Homes and people July 2016 12pp web

homes & people Bringing you all the news that matters to you

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

July/August 2016

In this issue YHN’s new managing director See page 3

What kind of saver are you?

See page 4

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

BUDGETING

PULL OUT SEE PAGES 5-8

YHN Housing Services Byker Community Trust Housing Office

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

Follow us on Facebook. Search Your Homes Newcastle

Follow us on Twitter: @NewsfromYHN

Other numbers Advice and Support Service

0191 277 1144

Housing Options Centre

0191 277 2020

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epairs

ight to Buy Rent

GB Z_¨ nj †Ubv›U‡`i KvDw݇ji Ni evox †Kbvi AwaKvi m¤^‡Ü| GB Z_¨ hw` <evsjvq> A_ev Ab¨ †Kvb fvlvq 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 cÖ ‡qvRb nq Zvn‡j GB bv¤^v‡i †dvb Ki“b- 0191 278 8633 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 GB Z_¨ njthe wbDKvm¨vj KvDw݇ji †Ubv›U wnmv‡e Avcbvi `vq and `vwqZ¡ m¤^‡Ü| GB Z_¨ hw`want <evsjvq> A_ev Ab¨ †Kvb enancy 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 This is ‘Homestéléphoner & People’ newsletter for Newcastle council tenants leaseholders.

If you this information in aunq 0191 278GB 8633 obtenir traduction écrite. fvlvq cÖ‡qvRb Zvn‡j bv¤^vpour ‡i †dvb Ki“b-une 0191 278 8633 8633 索取。 278 8633 索取。 your own language we will arrange for an interpreter to help you on 0191 278 8600.

This information is also available 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 GB Z_¨ nj Avgv‡`i †jwUs mvwf©m( fvov welqK) m¤^‡Ü| GB Z_¨ hw` <evsjvq> A_ev Ab¨ †Kvb fvlvq cÖ ‡qvRb nq CH 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 in easy read, large print, Braille and audio tape. We can also arrange for you to see a British Sign Language interpreter. 电 0191 索取。 Zvn‡j GB278 bv¤^8633 v‡i †dvb Ki“b- 0191 278 8633 278 8633 索取。 Tenancy Furniture 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 Newcastle informations concernent le service « mobilier de Your Homes qui fournit du mobilier GB Z_¨ nj BDi †nvgm wbDK¨vmj mg‡Ü| Ges Avgiv » wKfv‡e `vwqZ¡ cvjb Newcastle, KiwQ †m mg‡Ü| BDi †nvgm wbDK¨vmj, HN + Ces Rightgeneral/Homes 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 言版本，请致电 0191 278 8633 索取。 service aux locataires pour les aider à s’installer dans leur logement.

Si vous avez besoin de ces wbDK¨vmj wmwU KvDw݇ji c‡¶ KvDw݇ji Ni evox e¨e¯’ v cbvi `vwqZ¡ c Ö v ß| GB Z_¨ hw` <evsjvq> A_ev Ab¨ †Kvb eople 電 0191 278 en 8633 索取。ou dans une autre langue, téléphonez au : 0191 278 8633.

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 informations 0191 278 8600 fvlvq cÖ‡qvRb nqfrançais Zvn‡j GB bv¤^v‡i †dvb Ki“b- 0191 8633 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 8633informations 索取。 Rent Ces concernent votre loyer. Si vous avez besoin de ces informations en français ou YHN general / Homes + dans 这是有关代表纽卡斯尔市政府（Newcastle City278 Council）负责管理市政房屋的 Your Homes Newcastle 言版本，請致電 0191 278 8633 索取。 une autre langue, téléphonez au : 0191 8633.

People （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 Repairs Ces informations concernent les demandes de travaux pour votre logement. Si vous avez 0191 besoin de 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 278 它语言版本，请致电 0191 278 ces en français ou8633 dans索取。 une autre langue, téléphonez au : 0191 278 8633.

8633informations 索取。 Right to Buy / Homes + Ces informations concernent les droits des locataires relatifs à l’acquisition de leur logement social.

YHN general 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 Si vous avez besoin de ces informations en français ou dans une autre langue, téléphonez au : People （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 0191 278 8633. 語言版本，請致電 0191 278 8633 索取。 @ói@óäb îŠbïäaŒ@ãó÷@m‹ Šòì@óÜ@çbmŒóyŠó ó÷ @NóäbmóØòìíäb‚@ñòìó䆋ÙØbš@üi@ðîŒaí‚a†@ðmóïäüš@ói@pòŠbió@óäbîŠbïäaŒ@ãó÷ Tenancy Ces informations concernent vos responsabilités en tant que locataire de la municipalité de Repairs N general / Homes + Nç‹i@ñ‡äòí—q@ 0191 278 8633 @ðäüÑïÝm@òŠbàˆ@ói@óîóè@óÙî†@ðÙ—äbàŒ@Šóè@bî@ñ†ŠíØ@ðäbàŒ Si vous de‫آن‬ ces informations en‫در‬français dans une‫درﺑﺎره‬ autre‫اﻃﻼﻋﺎت‬ langue, ،Newcastle. ‫ﺷﻬﺮدارى ﻧﻴﻮﻛﺎﺳﻞ‬ ‫از ﺳﻮى‬avez ‫ﺳﺎزﻣﺎن‬besoin ‫ اﻳﻦ‬.‫اﺳﺖ‬ ‫ﻋﻤﻠﻜﺮد‬ ‫ﻧﯿﻮﮐﺎﺳﻞ« و‬ ‫ﻫﺎى ﺷﻤﺎ‬ou ‫ﺧﺎﻧﻪ‬ » ‫ﺳﺎزﻣﺎن‬ ‫اﻳﻦ‬ ople téléphonez au : 0191 278 8633. @ói@óäbîŠbïäaŒ@ãó÷@m‹ Šòì@óÜ@çbmŒóyŠó ó÷ @N òŠb’@ñaŠü’@ðäbØòìíäb‚@î ‹ Ø@üi@çbåï“å–‹Ø@Àbà@ói@pòŠbió@óäbîŠbïäaŒ@ãó÷ ‫دﻳﮕﺮ ﺑﺎ ﺷﻤﺎره ﺗﻠﻔﻦ‬ ‫ ﻳﺎ زﺑﺎن‬língua, ‫زﺑﺎن ﻓﺎرﺳﻰ‬ ‫اﻃﻼﻋﺎت ﺑﻪ‬ ‫ﻧﻴﺎز ﺑﻪ‬o‫ﺻﻮرت‬ .‫دارد‬ ‫ﻣﺴﺌﻮﻟﻴﺖ اداره ﺧﺎﻧﻪﻫﺎى دوﻟﺘﻰ را ﺑﻪ ﻋﻬﺪه‬ <português> ou‫ﻫﺎى‬ noutra queira ligar‫اﻳﻦ‬ para 0191 ‫در‬ 278 8633.

Right to Buy YCH Ces informations concernent notre service location. @óîóè@óÙî†@ðÙ—äbàŒ@Šóè@bî@ñ†ŠíØ@ðäbàŒ Si vous avez besoin de ces278 informations en Nç‹i@ñ‡äòí—q@ 278 8633de .‫ﺑﮕﻴﺮﻳﺪ‬ ‫ﺗﻤﺎس‬ ٠١٩١٢٧٨٨۶٣٣ 0191 8600 Rent Esta informação refere-se à sua0191 renda.

Se @ðäüÑïÝm@òŠbàˆ@ói precisar desta informação em <português> ou noutra françaisqueira ou dans une autre langue, au : 0191 278 8633. @m‹ Šòì@óÜ@çbmŒóyŠó ó÷ @Npara óîa‡Ý—bØüïä@óÜ@Šb’@ñaŠü’@ðÙ—åï“å–‹Ø@íØòì@òí—÷@ðäbØóïmóîb‹qŠói@ói@pòŠbió@óäbîŠbïäaŒ@ãó÷ língua, ligar o 0191 278téléphonez 8633.

YHN generalTenancy / Homes + Esta Ces informations concernent Your Homes Newcastleem : qui chargé gérer les logements sociaux Repairs informação refere-se ao8633 pedido de reparações suaest casa.

Se de precisar desta informação em Nç‹i@ñ‡äòí— q@0191 278 @ðäüÑïÝm@òŠbàˆ@ói@óîóè@óÙî†@ðÙ—äbàŒ@Šóè@bî@ñ†ŠíØ@ðäbàŒ@ói@óäbîŠbïäaŒ@ãó÷ People au nom de ðäbàŒ@ la ou municipalité de Newcastle et para comment nous procédons.

Si vous avez <português> noutra queira ligar o 0191 278 8633. ói@ pòŠbió@ @Šóè@ bî@ ñ†ŠíØ@ ói@ óäbîŠbïäaŒ@língua, ãó÷@ m‹ Šòì@ óÜ@ çbmŒóyŠó ó÷ @ Nóîóá—÷@ ð–‹Ø@ ðäbØómóà‚@ óäbîŠbïäaŒ@ ãó÷ besoin de ces Right to Buy YCH Esta informação refere-se direito os langue, inquilinos têm de comprar a sua social. Se informations en français ouao dans uneque autre téléphonez au : 0191 278habitação 8633.

Nç‹i@ñ‡äòí—q@0191 278 8633@ðäüÑïÝm@òŠbàˆ@ói@óîóè@óÙî†@ðÙ—äbàŒ Tenancy YCH

YHN general / Homes + People

Repairs

YHN general / Homes +

People Right to Buy

Tenancy YCH YHN general / Homes + People

precisar desta informação em <português> ou noutra língua, queira ligar para o 0191 278 8633. @òìóÝ—bØüïä@ñŠb’@ñaŠü’@çóîý@óÜ@óØ@óîóØó䆋؊bØ@ðmóïäüš@ì@ Your Homes Newcastle @ói@pòŠbió@óäbîŠbïäaŒ@ãó÷ 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. @ðäbàŒ@ói@óäbîŠbïäaŒ@ãó÷@m‹ Šòì@óÜ@çbmŒóyŠó ó÷ @NpbÙi@ðmóîaŠóiòí–Šói@Šb’@ñaŠü’@ðäbØòìíäb‚@óØ@òìaŠ‡—q@ñòìó÷@ðØŠó÷ idioma, llame al refere-se 0191 278 8633.

Esta informação ao serviço0191 de 278 arrendamento.

Se precisar desta informação em Nç‹ i@ñ‡äòí—q@ 8633@ðäüÑïÝm@òŠbàˆ@ói@óîóè@óÙî†@ðÙ—äbàŒ@Šóè@bî@ñ†ŠíØ 8600 Ésta es información sobre cómo pedir quepara se realicen reparaciones en su casa. Si necesita esta <português> ou noutra língua, queira ligar o 0191 278 8633.

Esta informação refere-se a organização información en español oà enYour otroHomes idioma,Newcastle, llame al 0191 278 8633. responsável pela gestão da habitação social em nome e a anossa situação actual. municipal.

Se precisarSidesta Ésta es información sobredo losMunicípio derechosde deNewcastle, los inquilinos comprar su vivienda necesita informação em <português> noutra para278 o 0191 278 8633. esta información en españolou o en otro língua, idioma,queira llame ligar al 0191 8633.

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. Ésta es información sobre 0191 278nuestro 8600. servicio de adjudicación. Si necesita esta información en español o en otro idioma, llame al 0191 278 8633. 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.

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

page 2

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

Contents Page 3

• 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

Page 11

• Working with communities

Page 12

• Prize wordsearch

• Ostara

• Right to Buy - beware!

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

Welcome to the July issue of Homes & People 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.

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

page 3

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

! t u o d n i f & t s e t r Take ou I

Do you keep a note of what you’re spending?

2

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

3

Do you ever put money aside for the future?

4

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

5

Do you always spend within your means?

6

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

7 8

A. Yes, daily!

B. Weekly

A. Always on time!

B. Usually

A. Regularly without fail

A. I don’t spend!

C. Monthly

C. I get reminder letters

B. Whenever I can

B. Save now, spend later

A. Always

B. Most of the time

A. Yes, I can always pick up something new

C. Probably not

C. Occasionally

D. Why would I do that?

D. I get fines

D. Never!

C. Save later, spend now

C. It depends…

D. I don’t save

D. Never!

B. Yes if there’s nothing else on 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 As

Mainly Bs

Mainly Cs

Mainly Ds

You’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!

You’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.

Sounds 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.

Whoa 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…

Getting on top of things

T U O UP LL D KEEP AN

You will have read in our last issue that many changes are being made by central government that will have a significant impact on social housing tenants.

Some of these changes might be difficult to cope with and we know that some people are being affected 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 find them useful but, if you have any questions or concerns, please do just get in touch via your local housing office, by calling 0191 278 8600 or contact us via our Twitter and Facebook pages.

Gary's story

a real “Planning in advance could make difference.” and, until Gary has worked since he left school d. His recently, had never been unemploye work in skills as an electrician had seen him ently the various parts of the country, but rec bust. company he was working for went versal He then had to make a claim for Uni very little with Credit and this left him to live on until he received his first payment six weeks after his initial claim.

costs, but towards his essentials and housing or in paying as this is a loan, he now has to fact that back with a reduced income. seven Gary said: “I wish I’d known about the to make a day waiting period before I needed ething back claim because I would’ve kept som I’ll always from my last wage to tide me over.

I’m earning try to save on a regular basis once when you again because you just never know advance might get caught short – planning in uldn’t could make a real difference, you wo a savings notice a few extra pounds going into me, but account when you had regular inco e there you’d definitely be grateful they wer if that was removed.”

He was able to get a Universal Credit advance payment of £200 to help

page 5 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 budgeting Putting 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!

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.”

page 6 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!

Monthly household budget INCOME:

EXPENSES:

Benefits: Wages: Bonus: Other TOTAL £:

Rent: Electricity: Gas Water Phone and broadband Mobile phone

TV Loans Credit cards Childcare Travel Food TOTAL £

DIFFERENCE £ Did you know that over £10billion in goes unclaimed every year? benefits

You may be entitled to more than you th ink so it’s always wo checking. Our advic rth e and support serv ice can help you to fin what you’re entitled d out to. You can arrang e to speak to them in a form on our we by filling bsite or by asking in your local housing office.

Newcastle City Co uncil manages som e be ne fits for claimants liv in the city. Their we ing bsite has lots of us eful information, inc details of council ta luding x reductions, hous ing benefit and a wh of other benefits an ole range d useful contacts.

They also have so me really easy to un derstand factsheet should answer man s that y questions you m ight have.

page 7 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!

Making your money stretch further 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

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

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. 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.”

page 8 Do you live in a YHN home?

Is your home too big or too small for your needs?

SWAP it If you answered “yes” then mutual exchange could be the answer.

Search our website for ‘Swap my home’

How YHN can help Helping you keep on top of things There’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 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”.

Help to find work Our 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 employabilityteam@yhn.org.uk 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 to get online If 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.

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Changes to council tenancies from April 2017 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: An end to lifetime tenancies From 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.

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/yourresponsibilities/

page 10

Sale of high value properties Local 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.

Are you worried about a loved one who lives alone?

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 touch Contact 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.

contactus@ostara.org.uk

0191 277 7470

24 hour response and support to lighten up lives www.ostara.org.uk

Working with communities Earlier 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 getinvolved@yhn.org.uk 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.

page 11

ÂŁ25 prize wordsearch This 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 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 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!

R J S N E L E P H O U S I N G A C T

S E P E E R E R I W G L I I N G T A

E N Q N S T E R W N T T E K R A M R

B H Y A A F N J I Y U V E A T L X F

U E A M S T C O M L R E N I L N O B

D V S N U L G B I S T U D I L O L M

G S A M B T M S R E N E R G Y R N B

E R H E U A U C U C R S E D O E S N

T R S O N N I A R C I D R S A D I I

F N A T T E I S L V A E O R I N S M

G L X P C T E A A E T M A N C E I D

T P O I E L S S P A X D F O B P O T

R D V W S R O N W S E C M O A S R W

O D A I E R P I T N T E H S D L T P

A I A V S R G K V C M Q T A M I E N

M D I R E C T D E B I T B S N I L Y

O N L L H L M A H E L O A S G G N S

U E S G N I F C U N E X P E C T E D

Advice Budget Direct Debit Energy Housing Act Income Jobs Mutual Exchange Online Outgoings Prepare Saver Spender Tina Drury Transfer Unexpected Universal Credit Water

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: communicationsteam@yhn.org.uk 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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