Newsletter Spring 2019

Tenants Newsletter | Spring 2019

Pay your rent; View and print a rent statement;  Access money advice information.

are delighted to launch

 

 

Pay you rent; View and print a rent

”My Home” your secure online Tenant Portal.

All you need to do is go to www.ayrshirehousing.org.uk and click on My Home to sign-up.

Take part in on-line surveys;  Tell us what we did well or not so well. 

    

Report a repair and check its progress; View previous repairs; Complete Satisfaction Surveys.

Pay you rent; View and print a rent

View and update your family details;  Update your telephone number(s) and email address. 

My Home lets you access tenancy services 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Check for:  Rent Due;  Repair appointments;  Public Holidays;  Local events and;  Much more …... 

Pay you rent;

Access your tenancy letters/documents;  Send us documents, letters and photos. 



Download or complete tenancy related forms.

  

Pay you rent; View and print a rent statement; Access money advice infor-

Pay you rent; View and print a rent statement;  Access money advice information .  

Important Welfare Reform Information for Spring 2019 February 2019 Universal Credit Two-child Limit From 1 February 2019, there can be no new claims made for Tax Credits. Families with more than two children who are required to make a new claim will be directed to claim Universal Credit. Where tax credits are already in place they will continue. In most cases families who have a 3rd or subsequent child born after April 2017 will have a 2 child limit imposed.

April 2019 Universal Credit Work Allowance Increases Work allowances are the amount of your earnings from employment that you are allowed to keep before it is taken into account as income for Universal Credit. These will increase by £1,000 for the year, meaning that people in work who have children or have limited capability for work (or their partner has limited capability for work) will benefit by up to £630 per year.

National Minimum Wage Increase The National Minimum Wage will increase by 4.9% from £7.83 per hour to £8.21 per hour in April 2019. The National Minimum Wage increases from £7.38 per hour to £7.70 per hour for people aged 21 to 24 and from £5.90 per hour to £6.15 per hour for people aged 18 to 20. There is more information about the National Minimum Wage on the Gov.uk website—www.gov.uk.

May 2019 Universal Credit and Mixed Aged Couples From 15 May, couples where one partner is aged above Pension Credit age and the other is aged under Pension Credit age, will no longer be able to make a new claim for Pension Credit. Instead they will have to claim Universal Credit which will result in an estimated loss of income of £6,000 per year. Mixed aged couples already receiving Pension Credit at this date will remain on Pension Credit.

If you are on Universal Credit, you need to action any changes to your rent on your online Universal Credit Account. Please ensure you notify Universal Credit of your rent increase on 1st April 2019.

If you are affected by the changes above and require assistance or further information please contact our Money Advice Team on 01292 880120.

2

At their November meeting, our Board agreed to consult our tenants on a proposed rent increase of 3%. We wrote to all tenants in December explaining the reasons for the proposed increase and asking them to complete and return their survey. We received 85 responses and the table on the right shows the breakdown of the responses to the consultation. We’re very grateful to all who participated. Later this year, we’ll be sending out a Tenant Satisfaction Survey to find out your views on whether the rent charged offers value for money.

Proposal

Number of Percentage Responses*

No Increase

10

12%

Increase below 3%

6

8%

Increase at 3%

65

80%

* Four tenants returned forms but stated no preference for any of the options.

Tenants who returned their surveys were entered into a prize draw to win one of five £25 shopping vouchers. Pictured left are Board members Myra Nicol and Frances Maguire picking the winning entries.

Congratulations to: Mrs Kelly, Castleview, Dundonald; Mrs Cuthbertson, Blackfriars Court, Ayr; Ms Babuta, Souter Place, Ayr; Mr McPherson, South Harbour Street, Ayr and Mr Cowan, West Sanquhar Place, Ayr. Thank you for entering and enjoy your vouchers!

Please ensure you respect fellow residents and visitors when walking your dog. Ayrshire Housing are requesting the co-operation of all dog owners to ensure that whilst walking through our residential areas dogs are on the lead at all times.

You can walk your dog in most places, but some are more appropriate than others. For example, pavements and open grassed areas are good places to walk your dog provided you keep control of it and immediately pick up all fouling and dispose of it responsibly.

www.ayrshirehousing.org.uk Text Message - 07860 020459

3

CUSTOMER SERVICE STANDARDS We’ve updated our Customer Service Standards. You can find them on pages 6 and 7 of your new Tenant Handbook.

They’ll also be displayed in our office soon.

HAVE YOUR SAY We love to hear from our tenants.

If you are celebrating a special birthday, anniversary or have a story to share with other tenants please let us know! See below for how to get in touch.

GET IN TOUCH Call us on (01292) 880120 or Text us on 07860 020 459 Write to us at Ayrshire Housing, 119 Main Street, AYR, KA8 8BX Email us at info@ayrshirehousing.org.uk You can also:  like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ayrshirehousing  follow us on Twitter @ayrshirehousing  Keep up to date at www.ayrshirehousing.org.uk

4

What is condensation?

Condensation occurs when moist air, produced by day to day activities including drying clothes and bathing, comes into contact with a cold surface. The steam and mist that appear on bathroom mirrors or bedroom windows are examples of condensation.

Condensation can also appear as mould growth at the top of the ceiling or around skirting boards and window frames. If you have asthma or bronchitis, condensation may make the condition worse.

How to reduce condensation Here are some simple steps you can take to reduce condensation in your home.

Reduce moisture Dry washing outside when possible— not over radiators.  Ensure tumble dryers are vented to the outside.  Put lids on saucepans when cooking to keep steam in.  Run cold water into the bath before turning on the hot tap. 

Treating mould The only way to avoid mould is to take steps to avoid condensation.

Increase ventilation Keep window vents open as much as possible.  Open the windows whilst cooking or after bathing/showering.  Keep kitchen and bathroom doors shut after use to prevent moist air getting to other parts of the home.  Use an extractor fan in the kitchen or bathroom, if you have one. 

Keeping your home warm If possible, try to keep the temperature of your home above 18°C —most people find around 21°C is a comfortable temperature. Condensation is more likely to happen if the temperature falls below 18°C.

To kill and remove mould, wipe down walls and window frames with a fungicidal wash and repaint walls and ceilings with specialist, anti-condensation paint.

If you need any further help please contact the office on 01292 880120 or email repairs@ayrshirehousing.org.uk www.ayrshirehousing.org.uk Text Message - 07860 020459

5

Senior Housing Officer, Margaret Woods, organised a litter pick in March, covering Lochside, South Harbour Street and Rowan Road and Douneburn Crescent in Girvan. Approximately 22 bags of rubbish were collected! Well done to all who took part.

Some of our staff have recently completed Scotland’s Mental Health First Aid training course.

March 13 was No Smoking Day. If you’re hoping to, or have recently, quit join the conversation at:

Our latest development at Peebles Street in Ayr is really starting to take shape! Due to be completed mid-May the site will house 39 one and two bedroom flats.

6

We were delighted to welcome Jim Purvis to the association in December. Jim took over from Scott Hutchison as Technical Services Manager following Scott’s retirement. Jim heads up our Maintenance team and joined us from North Ayrshire Council.

PET COMPETITION ENTRY FORM Does your pet have the woof factor? If so, why not enter them into our popular Pet of the Year Competition. The winner will receive a £50 voucher and there are rosettes for the runners up.

To enter simply complete the form below and send it in together with a photo of your pet and an explanation of why they deserve to win. Closing date: Friday 9th August 2019.

You can also enter on MY HOME. Simply go to the ‘My Documents’ panel and select ‘Upload Documents’.

Name: _______________________ Address: _________________________________________________ Postcode: ____________________ Tel: __________________ Pet Breed and Name: ________________ My pet deserves to win because: ___________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________

Your can also email your entries to Ruby, our PurR Guru! ruby@ayrshirehousing.org.uk

GARDEN COMPETITION ENTRY FORM Spring is just around the corner, so it’s time to get your gardening gloves on and head outside!

Enter our competition and you could be in with a chance of winning a voucher or gardening tools. Simply complete and return this entry form to us by Friday 9th August 2019.

You can also enter on MY HOME. Simply go to the ‘My Documents’ panel and select ‘Upload Documents.’

Name: ______________________________ Address: ___________________________________________ Postcode: _____________________________ Tel: ______________________________ My entry is (please circle):

GARDEN

|

CONTAINER

| SHARED GARDEN

|

WINDOW BOX

www.ayrshirehousing.org.uk Text Message - 07860 020459

7

Flowers are blooming and the sun is shining, Spring is on its way!

Colour in the picture above and the winner will receive a £10.00 voucher!

For a chance to win return this page to our office by Friday 26 April 2019.

Name……….……………............... Address………………….……...…..……………………………………………..

Contact No……………...………..……. Age……………………….

Open to children and grandchildren of our tenants aged 8 and under

We can supply this document in a print size to suit. It is also available in Braille, audio and other formats, and in other languages. Our website also has several accessibility features which you may find useful.