How we support residents

At CCHA, we provide more than just a home. Our dedicated Financial Inclusion Team is on hand to support any residents who may find themselves struggling with their finances. They can offer help and advice on a range of issues. Below are two examples of support provided by the team over the past year.

Council tax exemption a huge relief for local resident

A resident who lives alone and pays their rent on time every month was having trouble paying their council tax bill. They had built up a large debt with their local authority, who had sent a letter saying they may take legal action.

CCHA’s Financial Inclusion Team received a referral for help to claim Council Tax Support. The Recovery Team at the local council informed us that the next stage would be to request action towards imprisonment. Neither us nor the local council wanted this to happen. Therefore, a member of our team visited the resident at home, to speak with them in-person and offer support and guidance.

When the team member arrived, the resident answered the door and confirmed that they had a medical condition. They had previously completed a Severe Mental Health Impairment Exemption Form but had not provided proof of disability benefits. We explained that we could help to get this, by contacting the relevant agency on their behalf. They agreed to this and gave us permission to do so.

We were able to get proof of Personal Independence Payments dating back to 2017 when the tenancy started. We emailed this to the local council, and as a result, the debt was cancelled, and the resident is now exempt from paying Council Tax. This was a big relief, as the debt had been over £7,000.

By working with the team and providing proof of the medical condition, the resident cleared their debt and avoided any further action being taken.

£23,000 benefits ‘overpayment’ debt cancelled

A couple had been claiming sickness and disability benefits for many years due to health needs. In 2014, one of the residents took on a small part-time job, working 8 hours per week. They did not realise that they had to declare this to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

This year the DWP found out about the wage, stopped the couple’s Employment and Support Allowance, and calculated that they had been overpaid by more than £23,000.

The Financial Inclusion Team were told that deductions from ongoing Housing Benefit would be made. Over several weeks, we worked with the couple to calculate their household income and to see if they were entitled to any other support.

We passed this information to the local council, and it was agreed that full Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support should be awarded. This cancelled the overpayment, meaning that the couple did not owe anything.