Coronavirus: guidance and services

We understand this will be a very difficult time for many people, but it’s really important you continue to pay your rent to avoid future financial difficulty and a large debt building up.

We want to help you as best we can and provide guidance on the options available to you. To discuss this with a member of the Customer Accounts team, please complete this form and a team member will be in contact.

Find out what benefits you may be eligible for, including help with your rent.

We have returned to our standard repairs service – this means we provide emergency repairs within 24 hours, and any other repairs on the next available appointment, with a target to complete the repair in 28 days. We will look to continue this throughout the current restrictions, in line with official advice that tradespeople should be allowed to enter homes provided they follow social distancing guidance.

Please watch this helpful video which will guide you through what you can expect from us during the repairs process, from booking to the appointment, and the steps we will ask you to take to ensure everyone’s safety.

One of the appointments we must prioritise is the annual gas safety check for your property. If you are due an appointment, we will have already written to you. Please make sure you read the letter and contact us if you have any questions about the process.

If you have any of the issues set out below, please request a repair as normal and we will respond. Please also see our advice on managing minor repairs.

Emergency repairs (attendance within 24 hours)

• No electricity in the whole property, no electricity in the kitchen or no electricity in communal areas
• Loss of water supply
• No heating or hot water
• Premises unable to be secured and there is no alternative entrance
• A major leak of water that is not containable inside the property or a communal area
• Blockages leading to sewage or grey water leaking inside the property or a communal area
• A structural issue that could collapse or cause damage to the building
• Faulty smoke alarms
• Mobility equipment not working - including lifts, hoists, baths
• Repairs to damaged doors or windows to ensure security
• Repairs to communal lighting, floor coverings, stair nosings, banisters, walls, doors, windows and roofs to keep the building safe
• Repairs to blocked gutters or downpipes where water is leaking inside the property or an internal communal area
• A WC that is leaking or cannot be flushed with a bucket or bowl
• Any critical gas repair

Routine Repairs – Attendance on next available appointment with a target of a maximum 28 days

• No electricity in one room, other than the kitchen
• Loss of heating in one room
• Small water leak that can be contained
• Locks that are not working but where it is secure and another entrance can be used
• Blockages to pipes and drains where water is not backing up but is slow to drain and you are unable to clear yourself
• Repairs to windows or doors to maintain security of premises where they can be temporarily secured and there is an alternative exit
• Blockages where grey water or sewage is leaking outside of the property
• Re-glazing of windows and doors to maintain fire safety
• Follow on works where an emergency repair has already been made safe
• Isolation of damaged electrical sockets or switches
• Faulty gates, barriers or door entry systems
• Repairs to external or car park lighting
• Any other repairs that do not represent an immediate health and safety risk to residents or are not likely to cause damage, and are not an emergency

Our staff will be making visits to properties where meetings cannot be conducted over the phone but these will be subject to some restrictions to make sure everybody is safe. Where we need you to sign documents we may be able to send you these to sign electronically if you have a smart phone, computer, laptop or other device with a screen.

Situations in which we will currently visit a property include:

• viewings and sign-ups for many of our properties (we will consider allowing a friend or relative to attend your viewing on your behalf if you are self-isolating or shielding. We can also take photos, videos and measurements for you in place of a viewing)
• property inspections required as part of the mutual exchange, Right to Buy, Right to Acquire or termination processes
• permission requests such as permission to make an alteration to your home
• breaches of tenancy if they require a physical visit to check the property
• issuing of enforcement notices
• tenancy reviews, if they require a physical visit to check the property
• visits to supported housing schemes to provide support where a risk assessment has been completed and it is safe to do so.

To ensure everybody’s safety at these visits we will:

• call ahead to check nobody in the household is shielding or self-isolating and discuss how the visit will be conducted. We will discuss with you many people will be at the property during the visit and we may ask you to leave internal doors open and light switches on
• wherever possible we will ask that other household members who do not need to be present go out for exercise before and during the visit
• make a further call on arrival and re-confirm the arrangements for how the visit will be conducted
• keep visits to as a short a time as possible
• minimise face to face contact and keep a 2 metre distance at all times
• where possible, have forms signed electronically
• staff may choose to wear a face covering but we aren’t requiring them to at the current time

Annual gas safety inspections are also continuing and the gas contractor for your area will be in touch with you to discuss special arrangements for these appointments.

Benefits you may be able to access

If you are struggling financially, cannot work or have lost your job as a result of Covid-19, the links below provide information on the benefits from government you may be eligible to claim for:

• Statutory Sick Pay
• Universal Credit
• Contributory Employment and Support Allowance
• What you may be entitled to claim during the coronavirus emergency

Utility bill help

Energy firms are putting in place new measures to help prepayment customers who are unable to top up their cards at the current time. The advice varies per provider. This useful link offers help and advice.

You may also be able to shop around and find a better deal with another supplier using price comparison websites.

Guideline

We run a support service called Guideline, which cannot support directly on rent payments, but provides advice on budgeting. They can arrange support to access specialist debt advice and are continuing to help people find employment opportunities. If you would like to speak to one our Guideline team members, please complete this form.

We are continuing with our caretaking and grounds maintenance services to ensure the area where you live is safe, clean and tidy. We will also be continuing to carry out estate inspections and Fire Risk Assessments (FRAs). When you see our staff or contractors out and about in your neighbourhood or in your block of flats, please remember to observe a 2 metre distance from them for everybody’s safety.