ABOUT AELWYD. Contact details (Office hours 8.45 a.m. to 4.45 p.m. on weekdays):-

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2 ABOUT AELWYD Aelwyd Housing Association is a registered society under the Co-operative and Community Benefits Societies Act It is a Registered Social Landlord under the Welsh Government, and is a Member of Community Housing Cymru. Aelwyd Housing Association was formed in 1991 and manages almost 250 homes for rent. We are involved in a variety of areas of housing provision, although we mostly house older people. Aelwyd is a Christian based housing association, being founded by the Baptist Housing Association, the Presbyterian Church of Wales and the United Reformed Church in Wales. The overall governing body of Aelwyd is the Board, which includes representatives of the denominations. Board Members are elected at Annual General Meetings, from amongst the general shareholding membership of Aelwyd. There is an open Membership Policy and application forms are available from the Director. Contact details (Office hours 8.45 a.m. to 4.45 p.m. on weekdays): RICHMOND ROAD, ROATH, CARDIFF, CF24 3ET Tel: Fax: enquiries@aelwyd.co.uk Aelwyd Housing Association is:- A non-profit making business committed to the provision of affordable social housing for those in need. Committed to provide the highest possible standard of quality in our service to customers, clients and employees. Endeavouring to provide an efficient, responsible, courteous and caring management service, and to maintain our housing in the best possible condition. Encouraging tenants to actively participate in the management of their homes and in the running of Aelwyd. Recognising diversity and equality in service delivery. Our Mission Statement: Demonstrating Christian care by addressing housing needs in communities throughout Wales. 2

3 BOARD OF MANAGEMENT as at 31 st March 2015 Mr J Morris LLB (Hons), MSc - Chair Mrs A L Davies CIPFA Mr M James MRICS, Dip PA Mr A Jones Mr R Hearn MSc(Econ), FCCA Mr V Elson Mr M Delbridge - Vice Chair Mr A Davies Mr S Ralph Mrs C Payne STAFF OF THE ASSOCIATION as at 31 st March 2015 Amanda Barry, Scheme Manager (Splott Baptist Court, Cardiff) Mike Boyle, Finance Officer Dawn Wigmore, Finance Officer (Rents)Ann Evans, Scheme Manager (Llys Caeglas, Llanelli) Margaret Evans, Scheme Manager (Plas Carmel, Pontypridd) Debra Gilbert, Administrator Martin Hughes, Housing Manager Marie Jaye, Housing Officer Bill Meiklejohn, Scheme Liaison Officer Sarah Mulcahy, Finance Manager Joan Mumford, Property Services Officer Diane Wakeford, Scheme Manager (Llys Siloh) Chris Woodward, Director 3

4 INTRODUCTION Welcome to your Residents Handbook. It contains important information about being one of our residents, and we hope you will find the information both helpful and interesting. Aelwyd hopes this Handbook will be easy to use and will help you get the best possible service from us. If you are unable to find an answer to any query you may have about your tenancy in this book, then please contact us for help. You might also visit us on our website: There is a team of staff available to answer your call during normal working hours, and whoever you speak to should be able to help you directly in most cases. Where your query is less routine, then we will make sure that the appropriate staff member is notified so that they can speak to you directly, or else ring you back or you at the earliest opportunity. If you need any additional information on a specific issue which might be mentioned in this Handbook, then please contact us. Full copies of all of our policies are available on request. If you move into one of the following schemes, then you will also receive a Support Charter and an Insight Guide, which will provide you with more detailed information about living at the housing scheme in question: Plas Carmel, Pontypridd; Llys Caeglas, Llanelli; Splott Baptist Court, Splott; Llys Siloh, Pentre. Also, your scheme manager will arrange to meet you before the start of your tenancy to assess your health and social needs and to work with you to make sure that you receive the appropriate support from ourselves and other local agencies from the day that you move in. The housing related support which is provided under the Support Charter will no longer be provided by the Association from April 2016 at Plas Carmel and Llys Siloh, and will be subject to change at Llys Caeglas and Splott Baptist Court. At other schemes we try to recruit a Scheme Link from amongst the residents group. The Scheme Link is a volunteer who acts as a point of contact between residents and the Association. The Scheme Link s duties include:- 1. Distribution of scheme post in confidence to individual households; 2. Maintaining and keeping up to date scheme notice-boards, where supplied; 3. Returning Residents correspondence and survey forms in confidence to the Office; 4. Being available for visits from the Housing Manager and other Association staff where possible; 5. Signing timesheets for contractors and site based staff, when the Scheme Link is at home; 6. Help with co-ordinating occasional visits by contractors; 4

5 7. Assisting with visits to view by prospective tenants by mutual agreement. 8. Alerting the Office to any health and safety concerns at the scheme, including repairs in the communal areas; 9. Welcoming new Residents and handing over keys at the start of the tenancy; 10. Assist in maintaining the contents of the communal key & log book box. Scheme Links tasks do not include:- 1. Holding master keys or keys to other Residents properties (although private neighbour arrangements may apply); 2. Holding keys to communal areas within their flat; 3. Holding scheme based log books within their flat; 4. Holding keys to vacant properties within their flat; 5. Providing housing related support to Residents; 6. Caretaking or cleaning; 7. Deputising for Residents carers, next of kin etc.; 8. Acting as a main point of contact for the community alarm service; 9. Taking responsibility for the quality of work undertaken by contractors at the scheme. MOVING IN A member of our staff will meet with you at your new home as soon as possible after your start of tenancy for an induction meeting. This is so that you can be informed about all aspects of your new tenancy, and so that any queries you might have can be addressed. You will also be given information which will help you to operate your heating, and to locate the stop tap, gas shut off valve, water meter (if applicable) and electric trip switch box. A more detailed maintenance related induction meeting will also be arranged separately. Before moving in, you should:- Contact your present gas and electricity suppliers at your current address to arrange for meter readings to be taken when you move out. Contact Welsh Water to let them know that you are moving, and to give them your new address. Contact your preferred Gas and Electricity Suppliers to set up your account. Contact your Council s Housing Benefit Section to advise them of your intention to submit an application for Housing Benefit (if appropriate). If you receive Universal Credit from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), then you will need to make the DWP aware instead. Contact your Council s Council Tax Section to make arrangements to pay the Council Tax. Arrange contents insurance for your furniture, decorations and belongings. Aelwyd only insures the structure of the property. We can provide you with details of a competitive insurance provider on request. We strongly urge you to take out a contents insurance policy, as this will prove invaluable in the event of a fire, theft or flood or other emergency. For example, if your clothes, carpets or electrical goods were damaged as a result of a water leak it would be your responsibility to fund their replacement. 5

6 Transfer your television licence to your new home (not applicable at Splott Baptist Court, Llys Caeglas or Llys Siloh there are communal tv licence arrangements at these schemes). Speak to your neighbours to introduce yourself and to find out about the local neighbourhood. Arrange for a qualified electrical installer to fit your cooker, which must be an electric cooker and for which an installation certificate is required by us. Let us know if you would like us to arrange this on your behalf, which will incur a fee being paid in advance of the works. As the occupier, you will be responsible for gas (where supplied), electricity and water charges. Water charges at Tabernacle Court, Hengoed are paid to ourselves as an addition to the weekly rent; at Llwyn Derw, Tonypandy, the water charges are a part of the weekly rent. With gas and electricity, you can also discuss with each company how you will be paying your bills. You may have a telephone, and broadband, installed, at your own cost, without asking Aelwyd s permission. You will also be responsible for the payment of Council Tax to your local aurthority. You may wish to have your mail re-directed from your former address. The Royal Mail will arrange this for you for a small charge. Satellite dishes must not be installed without the prior approval of Aelwyd. YOUR TENANCY BEING A TENANT OF AELWYD WHAT THIS MEANS When you become a tenant of Aelwyd, we give you the right to occupy the property as your home. If the tenancy is conducted in accordance with your tenancy agreement, then it is your home as long as you want to live there. The property still remains in the ownership of Aelwyd and the agreement we sign sets out the conditions on which you occupy the property. It is only if the conditions are seriously broken that we would consider ending a tenancy and that would only be by Court Order. WHAT TYPE OF TENANCY DO YOU HAVE? Under housing law, almost all new lettings made since 15th January 1989 have been on Assured Tenancies. Before this date new tenants were given secure tenancies. Most of the rights enjoyed by Aelwyd's assured and secure tenants are the same or very similar. The main difference between the two types of tenancy is in the way in which rents are set, which is detailed later. 6

7 New tenants are usually issued with a Starter Tenancy Agreement, which is an Assured Shorthold Tenancy which will last for twelve months, after this time it will revert to an Assured Tenancy. A Starter Tenancy enables Aelwyd to end the tenancy in the event of a serious breach of tenancy occurring during the first year. New tenants who move straight from another Registered Social Landlord become Assured Tenants from the start date of the tenancy. The Welsh Government is presently considering introducing a new tenancy agreement for use by all registered social landlords in Wales, and further details will be provided once the details have been confirmed. CAN I RUN A BUSINESS FROM MY HOME? Your home is your own. You are entitled to privacy but we ask you to remember that your home is to live in, rather than being a business premises. Some business activities which will not disturb your neighbours may be acceptable, but you will still need to get our consent first. You may also require Planning Approval which may require the submission of a Planning Application to your Council's Planning Department. If agreement is given, and your business disturbs your neighbours, perhaps due to the level of noise or because of an increase in visitors or vehicles to your home, our consent will be withdrawn. You will then have to stop using your home for your business. Failure to do so may result in action being taken to repossess your home. You may not display on the premises any advertisement relating to your trade, business or profession. WHAT HAPPENS TO MY TENANCY IF I AM ABSENT FROM MY HOME FOR A WHILE? This will vary according to where you are living. At Llys Caeglas, Splott Baptist Court, Plas Carmel and Llys Siloh where there is a Scheme Manager service then you should tell the Scheme Manager if you intend being away for more than a day. At other schemes, then you should let the Housing Manager know if you will be away for a month or more. You should also keep your Scheme Link informed. If your absence takes you away during the winter months, it is advisable to arrange for water and possibly gas services to be shut off before you go. You should also make sure that you let us know who will be responsible for keeping an eye on your home during your absence. Please note that an absence from your tenancy can affect your claim for Housing Benefit (or Universal Credit), and other benefits. WHAT HAPPENS IF MY RELATIONSHIP BREAKS DOWN? If you have a joint tenancy and your relationship breaks down, please contact the Housing Manger to discuss the implications for your tenancy. Either party to a matrimonial dispute may apply to the County Court for an order to transfer the tenancy to their name. Your solicitor would advise you on the details of such an application. 7

8 WHAT HAPPENS TO MY TENANCY IF I DIE? Provided you did not succeed to the tenancy (e.g. you were originally a joint tenant with your spouse and your spouse died), you may pass your tenancy on to your spouse or a close relative. For a spouse, they must be living with you at the time of death. For close relatives, they will succeed the tenancy provided that they:- Had lived with you for 12 months before your death; Used your home as their only main home; Are within the age range of the scheme (usually 55 or older, although this might be reduced at schemes with general needs type accommodation, such as family houses); Tell us that they wish to succeed the tenancy within one month of your death. Please contact us if you have any queries concerning rights of succession. NEW NEIGHBOURS The Association operates an open waiting list, and anyone in housing need is invited to apply. For sheltered accommodation schemes, application forms will normally be sent out to people over the age of 55 General needs houses and flats are available to people over the age of 35. Empty properties are normally let to those persons in the greatest housing need. We work with the local authority to house people who they have nominated to us, and up to half of lettings might be done this way. The Association is also part of a common housing register arrangement with a number of local authorities, currently Caerphilly CBC and Newport CC. Whenever a unit of accommodation falls vacant, then we aim to carry out all necessary redecorations, safety tests within two weeks, for a new tenant to take up occupation within this time. It is our policy to keep these empty properties down to a minimum level. We will do our utmost to ensure that new tenants who will become your neighbours are suited for the type of accommodation we are able to offer. We aim to protect our and your interests by exercising due caution in considering applications from people who fall under the following categories:- Where there is evidence that the applicant has rent or mortgage arrears which have arisen through wilful refusal to pay rather than genuine hardship. Where we do not think that the applicant would be able to manage a tenancy and the support necessary for them to do so cannot be provided. Where there is evidence that the applicant may be a threat or nuisance to our existing tenants by, for example, being violent and/or abusive to women and children, carrying out acts of racial harassment and /or other types of harassment or dealings in drugs. 8

9 Where there is evidence that the applicant may damage our property. Where the applicant refuses to part with an animal such as a cat or dog which would interfere with the amenity enjoyed by other residents if the scheme applied for has shared areas. Where applicants or members of their household have been convicted of serious sex offences. YOUR NEIGHBOURS It is in your interests to get on with your neighbours. The best way of living with neighbours is to amicably work out any differences with them. Aelwyd will become involved in trying to reach a peaceful settlement, but only after you have made reasonable effort between yourselves; in some cases where a resolution is not forthcoming in the early stages, then the Association will consider facilitating the services of a professional mediation service if both parties are agreeable to this approach. If you have moved into a flat, then you need to be mindful of the possible transfer of household noise to the floor below or above, and / or to your next door neighbours. You should therefore take reasonable steps to keep this to a minimum. Some examples are:- the considerate use of your vacuum cleaner and the times during the day when you might choose to use it; the wearing of light footwear in your flat, particularly if you have decided not to fit carpets throughout your flat. The most common areas of disagreement are:- Noise; Use of communal areas; Car parking; Pets; Children and visitors. If you have a minor dispute with a neighbour, then this is best resolved by approaching your neighbour and seeking an amicable solution. If you are troubled by noise, then your neighbour will hopefully do what they can to keep it to a minimum. Obviously, you will get some noise transfer between properties, particularly flats. Situations can usually be improved by the sensible use of hearing aids and devices such as loops and headphones which enable someone who is hard of hearing to listen to the television without disturbing their neighbours. Where noise is so excessive that it is in breach of the Tenancy Agreement, especially if it is late at night and if your personal approach has not worked, Aelwyd will contact your neighbour to discuss the situation. 9

10 Tenants can be evicted if they create too much noise - eviction is an extreme remedy, and a court will require a large amount of written proof and the willingness of witnesses to come forward You can also complain about noise to the Environmental Health Officer. They can be contacted at your local Council. If they are satisfied that your neighbour is creating a statutory nuisance, they can issue a notice requiring them to stop. If it still continues, they may take the neighbour to court and have them heavily fined. Car parking is sometimes very limited, and a degree of co-operation is required amongst car owners to ensure that facilities are used to best advantage. Individual parking bays are not allocated to particular residents. LODGERS & SUBLETTING When Aelwyd offered you the tenancy, it was on the basis of your family size and composition at that time. We would only stop you taking in lodgers or subletting part of your home if this would mean you would have more people living there than the law allows. If you sublet, this cannot be the whole of the property, only part of the property. You need to obtain Aelwyd's written permission if you wish to take in a sub-tenant. Aelwyd will need to be satisfied that all occupants are authorised by yourself. You should let us know who your intended lodger or sub-tenant is. If you receive Housing Benefit (or Universal Credit), you may lose some or all of it. HARASSMENT Aelwyd will act swiftly to stop any cases of anti-social behaviour, and especially hate crime; hate crime is an offensive action which is driven by the perpetrator s dislike of the victim for whatever reason. If someone s anti-social behaviour or hate related crime has been causing you harassment, alarm or distress, you should contact the police straight away, and let us know as soon as possible. We are concerned that all tenants should benefit from the right to enjoy their home quietly. If you suffer harassment in any way, then you should report the matter to the Housing Manager as soon as you can. The matter will be treated in confidence. We are strongly opposed to harassment of any type, and for whatever cause or reason. This applies to a perpetrator being another resident, or a visitor to a neighbour. We will:- Liaise with the police if initially involved in the matter. Investigate thoroughly any complaints of harassment. Deal promptly with any damage caused to your home and remove any graffiti. Interview the victim, the person or people causing the harassment and any witnesses. Take speedy action against the person or people causing the harassment, which may include evicting them if they are our tenants or their visitors, subject to obtaining a court order for possession. 10

11 In cases of severe harassment, do our best to help the victim move, if that is what they want. Keep records, including photographs, of all incidents reported to us. DOMESTIC ABUSE Domestic abuse is the actual or threatened abuse of a person by a partner, family member or someone with whom there is or has been a close relationship with. It can take many forms physical, verbal, emotional, mental, sexual and financial. Domestic abuse can and does happen to anyone: 1 in 4 women and 1 in 6 men experience domestic abuse in their lifetime. Wales Domestic Abuse Helpline is a 24 hour service provided by Welsh Women s Aid, and is the first response service. You should give them a ring if you are concerned about yourself, your children, a relative, a friend or a neighbour. OVERCROWDING Your tenancy agreement stipulates how many people are permitted to live in your home. The Housing Act 1985 states that it is illegal to allow your home to become overcrowded. Overcrowding happens if the number of people sleeping in the same room is either more than the permitted number or such that two or more people who are 10 years or over of opposite sexes (and not living together as husband and wife) must sleep in the same room. In counting the number of "permitted" people, each child of 10 or under counts as half a person and a child of less than 1 year is not counted at all. SHELTERED HOUSING FOR OLDER PEOPLE The objective of sheltered housing is to provide good quality accommodation and related services to people aged 55 and over. The additional services of a Scheme Manager are provided at Plas Carmel, Splott Baptist Court, Llys Siloh and Llys Caeglas. The extent of the service at each particular scheme will have been explained at the time of your application. Scheme Managers receive regular training, work to a detailed Scheme Managers Procedure Guide and report directly to the Housing Manager. Scheme Managers also help to organise social events at the scheme and look after the communal areas. If the Scheme Manager is on duty at the time of a serious problem, they will give help and assistance until a relative or the emergency services arrive. Scheme Managers are not expected to administer medicines or provide nursing care to tenants, neither should they be providing other 'social' services, like cooking meals or shopping for residents. 11

12 The Scheme Manager will normally carry out a daily morning call to residents as part of their working day. ELECTRIC SCOOTERS None of the housing schemes are particularly suitable for the keeping of electric scooters, and permission must be sought and granted before you obtain one for use at the scheme. You will be provided with a copy of the latest copy of the Electric Mobility Scooter Guide at the start of your tenancy, but please ask us for another copy if you need one. ADAPTATIONS If you find that you are having difficulty living at your home, perhaps through the onset of a long term illness, or frailty, then you should request your local authority to arrange a comprehensive needs assessment. This will entail a visit being made by an occupational therapist who will call to see you at your home and provide the Association with details of any aids and adaptations which might be necessary to make your life easier. We will do our best to secure the associated funding and to carry out the modifications to the property which might be required. Let us know if you would like us to help you start this process. SPARE KEYS We will provide you with a spare key for your home, which you should pass on to a trusted friend, relative or neighbour. You also need to let us know who the keyholder is, so that they can be contacted in the event of an emergency. If you decide to get extra keys cut, then please note that some types of key are security coded and will have to be supplied by ourselves at cost price; all keys must be returned to us at the end of the tenancy. KEY SAFES Key safes are sometimes a big help for those who cannot get to their front door easily and who rely on regular callers to look after them. Applications to install key safes should be made to the Association, either by the resident or the social services department if acting on their behalf. The Association will not normally allow a key safe to be affixed to the outside of the scheme. SUPPORTING YOU You need to let us know straight away if you consider yourself to be a vulnerable person, and / or experience any difficulty living in your home, which might be due to an existing medical condition or by a decline in your health. We want to work with yourself and the local social services department to make sure that your needs are satisfied so that you can continue to live in comfort at your home for as long as possible. 12

13 The Association arranges well-being visits at all schemes annually. You should take advantage of any support services or adaptations which may be available to you, such as audio, movement or visual alarms, handrails, mobility aids, walk-in showers etc. In the first instance you should contact your social worker or GP for a referral (ask for a comprehensive assessment of your needs to be carried out by the Council s Occupational Therapist) and advise the Association of the outcome. The relevant telephone numbers for each of the local authorities within the Association s area are as follows:- Cardiff Neath Port Talbot Torfaen Carmarthenshire Merthyr Tydfil RCT Caerphilly Blaenau Gwent Newport Monmouthshire There are a number of independent support agencies available that might be able to provide you with any support and advice you may need. Please contact Aelwyd should this be the case and we will do our best to provide you with the relevant details. VOLUNTEERING We welcome the help of volunteers let us know if you have a trusted friend or family member who is keen to help. Volunteers can take on a number of responsibilities, and we can provide a copy of our Volunteer Policy on request. Opportunities can include setting up and running a Friends group for your scheme, organising social activities, helping in a tenants group, offering handyperson skills etc.. Although volunteers are not employees, Aelwyd will take every step to make sure that volunteers are of suitable character. DOOR ENTRY / SAFETY IN YOUR HOME All schemes (apart from Corban Court houses, Abertillery and Bethel Place, Llanishen) are served by a 24 hour Community Alarm Service provided for Aelwyd by Cardiff Council. In addition to the alarm system being used to provide an out of hours emergency maintenance response service (See the Repairs Handbook), the system allows for remote monitoring of smoke detectors and for keeping you safe at home by regulating entry through the main communal door at your scheme. Scheme Managers, where present, cannot be on site at all hours of the day, and when they are off duty or away from the scheme then the Community Alarm Service system is activated. Community alarm 13

14 operators are on duty around the clock. The operators answer all emergency calls and make certain that help arrives when it is needed. They can send for a doctor or an ambulance, contact a relative or a neighbour, order emergency repairs, or simply provide a reassuring voice if a resident is troubled or disturbed. At Splott Baptist Court in Cardiff, a mobile warden service is provided when the Scheme Manager is off duty. Some types of community alarm can be activated by the use of a pendant, which can be worn as a necklace or watch, or can be kept at the side of the bed. These pendants are available at cost price (roughly 60) from the Housing Manager, who will install the device for you. It is very important that you let the Association, orthe Community Alarm Service, know if you have any changes in your health, and if the contact details for your next of kin, key holders, or doctor change. The Service will also make contact with you once a year normally on your birthday to update their records with your consent. We will test your pull cords and pendant at least once a year to make sure that everything is working as it should. YOU AND YOUR RENT RENT &SERVICE CHARGE Your rent covers the cost of repaying Aelwyd's mortgage on your home, the cost of managing and maintaining your home and of setting aside money for future major repairs that may be needed. We make every effort to manage and maintain your home as efficiently as possible so that the rent we need to charge remains affordable. We review our rent levels to make sure that they are consistent throughout our housing stock and that they are broadly comparable with rents charged for similar properties by other registered social landlords in the same areas of operation. The Welsh Government also monitor the rent we charge. Your service charge pays for any services you receive, such as the Scheme Manager service, window cleaning, general cleaning and landscaping. We may also have to collect other charges, such as heating if your home is part of a housing scheme which has a communal heating system, or water rates if you have a communal water meter. Details of the charges which apply to your home will be listed as an annex to your tenancy agreement. ASSURED TENANTS For the vast majority of tenants, being those who moved into Aelwyd property after 1989, (and which will include new tenants), your rent and service charge are set by Aelwyd, and become effective on the first Monday of April in each year. We will give you a full month's notice of your new rent and service charge. 14

15 If you disagree with your new rent, then you can appeal to the Rent Assessment Committee within 28 days of being notified of the proposed increase. If you disagree about the service charge, then you need to make an application to the County Court, and the Housing Manager will advise you about this procedure. The Rent Assessment Committee's address and telephone number can be found in your telephone directory, together with your County Court; the Housing Manager can also provide you with these details. PAYING YOUR RENT Your rent is due weekly every Monday, and in advance. You can pay your rent in the following ways:- Direct Housing Benefit. If your rent is fully covered by Housing Benefit, or if you only need to make a small top up to your housing benefit to cover all of your rent, then you can instruct your Council to make these Housing Benefit payments directly to Aelwyd. Housing Benefit sometimes takes several weeks or even months to be processed for the first time, so you will need to keep us informed and to enquire periodically to the Council about its progress. Housing Benefit will normally be paid to new claimants on the basis of four weekly and in arrears, and we will take this cycle into account in monitoring your rent account. At the time of writing changes to the way in which housing benefit is paid are being made - as a consequence you may receive Universal Credit, in which case you will need to contact the Association to discuss payment arrangements. Standing Order. If you choose to pay by Standing Order you will need to tell your Bank or Building Society to make regular payment from your account. This should be arranged to be paid weekly to us, and payable on a Monday. Ask us for a form. You will need to contact your Bank or Building Society every time your rent payments to us change. Please tell us if you cancel your Standing Order. By Cash or Cheque. By Rent Collector. Some schemes are provided with a rent collection service whereby a staff member undertakes a personal rent collection service each week or fortnight. By Post. In exceptional circumstances, and by prior arrangement, you can send a cheque made payable to Aelwyd Housing Association Limited to our head office. You must write your name and address on the back of the cheque. Please do not send cash through the post. By Paypoint using an ALLPAY card. Please contact the Association for further details if you wish to use this method of payment. HELP & ADVICE FOR PAYING RENT & OTHER CHARGES HOUSING BENEFIT / UNIVERSAL CREDIT RENT COMPONENT You can claim Housing Benefit if you are out of work and/or in low paid work. You do not have to be getting other DWP benefits to 15

16 qualify. Housing Benefit can cover some or all of your rent and service charges, but it cannot help with your water charges or heating charges. If you receive Pension Credit or Jobseekers Allowance, then you will normally be entitled to Housing Benefit. You should make your claim to the DWP, and to your Council on their Housing Benefit application form. If you do not receive Pension Credit or Jobseekers Allowance, you may still be entitled to Housing Benefit. You should make your claim to the Council. If you do receive Housing Benefit, and this covers all or most of your rent, then it would help us and it may be more convenient to you if you ask the Council to pay this directly to us. We can advise you further on this. At the time of writing changes are being introduced to the benefits system which may affect anyone of working age. If these changes affect you and you are in receipt of a Universal Credit payment, please contact the Association. SUPPORTING PEOPLE GRANT If this applies at your housing scheme, then we will provide you with an application for Supporting People Grant at the start of your tenancy. This currently applies at Llys Caeglas, Llanelli and Splott Baptist Court, Splott. COUNCIL TAX REDUCTION The Council Tax is a local tax set by councils to pay for local services. You will receive one bill for the property you occupy. The bill will be based on the relative value of your property compared with others in the local area. There are discounts, including when only one adult lives in the dwelling. Bills will also be reduced for properties with people on low incomes, some people with disabilities and some other cases. Claims for Council Tax reduction or exemption should be made to your Council, and are usually incorporated on the same claim form as Housing Benefit. If you receive Universal Credit, then you will have to make a separate claim for Council Tax Reduction. RENT ARREARS If you get into any difficulties with your rent, contact us immediately. We can help you sort out the problem, and we can also work with you on how you can pay your rent and something extra each week, until the arrears are repaid. Once we have agreed this arrangement you must stick to it. If you do not, we can take legal action and issue a Notice of Seeking Possession, which could eventually lead to you losing your home. If you have problems with your money and want some free independent advice, you should contact the Citizens Advice Bureau, who have offices in most areas. Specialist advice is also available from Housing Debt Helpline Wales on

17 GETTING INVOLVED YOUR RIGHT TO INFORMATION & CONSULTATION As a tenant of a housing association, you have a number of rights which include:- Your right to be consulted about any changes to your tenancy agreement. We will only alter your tenancy agreement after you have given us your written permission. Your right of access to your files. If you give Aelwyd at least 40 working days written notice, you can inspect any information about yourself that you have given to us, including any information which we keep on our computer. A fee of 10 is payable, in accordance with our Data Protection Policy. Your right to information about how well Aelwyd is performing. Each year Aelwyd collects facts and figures about its work, and produces a Continuous Improvement Statement. This information will be published in a tenants newsletter and will be sent to you, together with the Annual Report. We will provide you with the Welsh Government s The Guarantee for Housing Association Residents booklet at the induction meeting. This gives you details about what you should expect from ourselves in terms of providing you services as landlord. COMPLAINTS Aelwyd wishes to give you the best service it can and to ensure everyone is treated fairly and efficiently. In achieving this goal, we place a high priority on dealing with complaints. The complaints and appeals procedure is set up to help you make a complaint if you need to. The Complaints Policy is available from the Housing Manager. You can make a complaint by writing to the Association, by telephoning us, by speaking to a member of staff or by completing a resident feedback form, which is available in a dispenser in your internal communal area. The complaint system is open to anyone who receives a service from the Association, and this includes tenants and applicants for housing. The following are examples of the issues covered by the Complaints Policy:- Any services provided by the Association. The way that requests for information have been handled. The way that staff or other representatives have conducted themselves. Complaints about other tenants are dealt with under the Anti Social & Hate Crime Policy. There are three stages to the complaints procedure, which can include the payment of compensation where deemed appropriate. If you make a complaint and are not satisfied with 17

18 the outcome, then you could make a formal complaint to the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales. The full address is: 1 Old Field Road, Pencoed, Bridgend, CF35 5LJ. Telephone COMPLIMENTS We also like to hear from you if you want to say something positive about the service we provide. The easiest way to pass on a compliment is to send us a completed resident feedback form. TENANT PARTICIPATION Aelwyd welcomes and encourages the involvement of tenants in the management of their own homes, and in the life and work of the Association. The Association has a comprehensive Tenant Participation Strategy which is issued to all tenants and available to interested parties. We will:- Supply information to you about matters which may affect you or your home. Encourage and enable you to influence housing policy and practice. Encourage and assist you to form formal or informal tenants group, to provide advice and practical assistance. Ask your opinion, wherever possible, about all services. Involve you in decisions concerning major repairs and improvements. Support you in your involvement with Aelwyd and assist you in liaising with other tenants. We are members of Tenant Participation Advisory Service (TPAS Wales), and have links with Welsh Tenants Federation; these organisations will also help tenant groups formed within the Association. IMPROVING OUR SERVICE We very much welcome your views on any aspect of the service we provide for you. We regularly conduct a comprehensive Resident Survey. We are continually striving to improve our service, and so we need you to tell us if you have any ideas for improvement. A good way of communicating is by using a residents feedback form. Our staff are always available to chat with you about your thoughts on these matters, and we welcome your comments You might want to speak to us privately, or make suggestions for improvement at the various scheme meetings and / or Regional Tenant (Cluster) Group Meetings. 18

19 BEING INCLUSIVE Aelwyd wants to make sure that people from all backgrounds - from groups within the communities in which we are based - are welcomed to join us as residents, staff, board members, and to work for us as contractors. Aelwyd will treat all people equally in accordance with the Equality Act We promote equal opportunities, and will seek to break down barriers caused by discrimination of all kinds. We are working within good practice guidelines set by the Welsh Government, and belong to Tai Pawb, an organisation which works with the social housing sector in Wales to promote opportunity for all. MOVING ON There may come a time when you want to move home. Your present home may be unsuitable, perhaps it is now too big or too small for you. You may wish to move to another area, perhaps you have a new job elsewhere, or need to live closer to relatives or to move into a residential or nursing home. There are two main ways you may be able to get help in moving: Mutually Exchanging or Transferring. MUTUAL EXCHANGE A Mutual Exchange is when you and another tenant (this could be a tenant of another housing association or a council tenant) agree to exchange properties. For most tenants, this is the quickest way to move. You do need Aelwyd's permission before you exchange, but permission will not be unreasonably withheld. However, we will need to ensure that you have no rent arrears, and have left the property in good order. You can look for a mutual exchange in a number of ways:- Your Council's office may display details of people looking for mutual exchanges, on a notice board in their Reception area. You may advertise for a mutual exchange. Please note that you must not exchange any money in order to exchange your tenancy; this is illegal and would invalidate any exchange. This could, therefore, leave you homeless. The type of tenancy you have may change if you exchange - for example, if you are a secure tenant exchanging with an assured tenant, your tenancy will alter to an assured tenancy. This may mean that you may have to pay a higher rent. The Housing Manager will be able to advise you. The person moving in to our property will be responsible for meeting the cost of electricity and gas checks, and other costs associated with the vacancy. 19

20 TRANSFER Not everyone who asks for a transfer is offered one. Your transfer application will be awarded points and priority assessed in a similar way to when you first applied for your present home. Our Allocation Policy is kept under review and details are available from the Housing Manager. Priority would be given to people suffering from harassment, or who need to move to another home for medical reasons (e.g. moving to a ground floor flat due to being unable to climb stairs). Disharmony with neighbours alone is not normally considered an adequate reason for a transfer. Your transfer application will be acknowledged and you will be notified as to how many points you have been awarded. Further information about the likelihood of you getting a transfer can then be obtained from the Housing Manager, but this will very much depend upon your present circumstances and the availability of other properties. People who transfer will normally be responsible for meeting the cost of electricity and gas checks, and other costs associated with the vacancy. Exception will be made in cases of priority medical need. BUYING A HOME OF YOUR OWN At the time of publication, tenants do not have the right to buy the home they currently occupy. The Housing Manager will tell you whether or not you do. However, from time to time special schemes are introduced by the Government to help housing association tenants buy a property on the open market. The Housing Manager will tell you what schemes are currently available. REQUIRING YOU TO MOVE Your tenancy agreement outlines those situations when the Association might require you to move. The Association cannot end your tenancy without the agreement of the County Court following possession proceedings under current housing legislation. ENDING YOUR TENANCY Before moving out of your home, you must:- Contact the Housing Manager, giving 28 days notice in writing to Aelwyd. The date of termination will be confirmed by return of post, and will quote a Monday as the actual termination day. Return the end of tenancy questionnaire to the Housing Manager. Arrange to have the gas, water and electricity meters read. Arrange to have your cooker safely disconnected by a suitably qualified contractor. Remove all your belongings, furnishings and fittings including carpet and underlay. 20

21 Return the keys to the Scheme Link or Scheme Manager with a note of your new address. Do not leave any furniture, carpet, private fittings or personal belongings behind - Aelwyd will have to charge you for the cost of removing them. Aelwyd has the right to dispose of anything left in the premises at the end of the tenancy, and to sell any items if appropriate to offset associated costs. (Please see the Repairs Handbook for further information). Please leave your old home as you would wish to find it, so it may be let quickly to someone else. The cleanliness and condition of your home should be left at an acceptable and reasonable standard, and the Association will have to charge you for any necessary works which are in addition to what is deemed normal wear and tear. If you get Housing Benefit (or Universal Credit) or Council Tax Benefit, immediately let the Council know you are moving. If you have to start paying rent on your new tenancy before your old one ends and you receive Housing Benefit, you may be able to get help towards your rent on both properties, ordinarily for 2 weeks but up to 4 weeks in exceptional circumstances. In the sad event that you pass away during your tenancy with us, then we will make contact with your next of kin to work with them in order to bring the tenancy to a close. Please be aware that the weekly rent will remain payable for the property up until the agreed end of tenancy date. Most local authorities will cease paying Housing Benefit (or Universal Credit) claims on the date of passing. Martin Hughes, Housing Manager, Version 6, July