Service Charge - Hyde Housing Association

Page 14 Your Service Charges Explained Your Service Charges Explained Page 15
WHAT HAPPENS TO THE
SURPLUS OR DEFICIT ON THE
SERVICE CHARGE STATEMENT?
Refer to the tables below to find out what happens to a surplus or deficit if you are a
homeowner or a tenant.
Surplus (Underspend)
If there is a surplus, then the cost is less than what we estimated in your budget at the
start of the year.
Tenants
Homeowners
The surplus will be included in the
estimate for the next year. For example,
if you have a £100 surplus shown on
the 2011/12 Service Charge Statement,
then this will be used to reduce the cost
of the Estimated Service Charges for
2013/14.
Firstly, the surplus will be used to clear or
reduce any outstanding arrears you have
on your account with Hyde. Any remaining
surplus can then be:
l kept as a credit on your account and used
to reduce your payments during the year
l refunded to you
Refunds for amounts of less than £30
will not be made, but used to reduce the
Service charges you pay during the year.
WHAT SERVICE CHARGES ARE
COVERED BY HOUSING BENEFIT?
There are some Service Charges you can claim Housing Benefit for. These are known
as eligible Service Charges. Service Charges that you cannot claim Housing Benefit
for are known as ineligible Service Charges.
Service Charges for which you can claim Housing Benefit are if:
l you have to pay them to occupy your home
l the Council accepts that the Service Charge is not excessive, and
l they are related to providing adequate accommodation
Examples of Service Charges that are eligible for Housing Benefit are:
l Children’s play areas
l Communal cleaning
l Lifts
l Communal gardens
l Door entry phones
l Wardens and caretakers
Service Charges that are not eligible for Housing Benefit include charges for gas and
electricity supplied directly to your home for personal use rather than communal areas.
Refunds take 28 days from the date of the
request.
Deficit (Overspend)
If there is a deficit, then the cost is more than what we estimated in your budget at the
start of the year.
Tenants
Homeowners
The deficit will be included in the
estimate for the next year. For example,
if you have a £100 deficit shown on the
2011/12 Service Charge Statement, then
it will be shown as an additional charge
on your Estimated Service Charges for
2013/14.
A demand for payment will be sent to
you for the deficit. This will be added to
your account with us and will be due for
payment by 31 October.