Housing Management
Your Rent
How Are Rents Set?
West Whitlawburn has to cover the cost of all services provided for tenants. This includes managing and maintaining each property, costs of longer term improvement or replacement programmes, loan repayments, concierge services and so on. To cover these costs we have to make sure we collect enough rent. At the same time, we have to make sure that our tenants can afford to pay the rent.
To help us do this, there is a rent setting policy in place and we carry out regular tenant income surveys. Rent levels and the rent policy are reviewed each year. You will be consulted on any proposed changes.
Rent Payments
Every tenant pays rent. Some pay the full charge, others get help with part of the rent, and others pay rent with full housing benefit.
When you pay
Your rent is due every 4 weeks in arrears. The rent due dates will be sent to you every year in March. You can get a copy of the current years due dates from your Housing Officer on request. You can choose to pay weekly, fortnightly or 4-weekly. For advice on the amount to pay please contact your Housing Officer.How you pay
You will have a swipe card, which has your own personal identification in the magnetic strip. This allows you to pay your rent at any Post Office through Girobank, or at any PayPoint in shops, at a time convenient to you. You can also pay your rent by Direct Debit through your bank account. Please contact your Housing officer for details. The Co-operative is notified of all payments made the following day, and your account is updated automatically. You will be issued with a receipt for each payment you make. Please keep it for future reference.
Your rent account
All rent payments you make are put onto our computer. You can contact your Housing Officer at any time to ask about the balance on your rent account. You can get a printed statement of your rent account on request, but one will be sent to you every 12 weeks.
Housing Benefit
Tenants who are unemployed, pensioners or on a low wage may be entitled to Housing Benefit. The amount you receive depends on the amount of money you have coming in each week. South Lanarkshire Council operate the housing benefit system for the Cambuslang area. If you have any enquiries, you can contact the Council at:
Housing Services
19 Main Street
CAMBUSLANG
G72 7EX
Phone : 0141-613-5541
The Council operates what is called a verification framework for housing benefit applications, whether they are new claims or just to report changes in circumstances. You will need to hand in 2 original forms of identification before a claim is processed. This means that you will have to go into their office in person and photocopies will not be accepted.
Your Housing Officer is also available to assist you with any benefit enquiries you may have.
It is very important that housing benefit is applied for, and that you tell the Council about any changes in your circumstances, as early as possible because benefit is only paid from the date of application.
Council Tax
The Council Tax for your home is not included in your rent and is your own responsibility. You will be notified by South Lanarkshire Council of the amount you have to pay each year. You may be entitled to a rebate and application details will be included in the payment notice.
Welfare Benefits Advice
If you need advice on any welfare benefits matter, please contact your Housing officer who will make an appropriate referral.
Problems Paying Your Rent
If you have problems paying your rent, it is important that you contact your Housing Officer as soon as possible. It is always better to meet and talk about money problems at an early stage. Co-operative staff take a sympathetic approach to sorting out arrears problems. We will give advice on any benefit entitlements you may have and we can make arrangements for you to repay any arrears in installments rather than all at once.
However, if tenants do not keep to arrangements to pay rent arrears then the Co-operative will take legal action to recover the debt. Arrears are a reason for eviction.
Any information about your rent account is strictly confidential.
Page last updated 19th January 2005