homes and people april 12pp web

In this issue

What kind of saver are you?See page 4

Right to Buy – don’t get caught out See page 11

YHN’s new managing directorSee page 3

July/August 2016Bringing you all the news that matters to you

homes people&

Getting on top of thingsHelping you to cope with ongoing changes to the benefit system

BUDGETING PULL OUT SEE PAGES 5-8

Your Homes Newcastle Limited. Registered in England and Wales. Registration number 5076256. Registered offi ce: Newcastle Civic Centre, Barras Bridge, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8PR. A company controlled by Newcastle City Council.

page 2

YHN Housing Services

Other numbers

Byker Community Trust Housing Offi ce 0191 278 1555

YHN Housing Services @ East End 0191 278 1566

YHN Housing Services @ Kenton 0191 277 4360

YHN Housing Services @ Outer West 0191 277 7940

YHN Housing Services @ Walker 0191 278 8455

YHN Housing Services @ West End 0191 277 1484

Advice and Support Service 0191 277 1144

Customer Involvement 0191 278 8600

Community Care Alarm Service 0191 278 8699

Envirocall 0191 278 7878

HASBET (Housing Anti-SocialBehaviour Enforcement Team) 0191 278 8740

Housing Advice Centre 0191 277 1711

Housing Options Centre 0191 277 2020

Leasehold 0191 278 7725

Newcastle Furniture Service (NFS) 0191 278 1888

Repairs Centre and Gas Servicing 0191 278 7878

Young People’s Service 0191 277 1190Rent 这是有关您的租金账户的信息。如果您需要此信息的普通话版本或其它语言版本，请致电 0191 278

8633 索取。 Repairs 这是有关要求维修您的住房的信息。如果您需要此信息的普通话版本或其它语言版本，请致电 0191

278 8633 索取。 Right to Buy 这是有关租客有权购买他们的市政房屋的信息。如果您需要此信息的普通话版本或其它语言版本，请致

电 0191 278 8633 索取。 Tenancy 这是有关您作为纽卡斯尔市政租客所需要承担的责任的信息。如果您需要此信息的普通话版本或其它语

言版本，请致电 0191 278 8633 索取。 YCH 这是有关我们的出租服务的信息。如果您需要此信息的普通话版本或其它语言版本，请致电 0191 278

8633 索取。 YHN general / Homes + People

这是有关代表纽卡斯尔市政府（Newcastle City Council）负责管理市政房屋的 Your Homes Newcastle（您的纽卡斯尔住房）组织的信息，内容解释了我们是如何运作。如果您需要此信息的普通话版本或其

它语言版本，请致电 0191 278 8633 索取。

Rent 這是關於您的租金賬戶的信息。如果您需要此信息的廣東話版本或其它語言版本，請致電 0191 278 8633 索取。

Repairs 這是關於如何要求維修您住房的信息。如果您需要此信息的廣東話版本或其它語言版本，請致電 0191 278 8633 索取。

Right to Buy 這是關於租客有權購買他們的市政房屋的信息。如果您需要此信息的廣東話版本或其它語言版本，請致

電 0191 278 8633 索取。 Tenancy 這是關於您作為紐卡素市政府租客所需要承擔的責任的信息。如果您需要此信息的廣東話版本或其它語

言版本，請致電 0191 278 8633 索取。 YCH 這是關於我們的出租服務的信息。如果您需要此信息的廣東話版本或其它語言版本，請致電 0191 278

8633 索取。 YHN general / Homes + People

這是關於 Your Homes Newcastle（您的紐卡素住房）機構的信息，內容解釋了我們代表紐卡素市政府

（Newcastle City Council）負責管理市政房屋以及如何運作。如果您需要此信息的廣東話版本或其它

語言版本，請致電 0191 278 8633 索取。

0191 278 8633 †dvb K‡i Avcwb GKwU wjwLZ Abyev‡ì Rb¨ ej‡Z cv‡ib| Newcastle Furniture service

GB Z_¨ nj BDi †nvg wbDK¨vmj- KvDwÝ‡ji dvwb©Pvi mvwf©m mg‡Ü hviv †Ubv›U‡ì Ni evox mvRv‡Z mvnv‡hï Rb¨ dvwb©Pvi mieivn K‡i| GB Z_¨ hw` <evsjvq> A_ev Ab¨ †Kvb fvlvq cÖ‡qvRb nq Zvn‡j GB bv¤̂v‡i †dvb Ki“b- 0191 278 8633

Rent GB Z_¨ nj Avcbvi †i›U GKvD›U (fvovi wnmve wbKvm) m¤̂‡Ü| GB Z_¨ hw` <evsjvq> A_ev Ab¨ †Kvb fvlvq cÖ‡qvRb nq Zvn‡j GB bv¤^v‡i †dvb Ki“b- 0191 278 8633

Repairs GB Z_¨ nj Avcbvi Ni evox †givgZ Ki‡Z PvIqv m¤^‡Ü|GB Z_¨ hw` <evsjvq> A_ev Ab¨ †Kvb fvlvq cÖ‡qvRb nq Zvn‡j GB bv¤^v‡i †dvb Ki“b- 0191 278 8633

Right to Buy GB Z_¨ nj †Ubv›U‡ì KvDwÝ‡ji Ni evox †Kbvi AwaKvi m¤̂‡Ü| GB Z_¨ hw` <evsjvq> A_ev Ab¨ †Kvb fvlvq cÖ‡qvRb nq Zvn‡j GB bv¤^v‡i †dvb Ki“b- 0191 278 8633

Tenancy GB Z_¨ nj wbDKvm¨vj KvDwÝ‡ji †Ubv›U wnmv‡e Avcbvi `vq `vwqZ¡ m¤̂‡Ü| GB Z_¨ hw` <evsjvq> A_ev Ab¨ †Kvb fvlvq cÖ‡qvRb nq Zvn‡j GB bv¤^v‡i †dvb Ki“b- 0191 278 8633

YCH GB Z_¨ nj Avgv‡ì †jwUs mvwf©m( fvov welqK) m¤̂‡Ü| GB Z_¨ hw` <evsjvq> A_ev Ab¨ †Kvb fvlvq cÖ‡qvRb nq Zvn‡j GB bv¤^v‡i †dvb Ki“b- 0191 278 8633

YHN general/Homes + People

GB Z_¨ nj BDi †nvgm wbDK¨vmj mg‡Ü| Ges Avgiv wKfv‡e `vwqZ¡ cvjb KiwQ †m mg‡Ü| BDi †nvgm wbDK¨vmj, wbDK¨vmj wmwU KvDwÝ‡ji c‡¶ KvDwÝ‡ji Ni evox eë¯’vcbvi `vwqZ¡cÖvß| GB Z_¨ hw` <evsjvq> A_ev Ab¨ †Kvb fvlvq cÖ‡qvRb nq Zvn‡j GB bv¤^v‡i †dvb Ki“b- 0191 278 8633

YHN general / Homes + People

اسل ، نيوك شهردارى از سوى اين سازمان. عملكرد آن است و » شما در نیوکاسل هاى خانه«درباره سازمان اين اطالعات مسئوليت اداره خانه هاى دولتى را به عهده دارد. در صورت نياز به اين اطالعات به زبان فارسى يا زبان هاى ديگر با شماره تلفن

٠١٩١٢٧٨٨۶٣٣ تماس بگيريد.

téléphoner au 0191 278 8633 pour obtenir une traduction écrite.

Newcastle Furniture service

Ces informations concernent le service « mobilier » de Your Homes Newcastle, qui fournit du mobilier aux locataires pour les aider à s’installer dans leur logement. Si vous avez besoin de ces informations en français ou dans une autre langue, téléphonez au : 0191 278 8633.

Rent Ces informations concernent votre loyer. Si vous avez besoin de ces informations en français ou dans une autre langue, téléphonez au : 0191 278 8633.

Repairs Ces informations concernent les demandes de travaux pour votre logement. Si vous avez besoin de ces informations en français ou dans une autre langue, téléphonez au : 0191 278 8633.

Right to Buy Ces informations concernent les droits des locataires relatifs à l’acquisition de leur logement social. Si vous avez besoin de ces informations en français ou dans une autre langue, téléphonez au : 0191 278 8633.

Tenancy Ces informations concernent vos responsabilités en tant que locataire de la municipalité de Newcastle. Si vous avez besoin de ces informations en français ou dans une autre langue, téléphonez au : 0191 278 8633.

YCH Ces informations concernent notre service de location. Si vous avez besoin de ces informations en français ou dans une autre langue, téléphonez au : 0191 278 8633.


Ces informations concernent Your Homes Newcastle : qui est chargé de gérer les logements sociaux au nom de la municipalité de Newcastle et comment nous procédons. Si vous avez besoin de ces informations en français ou dans une autre langue, téléphonez au : 0191 278 8633.

RepairsóäbmóØòìíäb‚@ñòìóä†‹ÙØbš@üi@ðîŒaí‚a†@ðmóïäüš@ói@pòŠbió@óäbîŠbïäaŒ@ãó÷@NîŠbïäaŒ@ãó÷@m‹ Šòì@óÜ@çbmŒóyŠó ó÷@ói@óäb

@ðäüÑïÝm@òŠbàˆ@ói@óîóè@óÙî†@ðÙ—äbàŒ@Šóè@bî@ñ†ŠíØ@ðäbàŒ0191 278 8633ç‹i@ñ‡äòí—q@N

Right to Buy òŠb’@ñaŠü’@ðäbØòìíäb‚@î‹Ø@üi@çbåï“å–‹Ø@Àbà@ói@pòŠbió@óäbîŠbïäaŒ@ãó÷@N@ói@óäbîŠbïäaŒ@ãó÷@m‹ Šòì@óÜ@çbmŒóyŠó ó÷

@óîóè@óÙî†@ðÙ—äbàŒ@Šóè@bî@ñ†ŠíØ@ðäbàŒ@ðäüÑïÝm@òŠbàˆ@ói0191 278 8633ç‹i@ñ‡äòí—q@N

Tenancyóîa‡Ý—bØüïä@óÜ@Šb’@ñaŠü’@ðÙ—åï“å–‹Ø@íØòì@òí—÷@ðäbØóïmóîb‹qŠói@ói@pòŠbió@óäbîŠbïäaŒ@ãó÷@N@m‹ Šòì@óÜ@çbmŒóyŠó ó÷

@ðäüÑïÝm@òŠbàˆ@ói@óîóè@óÙî†@ðÙ—äbàŒ@Šóè@bî@ñ†ŠíØ@ðäbàŒ@ói@óäbîŠbïäaŒ@ãó÷0191 278 8633q@ç‹i@ñ‡äòí—N

YCHóîóá—÷@ð–‹Ø@ðäbØómóà‚@ ói@pòŠbió@ óäbîŠbïäaŒ@ ãó÷@ N@Šóè@ bî@ñ†ŠíØ@ðäbàŒ@ ói@ óäbîŠbïäaŒ@ ãó÷@m‹ Šòì@ óÜ@çbmŒóyŠó ó÷

@ðäüÑïÝm@òŠbàˆ@ói@óîóè@óÙî†@ðÙ—äbàŒ0191 278 8633ç‹i@ñ‡äòí—q@N


@ói@pòŠbió@óäbîŠbïäaŒ@ãó÷Your Homes Newcastle@òìóÝ—bØüïä@ñŠb’@ñaŠü’@çóîý@óÜ@óØ@óîóØóä†‹ØŠbØ@ðmóïäüš@ì@

pbÙi@ðmóîaŠóiòí–Šói@Šb’@ñaŠü’@ðäbØòìíäb‚@óØ@òìaŠ‡—q@ñòìó÷@ðØŠó÷@N@ðäbàŒ@ói@óäbîŠbïäaŒ@ãó÷@m‹ Šòì@óÜ@çbmŒóyŠó ó÷

@ðäüÑïÝm@òŠbàˆ@ói@óîóè@óÙî†@ðÙ—äbàŒ@Šóè@bî@ñ†ŠíØ0191 278 8633i@ñ‡äòí—q@ç‹N

<português> ou noutra língua, queira ligar para o 0191 278 8633. Rent Esta informação refere-se à sua renda. Se precisar desta informação em <português> ou noutra

língua, queira ligar para o 0191 278 8633. Repairs Esta informação refere-se ao pedido de reparações em sua casa. Se precisar desta informação em

<português> ou noutra língua, queira ligar para o 0191 278 8633. Right to Buy Esta informação refere-se ao direito que os inquilinos têm de comprar a sua habitação social. Se

precisar desta informação em <português> ou noutra língua, queira ligar para o 0191 278 8633. Tenancy Esta informação refere-se às suas responsabilidades como inquilino social em Newcastle. Se

precisar desta informação em <português> ou noutra língua, queira ligar para o 0191 278 8633. YCH Esta informação refere-se ao serviço de arrendamento. Se precisar desta informação em

<português> ou noutra língua, queira ligar para o 0191 278 8633. YHN general / Homes + People

Esta informação refere-se à Your Homes Newcastle, a organização responsável pela gestão da habitação social em nome do Município de Newcastle, e a nossa situação actual. Se precisar desta informação em <português> ou noutra língua, queira ligar para o 0191 278 8633.

idioma, llame al 0191 278 8633. Repairs Ésta es información sobre cómo pedir que se realicen reparaciones en su casa. Si necesita esta

información en español o en otro idioma, llame al 0191 278 8633. Right to Buy Ésta es información sobre los derechos de los inquilinos a comprar su vivienda municipal. Si necesita

esta información en español o en otro idioma, llame al 0191 278 8633. Tenancy Ésta es información sobre sus responsabilidades como inquilino municipal de Newcastle. Si necesita

esta información en español o en otro idioma, llame al 0191 278 8633. YCH Ésta es información sobre nuestro servicio de adjudicación. Si necesita esta información en español

o en otro idioma, llame al 0191 278 8633. YHN general / Homes + People

Ésta es información sobre Your Homes de Newcastle, que es la responsable de gestionar las viviendas municipales en nombre del Ayuntamiento de Newcastle, y sobre nuestra manera de hacerlo. Si necesita esta información en español o en otro idioma, llame al 0191 278 8633.

This is ‘Homes & People’ the newsletter for Newcastle council tenants and leaseholders. If you want this information in your own language we will arrange for an interpreter to help you on 0191 278 8600. This information is also available in easy read, large print, Braille and audio tape. We can also arrange for you to see a British Sign Language interpreter.

0191 278 8600.

0191 278 8600

0191 278 8600

0191 278 8600

Designed by: barkingdog design and layout. Printed by: Mosaic Print Management Plc

Follow us on Facebook. Search Your Homes Newcastle Follow us on Twitter: @NewsfromYHN

Contents

Read previous editions online at www.yhn.org.uk or download our free app.

So much has happened in the twenty years since I left, but I’m so pleased to be back here now!

Our commitment to you, our customers, remains. I couldn’t be more passionate about putting you first. I have spent my entire career working in housing in Newcastle, most recently with Isos Housing Group, and I’m very proud to be heading up YHN.

I’m already impressed by the size and scale of what YHN does and can see some great opportunities to introduce my own thinking and know how. Things are changing fast in the social housing sector and we can expect more to come, but we’re in a very strong position to cope with them and to help you cope too.

In this issue of Homes & People you’ll find some more useful information to help you

think about any changes you might have to make yourself, to make sure you’re well prepared for anything that might come your way. We’ve got some top tips for managing your money and staying on top of your rent payments, all drawing on work we’ve been doing with customers over the last couple of years.

As always, we know there is a lot to take in, so if you’re worried or don’t quite understand something please don’t suffer in silence – there’s a lot we can do to help.

I look forward to getting out and about and meeting as many of you as possible soon,

Best regards,

Tina

Welcome to the July issue of Homes & People

• Welcome from Tina Drury

Page 4 • What kind of saver or spender are you?

Page 5 • Getting on top of things

Page 9 • How YHN can help

Page 10 • Changes to Council tenancies from April 2017 • Ostara

Page 11 • Working with communities • Right to Buy - beware!

Page 12 • Prize wordsearch

Hi, I’d like to introduce myself; I’m Tina Drury, YHN’s new Managing Director. I’m from Kenton and I started my career as a lettings assistant for Newcastle City Council back in 1982.

Will you be comfortably settled in the near future or will you be struggling with money and bills?

Take our test & find out! Do you keep a note of what you’re spending?

A. Yes, daily! B. Weekly C. Monthly D. Why would I do that?

Do you always pay your bills on time or do you always get reminder letters?

A. Always on time! B. Usually C. I get reminder letters D. I get fines

Do you ever put money aside for the future?

A. Regularly without fail B. Whenever I can C. Occasionally D. Never!

Save now and spend later or save later and spend now?

A. I don’t spend! B. Save now, spend later C. Save later, spend now D. I don’t save

Do you always spend within your means?

A. Always B. Most of the time C. It depends… D. Never!

If there’s a TV programme on about household debt and spending, would you watch it?

A. Yes, I can always pick up something new B. Yes if there’s nothing else on

C. Probably not D. No! It sounds pretty dull

Do you ever shop around for best price prices, or compare your utility (electric, gas) providers?

A. Yes, constantly B. Sometimes when I feel like it C. Not if I can help it D. No! Life’s too short

How do you pay your bills?

A. By Direct Debits B. Website or phone C. By cheque D. By cash and in person

Mainly AsYou’re well on top – keep it up! Why not

share your saving and spending secrets with your friends? A skill

worth having is a skill worth sharing!

Mainly BsYou’re doing great! But why not make things easier for yourself by

setting up Direct Debits for your main bills,

especially your rent: you have control of

when the payments go out and can change

your debits when you want.

Mainly CsSounds like you could do with a little more

planning! A fresh look at your utility bills might be the best

place to start – www.yhn.org.uk has lots of tips and useful

advice.

Mainly DsWhoa we’re in the red

zone here! Regular budgeting could be

the way forward. We’ve included a basic budgeting sheet in this newsletter – why not

give it a go?

All you have to lose is less cash…

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5

6

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8

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Getting ontop of thingsYou will have read in our last issue that many changes are being made by central government that will have a signifi cant impact on social housing tenants.Some of these changes might be diffi cult to cope with and we know that some people are being aff ected by more than one of them – which can obviously make things even harder.

But it doesn’t have to be so tough. There are small things you can do now that will make you better prepared to deal with any changes that come your way.

It really pays to be prepared because it can help you prioritise the things that are important and take the stress out of challenging situations.

Over the next few pages you’ll read some practical tips and advice from us and your fellow tenants which could help you keep on top of things. We hope you’ll fi nd them useful but, if you have any questions or concerns, please do just get in touch via your local housing offi ce, by calling 0191 278 8600 or contact us via our Twitter and Facebook pages.

page 5

PULL OUT

AND KEEP

Gary's story“Planning in advance could make a real

diff erence.”

Gary has worked since he left school and, until

recently, had never been unemployed. His

skills as an electrician had seen him work in

various parts of the country, but recently the

company he was working for went bust.

He then had to make a claim for Universal

Credit and this left him with very little

to live on until he received his

fi rst payment six weeks after his

initial claim.

He was able to get a

Universal Credit advance

payment of £200 to help

towards his essentials and housing costs, but

as this is a loan, he now has to factor in paying

that back with a reduced income.

Gary said: “I wish I’d known about the seven

day waiting period before I needed to make a

claim because I would’ve kept something back

from my last wage to tide me over. I’ll always

try to save on a regular basis once I’m earning

again because you just never know when you

might get caught short – planning in advance

could make a real diff erence, you wouldn’t

notice a few extra pounds going into a savings

account when you had regular income, but

you’d defi nitely be grateful they were there

if that was removed.”

Please note that the information contained in this booklet was correct at the time of going to print. We will provide further updates via our website and through an e-newsletter – please keep in touch with us to read more!

Better budgetingPutting some money aside every time you get paid or receive your benefits can be really useful, but we know it’s not always that easy. If you’re already stretched it can be difficult to see any slack and things will often come up that you might not have thought about – a higher than average phone bill, new school shoes for the kids and so on.

But there are things you can do to make sure that you are budgeting effectively and prioritising the things you need to pay correctly. It can be helpful to write all of your incomings and outgoings down so that you can be sure you’re including everything you receive and spend – try using the simple budgeting sheet on the facing page as a starting point.

One of your priorities should always be your rent because you could lose your home if you don’t pay it. Of course it can be tempting to let this come second to other bills or loans, but keeping a roof over your head is so important, and paying your rent guarantees this.

The easiest way to make sure your rent gets paid to us when it should is to set up a Direct Debit. This is a really secure way of making a payment and means you don’t even have to think about doing it – it automatically comes out of your account on a certain date, then you know that what you have left to use for everything else you need to pay.

And, if you sometimes struggle to pay your rent on time, the other added bonus of setting up a Direct Debit is that we’ll never need to hassle you about payments– we’re sure that’s reason enough for many people!

page 6

Sarah's story“We have to be realistic, we only have so much money to go around.”

Sarah is 26 and lives in Kenton with her partner. She works part time in a supermarket and has two young children. Sarah knows she will soon lose some of her income because her hours are being reduced and is already making moves to get her finances under control so that she’s in a good position to deal with this.

She said: “I have always tried to manage my money well but it can be really difficult when you don’t have full control over your income – the threat of losing money looms large and, to be honest, we’re quite worried about how we’ll cope.

“I’ve never been one for spending loads without thinking about it but it’s really hard when you have kids – nobody wants their children to want for anything and it makes us proud to be able to buy them nice things for Christmas and birthday

presents. But we have to be realistic, we only have so much money to go around and things can crop up that throw a spanner in the works.

“The way I deal with this is to put as much aside as I can afford to every time I get paid. Having some savings means that those unexpected costs – a school trip, ruined trainers, a broken kettle or whatever it might be – can be taken care of and, if nothing goes wrong, I can treat the kids without having to worry.

“We also pay our rent by Direct Debit. I was a bit wary about this at first because I felt like I was giving up some control but I’m so pleased we set it up now. I know it’s paid automatically and I don’t have to factor it into any of my planning, which makes things easier and it gives me peace of mind – as a parent, the most important thing for me is that my kids are safe and happy and knowing that I’m keeping the roof securely over their heads is very reassuring.”


Did you know that over £10billion in benefits goes unclaimed every year?You may be entitled to more than you think so it’s always worth checking. Our advice and support service can help you to find out what you’re entitled to. You can arrange to speak to them by filling in a form on our website or by asking in your local housing office.Newcastle City Council manages some benefits for claimants living in the city. Their website has lots of useful information, including details of council tax reductions, housing benefit and a whole range of other benefits and useful contacts.They also have some really easy to understand factsheets that should answer many questions you might have.

Monthly household budgetINCOME:

Benefits:

Wages:

Bonus:

Other

TOTAL £:

EXPENSES:

Rent:

Electricity:

Gas

Water

Phone and broadband

Mobile phone

TV

Loans

Credit cards

Childcare

Travel

Food

TOTAL £

DIFFERENCE £


Making your money stretch further

page 8

So, now you’ve conquered budgeting - you know exactly what you have coming in and you know exactly what you have going out - but is it enough for you to live as you want to?

Even with the best will in the world, we know that it can be difficult to afford the kind of lifestyle we’d all like to have.

Making your home more energy efficient and managing your water use effectively can reduce your utility bills considerably.

For example, some basic heat management can mean cheaper bills – knocking the temperature down by just 1˚C can save up to 10% and using draft

excluders and closing curtains can keep the heat in. Using energy saving lightbulbs and switching lights and appliances off when you’re not using them can also help, as can regularly defrosting fridges and freezers.

And getting a water meter fitted at your home may also save you money, by making sure you only pay for exactly what you use.

You can find out more about the many ways that being energy efficient can help to save you money on our website at www.yhn.org.uk.

Mo's story“I’m on top of my debts now and I no longer worry about money.”

Mo recently made a few changes to his home that are helping to keep more money in his pocket. He said: “I was starting to fall into arrears so I did a budget sheet and I just couldn’t see anywhere else to cut my cloth.

“I was starting to feel desperate, so I went to see my advice and support worker. The first thing they suggested was looking for a smaller property as I had a spare bedroom I didn’t need and that meant I was receiving less housing benefit because I was under occupying.

“I was reluctant to move as I felt so at home, but they helped me to find a smaller flat through mutual

exchange not too far from where I was living and I’m relieved that I followed their advice – it was an instant saving and I’m completely settled now.

“I was also encouraged to shop around on my energy providers, which saved me a bit of money every month, and I was introduced to water meters and a fantastic scheme run by Northumbrian Water. After a financial assessment by the advice and support officer I was told I could qualify for Northumbrian Water’s SupportPLUS scheme, which would put me on a lower tariff and help me to pay off some of the arrears I’d built up as long as I kept on top of my repayments.

“This might not sound like much but when you add it all together it can make a big difference – I’m on top of my debts now and I no longer worry about money.”

SWAP itIs your home too

big or too small for your needs?

Do you live in a YHN

home?If you answered “yes” then mutual exchange could be the answer.

Search our website for ‘Swap my home’

Helping you keep on top of thingsThere’s a lot going on just now and we know it can be difficult to think through everything. But, while you ultimately have responsibility for managing your own money and making sure your rent is paid on time, there are a lot of things we can do to help. You can read more about the support we offer below but the most important thing to remember is not to suffer in silence – if you are struggling don’t bury your head in the sand, there may be things we can do but we can’t offer assistance if we don’t know you need it.

Help to get onlineIf you’re not very confident with computers we can help with that too – our Digital Champions are customers who we’ve trained to help other customers to increase their skills and can run free sessions in community venues across Newcastle.

You can arrange a session with a Digital Champion by calling 0191 278 8600.

Help to find workOur employability team helps tenants develop knowledge and skills to make them more likely to find work or go on to do more training. You can contact the team via [email protected] or by calling 0191 278 8600. You can also find more information on our website by clicking “I need support with” and then “Getting a job”.

Help with money management You can speak to an advice and support worker in your local housing office or contact the advice and support service on 0191 277 1144. You can also find lots of useful information from the team on our website by clicking “I need support with” and then “Money”.

How YHN can help

Reducing the costs of ‘tenant transfers’ One of the areas we think we can make some big savings - with your help - is with the costs we have to meet when tenants move from one Council home to another. This costs more than you might expect, and we would rather see that money invested in the services we provide to you.

So we’re currently trying out a new approach to these ‘tenant transfers’. For the next couple of months, our staff are visiting tenants that have made an application to move, to talk through the reasons for their application to see whether there’s anything we can do to help them stay where they are. Tenants that would still prefer to move now need to have a clear rent account and have met other obligations in their tenancy agreement, particularly having kept their property in a good condition, before a move can go ahead.

For more information on the tenancy agreement, go to www.yhn.org.uk/manage-my-home/my-tenancy/your-responsibilities/

Changes to council tenancies from April 2017

An end to lifetime tenanciesFrom next April most new tenancies will be for a fixed term of between two and ten years. Those with children under nine years old will be able to apply for a length of tenancy that lasts until their child reaches the age of 19.‘Pay more to stay’A new rent policy will come into force, which will mean that households earning £31,000 or more will have to pay a higher rent. This is based on the top two earners in a household. Earnings from non- dependent children are not included as part of this calculation.All tenants receiving housing benefit or the housing element of Universal Credit will be excluded from this policy.

Sale of high value propertiesLocal housing authorities, including Newcastle City Council, will have to consider selling “higher value” properties when they become empty, with the money then being sent to the Treasury.We are working with the city council to understand more about how this will work in practice. Once we have received further guidance from the Government we will be contacting tenants who may be affected by it.The Government will produce further guidelines in October on how these changes should be implemented.We are sharing the details of how these changes will work in Newcastle on our Facebook and Twitter channels - please follow us if you’d like more information.

The Government’s Housing and Planning Act is now law, which will mean some big changes to the way new council tenancies are set up. The changes will come into force from April next year, and include:

Are you worried about a loved one who lives alone?

24 hour response and support to lighten up lives

www.ostara.org.uk

Our discrete alarm equipment and 24 hour mobile response service take the worry out of living at home for thousands of people in Newcastle.

We have an affordable menu of equipment to choose from, ranging from simple alarm buttons to fall detectors, flood detectors and door opening sensors, all connected to our 24 hour response centre in South Gosforth.

Get in touchContact us to request a free information pack and discover how Ostara can help you or a relative to live safely and independently at home. Our service is available right across Newcastle, including properties that aren’t managed by YHN.

[email protected] 0191 277 7470

Working with communitiesEarlier this year, we talked to a number of customers about their experiences of Universal Credit. They told us that we needed to get out there, tell more customers about it and tell them what they need to do to get themselves prepared for it.

So that’s exactly what we’ve been doing! Working with community groups across the city, as well as our volunteer Digital Champions, we’ve spoken to many more customers in an attempt to help them prepare for the coming changes.

We also have free sessions coming up at:

• Simonside Community Centre, 20 July, 10am • Walker Learning Hive, 24 August, 12pm

Keep an eye on our events calendar on our website and follow us on Facebook to find out about more events like this in the future.

You can also tell us about any community groups that you think could benefit from a visit from us by emailing [email protected] or calling 0191 278 8600 and asking for the Customer Involvement Team.

Right to Buy – beware of agents claiming to act on our behalf!Recently we’ve noticed a big increase in Right to Buy applications that have been submitted by a private company.

We’re very concerned about this, particularly as some customers have told us that they are claiming to represent YHN and even have paperwork that looks as though it has been produced by us.

We would never send representatives out to knock on doors and discuss Right to Buy and we have certainly not given any other organisation permission to do so.

We expect there may be many hidden costs included in these offers and are very concerned that our tenants might take them up without thinking about the long-term consequences – you would then need to

keep up with repayments and your home would be in danger of being re-possessed if you didn’t. By signing documents you have not read properly, you may be entering into a legal agreement in which you may have to pay the company thousands of pounds.

If you would like to find out more about your Right to Buy we would advise you to contact the Right to Buy Team on 0191 278 7725. There is no charge for any of our customers to take up this service so there is no need to use a private company.

!

£25 prize wordsearchThis edition we have done something a little different with the wordsearch. You must complete the puzzle which contains words related to the articles in the newsletter.

But – one of the words is missing. To enter the competition all you need to do is identify which word is NOT in the wordsearch then text or email us your answer. Good luck!

Congratulations go to Malcolm Scott from Walker who won the last wordsearch competition.

Send the missing word along with your name and address to:

Email: [email protected]

Text: 07815 784 037

by Friday 2 September 2016.

Please note: competitions are only open to tenants and leaseholders with no rent arrears.

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