My Money, My Choice (Gedling)

1MY Money MY Choice ISSUE 1 JanUary 2015

Ways to pay your rent

MY MoneyMY ChoiceyoUr 12 month gUIdE on how

to makE thE moSt of yoUr fInancES

QUIZ: £100 sUpermarket voUchers of yoUr choIce to be won

RechaRgeable RepaiRskeeping youR home in tip-top condition

ISSUE 1 JanUary 2015

Help from Gedling Homes

keep me

hanDy!

MY Money MY Choice ISSUE 1 JanUary 20152

MY Money MY Choice ISSUE 1 JanUary 2015 3

From the editor

With the festive season over, the new year can be a difficult time paying off bills. I hope this magazine will give you some handy hints and tips to make the most of your money.

It’d be good to keep this magazine handy so you know where to go for help. It’s full of information on services that can support you.

Don’t forget to enter the competition on page 15 - you could win £100 supermarket vouchers which will come in handy at this time of year.

I have included a list of handy contact details on the back, hope this helps.

Nora

Inside...

Welcome to Issue 1 of My Money My Choice.

MONEY ADVICE 4-5

MY HOME FINANCE 6

NOTTINGHAM CREDIT UNION 7

HOW TO PAY YOUR RENT 8-9

RECHARGEABLE REPAIRS 10-11

FORMER TENANT ARREARS 11

GREATer TRAINING 12-13

HOME CONTENTS INSURANCE 14

HOME CRISIS INSURANCE 14

WIN £100 SUPERMARKET VOUCHERS 15

USEFUL CONTACTS 16



• Budgeting

• Maximisingyourincome

• Prioritisingyourpayments/bills

• Dealingwith court action

The team also offers face-to-face support to:

• Drawupfinancialstatements to see what money you have available and what you owe

• Checkthatyou’reresponsible for any debts

• Helpyousortoutwhat to pay first

• Negotiatewithcompanies you owe money to

• Representyouinthe County Court

Gedling Homes’ Debt Advice team offers free, independent, confidential and impartial advice and helps you to deal with your debts. It can help you find the best solutions for you and give you advice on:


Debt Advice team




This new on-line tool helps you calculate your outgoings and income and is the first vital step in taking control of your finances.

www.budget.entitledto.co.uk/newcharter

Gedling Homes’ Welfare Benefits Advice team can help you answer any questions you have on benefits. You may need help filling out a benefit form or just need general advice on what benefits you might be entitled to. Why not give us a call?

Did you know...?We have a number of welfare benefit

calculators to help you work out what you

may be entitled to and see how you would

be affected if your circumstances change.

Visit www.gedlinghomes.co.uk/pay-your-

rent/changes-your-welfare-benefitsBenefits Advice team

Budget Planner


My Home Finance offers safe, affordable loans. It can help you if you’re struggling to get a loan and feel you only have loan sharks or doorstep lenders to turn to.

Call My Home Finance on 01905 25805 or visit: www.myhomefinance.org.uk You can also call into the Gedling Customer Contact Centre.

It could help you access credit at a more affordable rate, open a bank account and save for the future. By building up a repayment history with My Home Finance, you’ll be more able to use other financial services.

My Home Finance is a not-for-profit social enterprise. This means any profits are

put back into the business so that more people can benefit from the service.


CREDIT UNIONSCredit Unions have a number of accounts to help people manage their money:• Rent Direct Account • Rent Payment Current Account• Budget AccountCredit Unions can also offer loans at competitive prices.

For more information, please call Nottingham Credit Union on 0115 828 3121, email [email protected] or visit nottinghamcu.co.uk

Project1_Layout 1 19/12/2014 10:50 Page 1

I have access to the internet

I can use the internet

I have a bank account or Credit Union account

I can budget monthly

I have looked at all my household expenditur

e

✓ ✗Tick list

Project1_Layout 1 19/12/2014 10:54 Page 1

univeRsal cRedit: aRe you Ready?

If you have answered any of the above with a cross, money wise can help on 0115 905 1515 or [email protected]

How to Pay Your Rent

You can pay your rent in a number of ways

Direct Debits are collected weekly on a Thursday or

on the 1st, 8th, 15th or 22nd of the month.

DIRECT DEBIT

Payments can be made at any Post Office or any PayPoint.

See how to get a new card below.

COUNTER PAYMENTS

Rent Payment Cards

You can apply for a card by calling in at Gedling

Customer Contact Centre or apply online at

www.gedlinghomes.co.uk under ‘Rent Payment

and Money Advice’ then ‘Ways to Pay’.

Did you know...?

Budgeting will help you plan how

you spend your money and see

where you may be able to make

savings. Complete this online at:

www.gedlinghomes.co.uk



A standing order should be set up at your bank.

STANDING ORDER

££

Payments can be made over the phone by debit or credit card, 24 hours a day,

7 days a week. Please call 0161 331 2224. You will need your 8-digit payment reference to use

this service

TELEPHONE PAYMENTS

You can make Online Payments via BillPay, a service provided by Santander. Full details of how to use the BillPay service can be found

at www.santanderbillpayment.co.uk

ONLINE PAYMENTS

Cheques should be made payable to Gedling Homes and sent to us or handed

in at the Customer Contact Centre or Gedling House.

You must write your name and address and your payment reference on the back of the cheque.

VIA CHEQUE

Did you know...?Court costs have increased to £250 if you don’t pay your rent? Don’t get caught out.

RechaRgeable RepaiRs

Gedling Homes provides a repairs service and makes improvements to your homes where needed, but you have a responsibility to keep your home in good condition too.

Most of you treat your homes with a lot of care and respect, but sometimes damage is caused to properties or jobs that need doing are left and you must pay to put things right.

We understand that a reasonable amount of wear and tear can occur, but if you are responsible for any other damages,

you will have to pay for the repairs to be done.

keeping youR home in tip-top condition

10 MY Money MY Choice ISSUE 1 JanUary 2015

Visit www.gedlinghomes.co.uk/pay-your-rent/repairs-arrears for more information.


If you still owe money for any reason on your property after you move out (for exampleifyouwerenotup to date with your rent when you left), you will be expectedtocontinuetomake payments until all the money you owe is paid off.

If you are trying to apply for another home with other landlords, it is likely you will be asked for a reference from a previous landlord. Any money you still owe on the tenancy will be taken into account and may affect your chances of being offered a property by another landlord.

Did you know...?You won’t be able to bid on any Gedling Homes property if you owe us money? Call today to arrange a payment plan.

Former Tenant Arrears

What if the repair is needed because of a crime?

Any criminal damages to your

property must be reported to

the police immediately by calling

101 (or 999 in an emergency).

The police will give you a crime

reference number relating to the

incident which you should provide

when you report the repair.

• Aninvoicewillbesenttoyouafter the work has been done

• Youhavesevendaystorespond and pay the full amount or agree to pay in instalments

• Ifyourespondintimeandkeep up your payments, you’ll get 20% off the total cost

• IfyoualreadyhaveHomeContents Insurance this might help you cover the cost. See page 14.

What happens if i’m charged for a repair?


Concerned that you’re getting into debt and can’t keep it under control? Want some guidance on the best way to budget? Looking for advice on how to reduce your spending and manage your money more effectively.

Gedling Homes recognises that in these tough economic times we can all do with advice to help us manage our money more effectively. This is why our Money Wise team is offering workshops to assist tenants and leaseholders to provide tips on managing your money.

Course includes:• Howtobudget• Recordingwhereyour money goes• Weeklyspendingdiary• Piggybanktechnique• Ensureyoudon’tspendmore than you earn

Skills gained:• Basicbudgetingskills• Sensibleshoppingtips• Anawarenessofthesupport available to you• Howtoaccessthebestdeals

Managing Your Money


Did you know...?All our GREATer Training courses are completely free to Gedling Homes Tenants.

Interested?Please fill in a GREATer Training expression of interest form or contact a member of Customer Experience on 0115 905 1515 or email at [email protected]

Gedling Homes works in close partnership with Groundwork Greater Nottingham and The Secret Kitchen to provide a cooking course with a difference. The course is aimed at providing you with confidence in the kitchen by keeping it simple.

Learn how to cook healthy, cheap and tasty meals for your family.

Course includes:• Abasicrecipeeachweek• Lookingatcheaperwaysto make tastier and healthier meals• Howtoadaptrecipesbyusing other ingredients• Buildingconfidenceintrying different recipes• Tryingthemealsprepared during the session

Skills gained:• Howtocookhealthymeals• Cookingonabudget• Beingcreativewithleftovers

Cook & Eat

14

Gedling Homes Home Contents insurance is provided by Aviva and available to all Gedling Homes tenants and leaseholders.

To join the scheme, you must have a clear rent account. The policy includes:

• Noexcess

• Small,easypayments

• Standardcover (fire, theft and flood)

• Optionalcoveragainstaccidentaldamage

• Youcanalsoincludeaccidentaldamageto fixturesandfittingswithinyourhomethatGedlingHomes has provided

home contents insuRance

How to join...To apply, download the application

form from www.gedlinghomes.co.uk/pay-your-rent/

home-contents-insurance-gedling

Fill it out and sign it and drop into

Gedling Customer Contact Centre

➤ coveRs you up to a maximum claim limit of £3000

➤ costs just 50p peR Week (payable on youR Rent account)

➤ standaRd coveR (fiRe, theft and flood)

➤ Will not coveR accidental damage

➤ no excess➤ small, easy payments

NEW


INSURANCE

HOMECRISIS


O V E D M W C S G N I V A SA A C Q O V E U Q E H C Y TB D I R N E S T P N R U S HU Z V F E H K I Y A B G T ID B S I Y D B L H R L O I NG H S A C M I I E N G D F SE A H T A E O T L W F Y E UT E O A R S R I U J H B N RI N M R E E O E P N S W E AE D E B T R M S H C I S B NC A S R A P O C S N A O L CW R A F F I N A N C E G N EA M B E D F E K R O W F U LS E T N E M Y O L P M E N U

ADVICE BENEFITS BUDGET BUYS CASH CHEQUE CREDITUNION DEBT EMPLOYMENT FINANCE HOME INSURANCE LOAN MONEY MONEYCARE RENT SAVINGS SMARTER UTILITIES

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

Address.............................................................................................

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

............................................................Postcode:..............................

Telephone:.........................................................................................

WIN!£100

Gift Voucher

You must be a Gedling Homes tenant to enter

£100 SUPERMARkET VOUCHERS OF YOUR CHOICE!

find all 19 words listed for your chance to win.

Complete and return thispageto

GedlingCustomerContact Centre,

The Civic Centre, Arnot Hill Park,

NottinghamNG56LUby31stMarch2015

16 MY Money MY Choice ISSUE 1 JanUary 2015

Useful Contacts

Gedling Homes 01159051515enquiries@gedlinghomes.co.ukwww.gedlinghomes.co.ukCustomer Contact Centre:The Civic Centre (Ground Floor), Arnot Hill Park, Arnold, Nottingham,NG56LU

Universal Credit information www.gov.uk 03456000723Gedling Borough CouncilCivic Centre, Arnot Hill Park,Arnold,Nottingham,NG56LU01159013901Money Advice Service www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk 08005005000Homeswapper www.homeswapper.co.ukStep Change Debt Charity www.stepchange.org 0800 138 1111National Debtline www.nationaldebtline.org 0808 808 4000

Illegal Money Lending Team www.reportaloanshark@ stoploansharks.gov.uk 0300555222(24-hourservice)United Utilities Trust Fund www.uutf.org.uk 08451791791Nottingham Energy Partnership5thFloorCastleHeightsBuilding72MaidMarianWay, Nottingham,NG16BJ

Food BanksFoodbanksprovideemergencyfoodparcels to people in need. Food banks have been set up in most areas of Nottinghambyorganisationsthatsupportpeople in their local communities. Allfoodbankshavereferrerswhorecognisewhenpeopleareinneed.carlton methodist churchCarlton Hill, Carlton, Nottingham,NG41EE

daybrook Baptist churchMansfieldRoad,Arnold,NG56AA

Bethesda ministriesForesterStreet,Netherfield

facebook.com/gedlinghomes

@Gedling_Homes

Resource Housing Reg. No. 2111

My Money, My Choice (Gedling)

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