Hyde Life October 2012.indd - Hyde Housing Association

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Neighbourhoods and community (including Anti-Social Behaviour) Hyde dealt with 1931 cases of Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) over the past year. The most common cases were about noisy neighbours. Higher risk cases, such as harassment, are prioritised in our procedures for a response within 24 hours. 8.7% of reported cases fell into this category. Hyde took legal action in a number of cases and this led to improvements in behaviour, but unfortunately 22 households were evicted for various ASB reasons, including causing serious and continuing nuisance to their neighbours. We launched a new case management system for ASB which will help improve our service to you. We regularly inspect our estates – wherever possible with residents – to ensure standards are met and we get valuable feedback on our services. Over the past year, our staff teams completed 2,820 estate inspections, with 87.8% of these achieving excellent or outstanding scores. Satisfaction with ASB handling 2010/11 56% Rent and service charges The rent and service charges we receive pay for the cost of looking after your home and your estate and enable us to provide the housing service and support from your local office. Our dedicated Income Team has specialist skills to answer your calls and queries, including those about rent and service charges. Over the past year we’ve collected £185 million in rent (from over 40,000 tenancies) to pay for homes and services. Our Benefit Advice Team provides debt advice to those who need it. In eight months the team secured £130,000 in benefits for 139 residents. It has enabled us to contribute an additional £300,000 in six months to the costs of maintaining your home and delivering services. Percentage of rent due but not paid 2010/11 4.4% 2011/12 61% Improved from previous year 2011/12 4.1% Improved from previous year Rent collected (%)* Rent collected 2010/11 2011/12 Improved 101% * 102% * from previous year Target 70% We have worked with the resident inspectors who reviewed this service last year to help us improve how we handle ASB and we have been seeing improvements. Target 4.2% Target 100% *Figures more than 100% mean arrears are being paid from previous year. Hyde Plus Hyde Plus, a specialist team within Hyde, works to help us make a lasting difference to residents and the communities they live in. In the year 2011- 12 Hyde Plus worked with individual residents and achieved the following with them: 1692 residents received financial advice and support As a whole, residents receiving advice were £1,927,985 better off 683 residents benefitted from our employment advice service Over 5,000 residents have also benefitted from a range of Hyde Plus community projects. In the next year we will Target our money advice and employment services to work with residents most affected by changes in the welfare system. Work to improve services to vulnerable and older residents. Work with more residents to turn their ideas for community improvements into reality. This will include training, advice, in some cases grant funding from the Hyde Charitable Trust, and help link them to other useful organisations. Leasehold This year we created a specialist service that offers support and advice across the Group, specifically in relation to our homeowners. We have created a dedicated Service Charge Team to handle complicated Service Charge issues and oversee communication with residents about Service Charges. The team is now working closely with residents to improve these services. 12 If you have any queries, call our Customer Services Centre on freephone 0800 389 3576 or email customerservices@hyde-housing.co.uk For text relay from a text phone add 18001 before the number you want to call or to use Text phone dial 0208 297 7501
Coming soon... Changing Rooms In April 2013 the Government is bringing in new rules for residents living in affordable housing who get full Housing Benefit. The rule changes will apply to all residents unless they’re a pensioner or live in a shared ownership home. The new rules are to do with something called ‘under occupancy’ and are sometimes called the bedroom tax. What is under occupancy? Under occupancy is when you live in a home with more bedrooms in it than the rules say you need for the number of people in your household. Residents are allowed one bedroom for: Each adult couple Each person aged 16 years or over Every two children of the same sex under 16 years of age Every two children under 10 years of age, no matter what sex A carer (who does not normally live with you) if you or your partner need overnight care. What about foster carers and residents living in properties adapted for people with a disability? You may be able to claim a discretionary Housing Payment from your Local Authority, each case will be considered individually; contact us for more information. Rent (per week) £75.00 £100.00 £125.00 £150.00 Weekly loss £10.50 £14.00 £17.50 £21.00 How much will I lose in Housing Benefit? The amount you lose will depend on how many ‘extra’ bedrooms you have. Some examples of how benefits are affected are shown in the table below. The table shows what will happen if you are under occupying by one bed room (have one extra bedroom than you need). We’re here to help! We have experts who can: Offer free benefits advice and work out the amount of benefits you can get Give free confidential money and debt advice and can help you plan for the future Help you set up a payment plan and direct debit payments so you don’t get into arrears Help you to look at options if you need to move to a smaller home Please do get in touch with any questions that you have or for any help that you might need. You can either email us at welfare.reform@hyde-housing.co.uk or call Customer Services on 0800 389 3576. For text relay from a text phone add 18001 before the number or to use a Text phone dial 0208 297 7501 If you have any queries, call our Customer Services Centre on freephone 0800 389 3576 or email customerservices@hyde-housing.co.uk 13 For text relay from a text phone add 18001 before the number you want to call or to use Text phone dial 0208 297 7501
Page 1 and 2: Hyde Life The Hyde Group Resident M
Page 3 and 4: Residents Round up Carol’s catch
Page 5 and 6: Cover story family and influence Hy
Page 7 and 8: out... If you go down to the woods
Page 9 and 10: Reports Message from Steve White Ch
Page 11: Reports Repairs, maintenance and pr
Page 15 and 16: een able to give informed opinions,
Page 17 and 18: East Region Out and about Resident
Page 19 and 20: April 2012 to June 2012 This perfor

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