Financial advice and support
We need you to continue to pay your rent, but encourage you to tell us straight away if you are experiencing any problems paying your rent, there is a range of help available to you.
You can pay your rent through our websites, via the tenant app or via the phone. If your employment status has changed or you need to talk to us about your rent, please speak to us as soon as possible.
We can agree affordable repayment plans and provide specialist advice on claiming benefits, maximising income and managing debt through our Financial Inclusion team.
If you are worried about falling into arrears because you cannot pay us in the short term because of Coronavirus, you can discuss setting up a payment plan with our Financial Inclusion Team at Moneyadvice@wchg.org.uk
If you don’t pay your rent, you could fall into arrears where we could take action. We have a range of financial support services, let us know as soon as possible by speaking to our Financial Inclusion Team on 0300 111 000 or 0800 633 5500, via the WCHG App or email us at moneyadvice@wchg.org.uk
WCHG are aware some residents have already been made redundant or are having to take unpaid leave or reduce their hours. Please contact our team If you are worried about falling into arrears, you can discuss setting up a payment plan with our Financial Inclusion Team at Moneyadvice@wchg.org.uk.
You can access information from ‘The Money Advice Service’, a free and impartial service set up by the government, which look at your rights to sick pay, changes to claiming your benefits and what it means for travel. Click here for lots of useful information or here for coronavirus benefit related information.
For more useful information and contact details click here - WCHG - Advice for Tenants Manchester (doc)
We recognise that for many people, this will be the first time they have needed to claim benefits.You can get help and support to make a claim for Universal Credit online from:
Universal Credit - 0800 328 5644
Citizens Advice -0800 144 8 444
Step Change - 0800 138 1111
You can receive up to a month’s advance upfront without physically attending a Jobcentre. The seven waiting days for ESA for new claimants suffering from Coronavirus or required to stay at home will not apply, so it will be payable from day one.
For more information, including making a claim for a Discretionary Housing Payment, a Council Tax Reduction or Housing Benefit, visit Manchester City Councils website page by clicking here.
Gas and electric
Some of you may be worrying about how you are going to pay your utility bills, and for those on pre-payment meters, how you’re going to keep them topped up.
Ofgem, the regulatory authority for gas and electric have published the following advice on what to do if you are faced with affordability issues.
The government has launched an emergency package with energy suppliers to ensure you don’t face any additional hardships in heating or lighting your home during the coronavirus outbreak. If you are struggling with money problems or are repaying a debt, options will include:
- reviewing bill payment plans, including debt repayment plans
- payment breaks or reductions in how much you pay
- giving you greater time to pay
- in some cases access to hardship funds.
You don’t need to worry about your gas/electricity if you don’t have money to top up or are self-isolating. No credit meters will be disconnected during the outbreak.
British Gas
0333 202 9802
EDF
0333 200 5100
Eon
0345 052 000
N Power
0800 073 3000
Scottish Power
0800 027 0072
SSE
0345 026 2658
Contact your energy supplier if you have a prepay meter tell them your self-isolating. They will send you out two week’s worth of gas/electricity or if you have a smart meter they will top you up.
For further general advice on household energy bill support, see Ofgem’s guide: Who to contact if it’s difficult paying bills.
For more information from Ofgem, you can visit their website here: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-covid-19-and-your-energy-supply.
Water
United Utilities have published the following advice:
United Utilities have published the following advice:
“We wanted to let you know what we’re doing in response to the Coronavirus outbreak to protect our staff and customers. We’re following the government health advice to make sure our customers and our colleagues stay safe and we are putting all the necessary measures in place to ensure this advice is followed by everyone. We understand this is a challenging time and we’ve put our robust business continuity plans into action so we can make sure we can still supply our water and wastewater services to all customers across the North West. Advice from the World Health Organisation is that the water treatment process – specifically the addition of chlorine which is routinely used for disinfection – will kill the virus. Remember, only flush the three Ps – pee, poo and paper. Please do not flush any kitchen roll, wet wipes or newspaper down the toilet as these can cause major blockages in the sewers”.
You can find more information on their website: https://www.unitedutilities.com/Coronavirus-update/
TV Licence
- No advice has been published yet about support with your TV License and if you have difficulty paying, it is still a legal requirement to have one if you want to:
- watch or record programmes as they’re being shown on TV, on any channel
- watch or stream programmes live on an online TV service (such as ITV Hub, All 4, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, Now TV, Sky Go, etc.)
- download or watch any BBC programmes on iPlayer. Many internet providers are still working out their response to COVID-19, many are looking at giving free phone calls and extra data and speed boosts
Check your suppliers website directly for more information.
Internet providers
- This applies to any device you use, including a TV, desktop computer, laptop, mobile phone, tablet, games console, digital box or DVD/VHS recorder.
- The UK’s major internet service and mobile providers, namely BT/EE, Openreach, Virgin Media, Sky, TalkTalk, O2, Vodafone, Three, Hyperoptic, Gigaclear, and KCOM have all agreed the following commitments, effective immediately:
- All providers have committed to working with customers who find it difficult to pay their bill as a result of Covid-19 to ensure that they are treated fairly and appropriately supported.
- All providers will remove all data allowance caps on all current fixed broadband services.
- All providers have agreed to offer some new, generous mobile and landline packages to ensure people are connected and the most vulnerable continue to be supported. For example, some of these packages include data boosts at low prices and free calls from their landline or mobile.
- All providers will ensure that vulnerable customers or those self-isolating receive alternative methods of communication wherever possible if priority repairs to fixed broadband and landlines cannot be carried out.
These commitments are in addition to a range of supportive measures offered by the individual providers to their customers affected by circumstances arising from Covid-19.