Rent Arrears- Help Paying Your Rent
Advice on what to do and how to get help if you are having problems paying your rent.
Getting help
If for any reason you can't make one of your rent payments, you must take action, even if that action is a phone call to us. We're here to help. Here are a few things to consider:
- We may be able to help out. For example, we may be able to refer you to specialist advice services who can provide free and impartial debt counselling
- Don't ignore the problem and wait for it to go away, it won't. Arrears increase quickly, by missing one payment it already makes arrears doubly hard to clear. Take action before arrears get out of hand
- Don't ignore any letters we send you. Ignoring your arrears could cost you your home
- If you think there has been a mistake, just tell us. We are always happy to check your account and sort out any problems, for example if we haven't received one of your payments
- If you are waiting for your housing benefit, tell us as soon as possible.
If you are having difficulty paying your rent, contact the Income Team as soon as possible. We are here to help and can refer you to the local Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) who can advise you on available benefits and other debt issues. You can visit their website by clicking on the link to the right of this page.
If you are not already in receipt of Housing Benefit, you may be entitled to it. To find out if you are, call the Housing Benefit Helpline number, see the contact details on this page. If you do have problems, please contact us before we start taking legal action against you. If we don't know there is a problem, we can't help you. Ignoring the problem will not make it go away.
Do you have ongoing problems/issues with benefits?
We now have a Housing Benefits case worker working at our office on Wednesday mornings between 9.30am and 1.00pm. The case worker will be working on an appointments basis but there may be occasions when she can see you without an appointment (for example, if someone does not turn up for a booked appointment). To book an appointment, please contact the Income Team on 01202 264444.
Below are some examples of the common queries dealt with by the Housing Benefit caseworker:
- Help with completing an application form for housing & council tax benefit
- Problems and issues with an existing application for benefit.
- Problems with evidence / documentation for a benefit application.
Alternatively, you could speak with the Benefits Team at The Borough of Poole on their dedicated phone line - 01202 633114. Or you can arrange to speak to someone in person at The Civic Centre public counter.