Rent arrears management practices in the housing association sector

Income maximisation was a particular feature of
the operation of HA A, D and E, and will be an
integral part of the restructuring in HA C . These
organisations have, or will have, dedicated welfare
benefits advisors who assist tenants in maximising
their incomes through benefits and tax credits . In HA
D, the officer was regarded as giving independent
advice and preferred to view himself as a “welfare
rights advisor”, indicating his commitment to tenant
advocacy . HA B felt that it was not large enough
to have its own debt advisors and directed tenants
to CAB or advice centres, and was considering
setting up a formal liaison with one provider . Even so,
officers were sufficiently knowledgeable about HB
and their tenants to warn tenants at about the time
of their child’s 16th birthday to tell HB that the child
was still in full-time education .
The prioritisation of face-to-face contact has been
a key development amongst most but not all (HA
B being the exception) case study HAs in the
past few years and may well be combined with
other strategies such as income maximisation and
contact at sign-up . In HA A, for example, there
is a strong managerial emphasis on establishing
personal contact with tenants in arrears . The
policy manual states: “Automated letters will be
used, in addition to personal contact not as an
alternative” (original emphasis) . This begins even
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before tenancies start . As soon as the identity of a
prospective tenant is known, an account manager
will make contact to discuss payments methods
and ensure that paperwork, such as HB forms and
direct debit forms, is completed .
Most often, such contact is designed to take place
in the tenant’s own home, but tenants may also be
invited to the office . HA A, D and F have altered
their officers’ working hours to facilitate out-ofhours
contact . Home visits were a new policy move
in HA E; and personal contact was new in HA A .
In both, there was strong managerial emphasis on
personal contact . Such contact could be made in a
number of sometimes-innovative ways – some had
greater success with text messaging than others
(HA D having a failed pilot project; some HA A
officers making extensive use of it) .
Such contact has been undertaken for a number of
reasons . For example, in HA D and E, it was clear
that personal contact was designed to generate
knowledge about the household and understand
their current circumstances, as well as assess the
vulnerability of the household (all factors which
might be taken into account at a later stage in the
process) . Additionally, in HA E, tenants would sign
an income and expenditure form . In HA C, doorto-door
personal contact has always been the