The accommodation charge is made up of two elements - the core rent, which covers the maintenance of the building and the service charges, which cover all other costs, such as any gardening, cleaning, furniture, small repairs and communal heat and light that may be applicable. If you are in shared accommodation, there will be a part of the service charge which will not be eligible for Housing Benefit, as this will be considered to be a charge for your personal usage of heat and light for your own room.

The accommodation charge is due on the Monday of each week and a method of payment and frequency should be agreed with your housing support worker. Cash payments should he made by arrangement with your housing support worker and you will be issued with a receipt. You can pay in at the office at any time during office hours or by standing order, direct from your bank. Please do not post envelopes through the letter box.

Housing Benefit is available to most people who are on Income Support/Job Seeker's Allowance and those who are in part time or low paid employment. Housing Benefit is paid by the local council and claim forms are available either from council housing offices or from Priority. Your housing support worker can inform you of your eligibility for this benefit. It is important to give all relevant information for your claim to be made. If there is any change in your circumstances you must notify your housing support worker and the DSS and Housing Benefit office must be informed to ensure that there is no loss of benefit.

If you have difficulty paying your charges at any time you must contact your housing support worker and inform them of your situation - they maybe able to help. In any case an arrears policy gives Priority staff strict guidance in following a procedure to pursue arrears which may eventually lead to eviction through the courts if no agreement has been reached between the resident and Priority. Early notification of any difficulties will prevent any unnecessary action. Advice and help will be given.

Staff are able to go through your weekly income and expenditure with you. It may seem impossible to get a healthy balance and have enough to spend once all the bills and food are paid for but with some forward planning at least you know what you are letting yourself in for!

The Arrears Policy - How It Works

The Arrears Policy is similar for both Tenants and Licensees. This is how it works:-

1. When a resident first accrues arrears, the first letter and statement is issued. This letter asks the resident to pay the arrears in full, or to make an agreement to pay the arrears gradually. If an agreement is made and the resident keeps to that agreement no further action will be taken. It is important to state that this is the case for all arrears on the account even if we believe that all or most of the debt should be covered by payments from housing benefits.

2. If no agreement or payment is forthcoming in the second week a second letter and statement is sent. Again this asks the resident to make a formal agreement to pay off arrears gradually or in full where possible. If an agreement is made and kept to by the resident, no further action will be taken.

3. If the resident has not responded to the second letter, a third letter and statement will be sent. This explains that a Notice of Seeking Possession / Notice Terminating a Licence to Occupy will be served the following week. Again if a resident makes a formal agreement to pay the arrears at this point, and keeps to that agreement, no further action will be taken.

4. If the resident fails to address the arrears by week four the appropriate Notice will be served with a covering letter and copy of the statement. These are legal document that allows PYH to take a resident to Court if the arrears are not dealt with. The Notice allows the resident four weeks before further action is considered. Again if a resident makes an agreement to deal with the arrears, and keeps to that agreement, even at this late stage, no further action will be taken.

5. After a further 14 days a reminder letter is issued explaining that once the 28 days of the Notice has expired PYH will be in a position to issue Court Papers if an agreement to pay is not made.

6. It is important to state that at each stage of the Arrears Procedure residents will be given help and advice regarding dealing with their arrears, ensuring that they understand the paperwork and the consenquences of non payment, as well as information on other organisations that offer legal /housing Advice. Ultimately PYH will take residents with serious Arrears to Court. It is for the County Court Judge to decide as to what order should be made. This may be a suspended order / general adjournment whereby the resident is allowed to stay in their home providing they pay their arrears in line with the Court Order. In the most serious cases the Court may well grant a Possession order. This would instruct the resident to leave the Property within a specified number of days.

7. Eviction of a resident for arrears of their accommodation is only undertaken in cases of persistent and wilful non- payment of charges lawfully due.