solutions as these present an obstruction and fire risk.

Your flat should be fitted with a smoke alarm, but if your existing system no longer works or you do not have a smoke alarm fitted, please let us know by calling repairs: 01926 412 828

Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service offer everyone a FREE home fire safety check which may include the fitting of smoke detectors where necessary. To book your Home Fire Safety Check call 01926 466 282.

FIRE SAFETY IN FLATS: COMMUNAL AREASAs a tenant or leaseholder you have a responsibility to keep communal areas, such as hallways, stairwells, landings and basements clean and free from any obstructions of fire hazards.

11

HOME NEWS

monitored. It is only when asbestos becomes disturbed, damaged and the fibres become airborne that it is a danger.

DIY & Home ImprovementsDIY in your home can present a health hazard, if you proceed without knowing whether you will be disturbing any asbestos. Before you start any jobs, just take a few minutes to contact Housing &

Property Services so that we can check our asbestos register and let you know if there is any present in your home. We can then advise you on how to proceed with the work in a safe manner.

EnquiriesMore information and advice about asbestos containing material will feature in future issues of the Home News. If you have any enquiries, please contact Housing & Property Services on 01926 456 036.

11

monitoredasbestos bdamagedbecome adanger.

DIY &ImpDIYpreif knwastt

Anti-social behaviour can be a huge problem for some tenants and the council works hard to tackle it, enforcing the conditions of the tenancy where necessary. Support and assistance with any problems the perpetrators might have is offered initially.

Latest update on action taken;

� Eviction for a tenant in south Leamington as a result of anti-social behaviour and the condition of their property.

�A possession order against a tenant for anti-social behaviour because of noise nuisance.

�An anti-social behaviour order has been obtained against a Warwick youth. This gives guidelines for acceptable behaviour and prohibits any behaviour or action that will affect his neighbours.

The Government is currently considering changes to the Law which should speed up the process for dealing with anti-social behaviour. We will keep you up to date with any changes in future editions of the Home News.

HOME NEWS

Anti-Social Behaviour Update

GAS SERVICINGMost of us have a gas fire, or gas central heating in our homes and in the right hands, gas is safe.

However, badly fitted and poorly serviced gas appliances can cause gas leaks, fires, carbon monoxide poisoning and even explosions. This is why all the council’s gas servicing is undertaken by Gas Safe registered engineers. We also recommend that any servicing you arrange on your own, connecting gas cookers when you move into your property, or fires for example – you too always use a Gas Safe registered engineer.

The council as your landlord must have all your gas appliances serviced once a year, to keep them working efficiently and also for your own safety. Here are a few reminders;

� Turn off appliances at least an hour before the engineer arrives, otherwise they will be too hot to be serviced.

� Servicing the boiler helps with energy efficiency. � It helps to prevent the boiler breaking down on the coldest day of the year!

� Don’t use ceiling fans in the same room as your gas fire, it can cause problems with air movement in the room and affect the ventilation of fumes from your fire.

Gas Safety Tips � Always check the engineer’s Gas Safe Register ID card. � Carbon monoxide cannot be smelt or seen, so check from time to time that your carbon monoxide alarm is working.

� If you smell gas, or think there might be a leak, turn off the gas at the meter (or call the National Grid on 0800 111 999 if you are unsure of how to do this), put out any naked flames and don’t switch lights on or off.

� For any other information visit www.GasSafeRegister.co.uk, or call the free helpline on 0800 408 5500


If you live in Sydenham or spend any time at the SYDNI Centre, then you’ll probably know Lilian. She has lived in Sydenham for 35 years, Fallow Hill for 20 of those and been involved with the SYDNI Centre since its opening nearly 10 years ago. So you could say she is a well known figure in the local community.

She helps out on reception at the SYDNI Centre, dealing with requests for bookings or information. She also organises events and activities for local residents to give them a sense of community and somewhere they can go to meet their neighbours and friends. She is also involved in fund-raising for a number of local charities.

Lilian helps to run a craft group at the SYDNI Centre on Wednesdays, 2 – 4pm where you can turn up and share your craft skills and make items which can be sold to raise money for social events at the SYDNI centre, or for charity. At the moment they are all making their own greetings cards and you can just go along if you are interested.

There is Bingo every Friday, from 2 – 3.30pm, which is now a lively and well attended event. “Everyone is welcome and at the moment we have about 30 people of all ages

who turn up each week.”Lilian also helps out at lunchtime – Pensioners Special is held on Monday 12noon – 1pm and the Community Lunch is Thursday at 12.30pm – 1.30pm.

“All the events have helped to raise money for some new play equipment for the children at the SYDNI Centre,” says Lilian. “We are planning a few events over the summer so that children can come to the centre and use the new equipment.”Involved with Fallow Hill’s Neighbourhood Watch, Lilian plays an important role in liaising with the council’s Housing Officers and

sharing any information she has with the tenants, on bogus callers or anti-social behaviour for example.

All of Lilian’s work is voluntary and she gives up a great deal of her time to help other people to get out and about and enjoy a social life. This is all the more remarkable because Lilian is registered disabled herself and is also a full-time carer for her husband. “Life can be hard and lonely, so if I can find ways to help other people to improve their lives then that makes me happy!”

If you want to find out more about the SYDNI Centre and their programme of events and regular activities, just call 01926 422071 and ask for Lilian!

We are looking at our repairs service to make sure we are getting it right first time.

We want to avoid you having to call out our contractors more than once to have the same repair done. We need your help to understand how much of an issue this is. If in the

future you have to contact our repairs line to report a repair that you have previously had to report, please notify the operator of this when you call.

This will mean that we will be aware of the issue and takes steps to ensure that we get repairs fixed right, first time to improve the service for you.

VALUE FOR MONEY

HOME NEWS

MEETLILIAN


ALL CHANGE

ESA replaced Incapacity Benefit (IB), Severe Disablement Allowance (SDA) and Income Support paid on the grounds of incapacity for all new claims from October 2008.

The Department of Works and Pensions estimates that there are still around 1.5 million people receiving these benefits, and in an exercise from February 2011 to end in March 2014, awards will be assessed to see if they satisfy the Work Capability Assessment and are entitled to ESA.

If you do satisfy the assessment, then you could qualify for;

�� or��only, or��

If you qualify for ESA (IR) or ESA (IR) plus ESA (C) – the DWP will inform the Housing Benefit Service and you should receive or continue to receive maximum housing benefit – less any deductions

If you qualify for ESA(C) - only the DWP should inform the Housing Benefit Service, which will re-assess your

If you need any more information please contact Housing Benefits on 01926 456059.

The Government announced in the June 2010 budget statement that there would be staged increases in the rates of non-dependant deductions which had been frozen for nearly ten years.

People who normally share your accommodation but are not dependent on you for financial support are known as non-dependants.

Any non-dependant who normally shares your accommodation could reduce the amount of housing and council tax benefit you receive, whether or not you are also getting income support, job seekers allowance or pension credit.

The new rates and income bands from April 2011 are shown in the table below:

NEW RATES non-dependant deductions

Over the next couple of years the Government will be introducing changes to the Housing Benefit and Welfare Benefit system. If you think these changes (in the table below) will affect your ability to pay your rent then you must contact the Income Recovery Team immediately on 01926 456411.

Weekly Housing Benefit deduction from April 2011

Non-dependant’s income: Amount

Aged under 25 and receiving Income Support/JSA(IB)/assessment phase ESA (IR)

Nil

Receiving Pension Credit Nil

Aged 25 or over and receiving Income Support/JSA(IB)/ESA(IR) £9.40

Aged 18 and over receiving main phase ESA(IR) £9.40

Aged 18 and over and not in remunerative work £9.40

Aged 18 or over and in remunerative work

Gross weekly income less than £122.00 £9.40

Gross weekly income £122.01-£179.99 £21.55




Gross weekly income £387.00 or more £60.60

From Incapacity Benefit to ESA

14

HOME NEWS


DON’TLOSEYOURVOTE!

On Thursday 5 May 2011 the local government elections for Warwick District Council and elections for your local Parish or Town Council will take place and you will not be able to vote if your name is not on the electoral register.

Also taking place on the same day is the Referendum for an alternative voting system to be used to elect MPs to the House of Commons.

To be able to vote at any election held in the UK, your name must be on the electoral register in order for you to receive a polling card to take with you to the polling station. Polling takes place between the hours of 7am and 10pm on Election Day.

If you are unsure if your name is on the electoral register at your current address or you wish to arrange to vote by post or by proxy at these elections, please contact Electoral Services on 01926 412656 or email: [email protected]

entitlement to Housing Benefit, or request further information.

People who are entitled to a lower rate of ESA than they were getting on Incapacity Benefit and or Severe Disablement Allowance will receive an additional transitional payment to make up the shortfall. There will also be transitional protection within Housing Benefit. This transitional protection will last until there is a relevant change in circumstances or the claimant’s benefit equals their normal entitlement.

If you do not satisfy the Work Capability Assessment you will be invited to claim Job Seekers Allowance, but there could be a break in your Housing Benefit if there is a delay. You will also have the right of appeal which must be made in writing within one calendar month of the ESA decision. If you appeal but do not claim another benefit you will be awarded the basic rate of ESA until your appeal is heard.

There’s a lot of information to take in here, if you need more information, please contact the DWP on 0800 88 22 00, or visit www.direct.gov.uk


HOME NEWS

www.warwickdc.gov.ukwwwwwwwww.wa.wa.wa.waarwirwirwirwirwrwrwirwrwiwiwiwwwiwiwickdckdckddckdckdckdckckdckdckdckdckdkdkdkdddkdc.gc.gc.gc.gc.gc.c.gc.gc.g.gc.gc.gcc.gc.gc.g.ggov.ovoov.ovov.ov.ov.ov.ovov.ovovov.ovovoo ukukukuku

SPICY PEA SOUP2 medium onions 50p10 cm piece of loose fresh ginger 29p4 garlic cloves 1 tablespoon Olive Oil1 heaped tsp ground cumin1 tsp cumin seeds1 heap tsp ground coriandergood grind of salt and black pepper 30p

750g potatoes 75p 750g frozen peas 80p 300 ml tub of single cream 64pCrusty white bloomer 70p Total Cost £3.98 To make

Chop the onion, and soften over a medium heat. Add the crushed garlic. Roughly chop the potato into chunks about 2 to 3 cms and add to the pan. Turn down the heat and add the peeled, chopped ginger, cumin and coriander and a good grind of salt and black pepper. Stir well to make sure the potato has a good covering of the spice, then cover and sweat over a low heat for 5 minutes to infuse the spices.

Boil the kettle and add enough water to the pan to completely cover the potatoes. Stir well to dislodge any spice that may have got stuck to the pan. Leave to simmer for 20 to 30 mins until the potato is cooked.

Then add the peas and bring back to the boil for 5 mins. Turn off the heat and stir in the cream so it does not curdle. You can blend with a hand held blender until completely smooth, add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with nice crusty white bread.

HOME NEWS

FEED A FAMILY OF 4 FOR £4That was the challenge we set our Home News Panel members, Emma Baylis and Nicki Hughes. Emma shared her recipe for a spicy pea soup. And Nicki’s bacon and pasta dish is quick and easy to make.

16

30p75p 80p 64p0p

.98

thto

pp

8

he o

161166166166616116616666616666166616666666161616166116666

��"��#�$��'�

500g bag of pasta 18p

2 packs of smoked streaky

bacon (£1 each) £2.00

3 leeks 75p

pack mushrooms 69p

small pot natural yoghurt 37p

Total cost £3.99

This is a really quick and easy meal to do for the whole

family – it can be made from fairly cheap ingredients and

takes just 15 minutes to make!

To makePut the whole pack of pasta in a pan of boiling water with

a little salt, and cook for about 10 minutes until it feels

soft.

While that’s cooking, chop the bacon into bite size

pieces and slice up the leeks and mushrooms. Fry them

together in a pan until soft and cooked through.

Drain the pasta, put it back into the pan and stir in the

yoghurt, bacon, mushrooms and leeks, just keep a low

heat on to warm the yoghurt through. Then serve! If you

want to put some grated cheese on top, then that’s nice

too!

(Ingredients purchased at Asda, Leamington Spa)

Why not give our recipes a go and send your pictures in for us to have a look at!

WATCH OUT!THERE ARE SCAMS ABOUT!

17

HOME NEWS

CHEAP OR FREE BURGLAR ALARMS

Trading Standards has heard about telephone “cold calls” from an alarm sales company offering you external alarms for free, or as little as £1. They offer to fit the alarms within 15 minutes of arrival. Be aware that this sort of approach can be accompanied by a high pressure sales pitch and scare stories about burglaries in your area.

In most cases whilst the alarm itself is only £1 or even free, you will be charged heavily for installation and monitoring. This can lead to the purchase of an unsuitable alarm system that could cost thousands of pounds to run and has been fitted so quickly you haven’t had time to understand what you are signing up for.

Remember, if you do sign a contract in your home following a visit you didn’t ask for, or a visit arranged following an unsolicited telephone cold call, you have 7 days within which to cancel the contract.

For information on crime prevention, please contact your local Police Crime Prevention Officer.

INSURANCE PREMIUM REBATES

A resident received an unexpected phone call from someone claiming to be from her insurance company. They told her they were offering a rebate on her insurance premium and needed her personal bank details, so that the ‘money’ could be paid in, but the recipient wisely refused. It is very likely to have been an attempt at theft, especially as the caller’s number was “withheld.”

Never provide any personal or financial details to callers, however genuine they may sound and however much information they may already appear to know about you.

If you think a call is genuine, ask the caller for their name and phone the company back on a publically listed telephone number, for example on their website or in a telephone directory.

For more information, visit www.warwickshire.gov.uk/tradingstandards

BOGUS CALLERS

Here in Housing, we have had reports of Bogus Callers – where someone has knocked at your front door claiming to be from the council. Just to remind you of Warwick District Council’s process for calling at your home and this applies to council officers and any of our contractors;

� The council’s contractors will never just turn up on your front door without contacting you first.

� You will know of our intention to visit your property, either by letter asking for an appointment, or by a phone call.

� When we arrive for the appointment, we will always carry ID and we will be happy for you to call the contractor or the council to check that we are who we say we are!

� If you are unsure – don’t open the door.

Warwick District Council’s Housing Officers might occasionally turn up unannounced, but will always have

ID with them.

Remember, if it sounds too good to be true......it probably is!!


18

New Local Plan what do you think?From March, the council has been asking the public what they think are important issues and challenges facing their community today and how they would like the council to manage new development in their area to address those issues.

This will be the first stage for the council in preparing its Local Plan – a key document which will shape the future of all its services, from housing to the environment.

The consultation is likely to continue until July and you can view the new local plan webpage on the council’s website, for more information – www.warwickdc.gov.uk/newlocalplan

Why not get involved and have your say? You can do this by visiting the website and registering your details and submitting your views, or you can call into your nearest Warwickshire Direct, or telephone 01926 456504

HOME NEWS

Since 2005, EM&I have been working on our corporate properties, and they stepped in and helped us when ROK went into administration temporarily taking on the housing contract. Now, after a rigorous tender process, EM&I were the successful applicants and started their contract from the beginning of April.

Part of their responsibilities includes carrying out the Programme of Electrical Testing which is now well under way. You may receive a letter asking you to contact EM&I Ltd to arrange an appointment to carry out the Period Inspection Report.

During the inspection the Electrician will check that your electrical installation is safe and compliant with the regulations. They will do any necessary upgrades while they are there and it will take them between one and four hours depending on your circumstances.

PIR Testing is part of Warwick District Council’s duty to ensure your safety so please, if you have received a letter, contact EM&I promptly to arrange your test. You know it makes sense!

OUR NEW ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOREM&I LTD

18

EM&I Ltd - just call01926 889989 or 07833 204958

19

Action 21’s recycling shop has now moved to Sydenham. It is packed full of all kinds of second hand furniture, bric-a-brac, books, electrical appliances and bikes. And prices are cheap, for example children’s books are just 20p which means even the youngest children can buy a book or two!

There are lots of volunteering opportunities, such as helping in the shop, working in the books section, gardening at The Sustainability Centre and helping in the office. They are also looking for volunteer drivers and on-line sales volunteers. If you are interested in any of these or have experience in furniture renovation or an interest in portable appliance testing then get in touch to see how you can get involved. Contact details below.

The Sustainability Centre in Jephson Gardens will have a permaculture show garden with workshops for adults and children based around sustainability. The first one is on Saturday 23rd April where children will be able to learn about the life cycle of a butterfly and paint their own wooden butterfly to help decorate the Sustainability Centre’s garden.

Please call 01926 886438 for more information.

THE RE-USEFUL CENTRE

Find us at: 5 Ramsey Road, Sydenham, Leamington Spa, CV31 1PL

www.action21.co.uk

HOME NEWS


Radford Semele

St. Anthony’s School

Syde

nham

Sho

psElizabeth the Chef

Re-useful Centre

Molens Cars

Syde

nham

Dri

ve

Radford Road

Ram

sey

Road

Leamington Spa

Grand Union Canal

St. Mary’s Road

Willes Road

According to the latest information, our region is likely to be switched to digital in September this year, a little later than we were originally told.

Warwick district is in the Central TV region, and most addresses receive the Sutton Coldfield transmitter. This means the switchover for most of us will be as follows;

Stage 17 September 2011

BBC2 analogue will be switched off your TV.You will need to re-tune your digital equipment to pick up the available channels.

Stage 221 September 2011

Remaining analogue channels will be switched off. You will need to re-tune your digital equipment again to pick up all available channels.

The website is really helpful - you can enter your postcode and find out exactly when your switchover will be. It will also give you the options available at your address for going digital. You can also find out whether you are eligible for financial help, whether you need to buy a new TV, how to re-tune your set-top box and any other questions you might have.

DIGITAL SWITCHOVER

20

Rent lost from empty homes

This table shows the percentage of rent the council loses when properties are empty between one tenant moving out and another one moving in. We are currently losing less money than we predicted.

Also as a result of letting our empty properties more quickly we are projecting an additional income of about £100,000 for this financial year. This additional money will enable us to continue to invest in your homes, with improvements, new kitchens and bathrooms for example.

Gas Servicing

As your landlord the council has a duty to ensure that all properties that have Gas are serviced annually. You will see from this table that we are very close to achieving our target of 100%. We have a programme in place to carry out annual servicing; however sometimes services go overdue when we are unable to gain access to a property to carry out the service. We work very closely with tenants and contractors to resolve this as soon as possible.

Performance

UPDATE

Actual Target

Nov ‘10 0.66% 0.85%

Dec ‘10 0.65% 0.85%

Jan ‘11 0.63% 0.85%

Actual Target

Nov ‘10 99.70% 100%

Dec ‘10 99.83% 100%

Jan ‘11 99.75% 100%

Performance is Greater than or equal to target

Performance is within 95-99.9%

Performance is less than 95% of target

HOME NEWS

21

Dialling Options

If you hold at this point you will go through to a customer service advisor to report all other repairs.

If you need to contact Housing and Property Services then it is really important for you to press the right options, particularly if you are reporting repairs, or you could find you are waiting much longer than necessary or being unnecessarily transferred.

Dial 01926 412828

“Welcome to Warwickshire Direct’s Housing line......

Please choose from the following3 options”

Repairs

PRESS 1

PRESS 1and you will be put through to

KineticsFor repairs to Gas boiler, radiators, central heating and communal heating repairs

HomeChoice Enquiries

PRESS 2

PRESS 2and you will go

through toEM&I Ltd

For all electrical repairs and

storage heaters

Housing Officer QueriesPRESS 3

If you PRESS 1 there are more choices;

“Welcome to the repairs line....choose 1 of the following 2 options”

Cut out and keep this summary near your phone as a reminder.

Switchover Road Shows are planned across the district during the summer. Independent trained advisors will be on hand to answer all your questions, so do go along if you need help and information;

Kenilworth, Abbey End14 July, 9am – 5pm

Leamington Spa, Pump Room Gardens15 July, 9am – 5pm

Warwick, Market Place16 July, 9am – 5pm

For more information about the digital switchover, there is lots of help available on the website: www.digitaltv.co.uk, or there is a helpline 08456 50 50 50 open: Mon – Fri 8am – 7pm,

Sat 9am – 5pm.

And after all this we can sit back and watch lots

more TV!

TE


HOME NEWS

Continuing our series from tenant and Home News editorial panel member, Helen Scott

In spite of the winter weather, we have had so much promise in February and March of things to come. The snowdrops and otherspring bulbs and flowers have delighted us, amazing how such delicate little bulbs can defy the elements.

The clematis as ever are shooting well and there are so many different types that grow year round and are winter flowering; try Armandii Apple Blossom. My roses were pruned fairly early this year and then sprayed for “Black spot” and any infected leaves picked off carefully and disposed of. Remove any from under the bush and spray thoroughly under and around the shrub.

Keep an eye out for white fly and any other pest’s as they can easily and quickly multiply in the garden. A walk round your garden will reassure you that many shrubs, trees and plants are shooting well. Do not be in too much of a hurry to cut down apparently dead shrubs; they may well surprise you even well into June.

The whole garden will appreciate a dressing of general fertilisers - if you haven’t already completed that job. Yes there is some hard work, but sitting on a comfortable seat in your garden with a drink of your choice just drinking it all in, (pardon the pun) the happiness, joy and contentment goes a long way to pushing the horrors of the world from us.


GARDENING NEWS

You can avoid ‘black spot’

HOME NEWS

23

BRITISH BIRDSWORDSEARCH COMPETITION

WO

RD

B

AN

K

e w r h i i h t t t b gg o l d f i n c h h l no l g n y n e n c s a io l t a e t e n i k c lk a j d t r i e r y k rc w e g e f w e t l b au s d c f a d t t a i tc i a a h w d g e r r sr e h s i f g n i k d eh c e n w a d k c a j oo a g n r y e t k o e oh a e p t t t d a y o t

BlackbirdChaffinchCuckooGoldfinchJackdaw

JayKingfisherRedwingSkylarkStarling

SwallowSwiftWren

One word from the word bank is not in the puzzle. If you can find it, complete the form below and post it to us before 19th May 2011. In the event of a tie, first out of the hat wins.

Name: .............................................

Address: .........................................

...........................................................

Tel: ...................................................

The missing word is:

...........................................................

SEND YOUR ENTRIES TO:Fiona Walsh, Housing Services, PO Box 2175, Warwick District Council, Riverside House, Milverton Hill, Royal Leamington Spa, CV32 5QE

WIN a £40 Tesco voucher or one of four runners-up prizes of a £5 Tesco voucher

Wordsearch WinnerCongratulations to Mrs Mancini of Warwick who won first prize in our festive Wordsearch. She won £40 Asda vouchers.


HOME NEWS

Corporate ComplaintsFiona Walsh .................... (01926) 456 447

Leaseholder Enquiries ........................ (01926) 456 421

Refuse & Recycling ..... (01926) 412 464

RentsProblems with paying your home rent. Guy Greenland/Yusaf Ramzan/ Mark Herbert .....(01926) 456 438/457/435Problems with paying your garage rent Sophie Hancox ................ (01926) 456 239 Rent Direct Debit, Eva Nicholls ..................... (01926) 456 409Rent Allpay Cards, Satnam Sangha ............... (01926) 456 408Pay your rent by phone........................................(01926) 412 420

Tenant Involvement(Area Panels & Residents Groups)Margaret Allen .............. (01926) 456 451

Tenants’ Contents Insurance SchemeSatnam Sangha ........ (01926) 456 408/409

Council Housing Estates SupervisorsEileen McKeoghChristine Ledger Square ....07866 609 655John Lamb - Fallow Hill/Stamford Gardens ............................. 07866 609 674Andy SmithKennedy/St Paul’s Square ..07866 609 657Ant CollinsNew Brook Street/Radcliffe Gardens/Westbrook House/Dell House/44 Clarendon Square (grounds maintenance only) ....................................07866 609 656James Baker - Senior Estates Supervisor ....................07979 486 617/01926 456 444

Disabled Adaptations . (01926) 456 405

GaragesApplying for a garage – Mrs Darlison/Mrs Leech ............................(01926) 456 424/5Garage Repairs ................ (01926) 412 828

Homelessness.....................(01926) 456 427/428/429/359

Home News Fiona Walsh ..................... (01926) 456 447

Overdue Gas ServicingNatalie Kearns .................(01926) 456 035 Sue Sweeney ...................(01926) 456 434 Tenancy Enforcement ......(01926) 456 419

Warwick Response (Lifeline Service)24 hour number .............. (01926) 339 577Supporting People Services Manager Joan Hicks ...................... (01926) 456 405

If you prefer to write, our address is:Housing and Property ServicesWarwick District Council, P.O. Box 2175, Riverside House, Milverton Hill, Royal Leamington Spa, CV32 5QE

If you prefer to email:Housing Register & [email protected] Queries – not for reporting repairs [email protected] Reporting [email protected] Officers & Estate [email protected] Arrears [email protected] & Moving [email protected] [email protected] Control [email protected]@warwickdc.gov.uk

HOUSING REPAIRS 01926 412 828HomeChoice and Housing Officer enquiries 01926 412828

Where possible, information can be made available in other formats, including large print, CD and other languages if required. To obtain one of these alternatives, please contact 01926 456 108.

Visit www.orbithomebuyagents.co.uk or call 03458 50 20 50Terms and conditions apply – ask for details. Orbit HomeBuy Agents is managed by Orbit Homes (2020) Limited, a member of

Orbit Group Limited which is an exempt charity registered under the Industrial and Provident Societies Act 1965.

Open the door to your new home with Orbit HomeBuy Agents

We are the HomeBuy Agent for Coventry and Warwickshire, and we help peopleof all ages in all sorts of circumstances to find their dream home. In this role, we act as the first point of contact for all those seeking a home through one of the range

of HomeBuy low-cost home ownership and discounted market rent products.

Thought you couldn’t afford a home of your own? Think again!

SEE OUR NEW VIDEO ATwww.orbithomebuyagents.co.uk

home news spring 2011

Documents