Problems making a payment?
We know times are hard right now with the cost of living being so high, But it’s important to keep up payments on your bills, including your rent.
Falling behind on your rent can build up extra costs such as legal fees, and even result in you losing your home.
We know how stressful it can be when it comes to managing your money. Our approachable and non-judgmental teams are here to support you. We want to help, so if you’re struggling, talk to us.
We help around 2,000 residents every week and can even arrange to visit you at home to talk things through.
We can help with:
- Housing benefit / Universal Credit claims
- Check to make sure you’re receiving everything you’re entitled to
- Help you budget to afford your rent
- Affordable and sustainable payment plans where necessary
- Application for a discretionary payment towards your arrears
- Signpost you to other agencies who can help
We also work closely with our Financial Inclusion and Employment Support teams to get you the support you need, including:
- Budgeting and debt advice
- Benefit claims
- Access to external grants and charities
- Access to jobs and training for yourself or household members
What should I do if I've problems making a payment?
If you've got money worries:
- Don't ignore the problem
- Talk to us as we can arrange for a member of the team to talk to you to advise as to whether you're getting all the benefits you're entitled to
- We can talk through your budget with you and make a fair repayment agreement that you can afford
- Don't promise payments you're unable to make
- Make every effort to pay on time. If you've problems keeping to the payment agreement, please let us know straight away and tell us if your circumstances change.
Discuss your rent account
What happens if I do get into arrears?
We'll contact you if you miss a rent payment to tell you the amount you owe. If you receive a letter, please read it carefully, don't ignore it.
Contact us straight away to arrange to pay the arrears. If we don't hear from you and you don't make a payment, we'll move through the stages of our arrears policy. This could mean we take you to court and you could even be evicted from your home.
We're here to help and our aim is always for you to stay in your home and to help you find ways to pay your rent. If you've a problem, we just need to know about it.
So please let us know straight away, the earlier the better.
Discuss your rent account
Rent and service charges may change from April 2022. We'll write to you to confirm if your payments are changing. For more information, see our FAQs.
What other help is available?
Read our money advice pages for more information on:
Get in touch
We’re ready to help find you the right support for you. Get in touch today by calling 0800 121 60 60, emailing contactus@optivo.org.uk or through MyAccount.