Help through the credit crunch

Help for struggling households

As the recession hits, many people are worried about losing their home and keeping up repayments on other debts. Tewkesbury Borough Council and its partner agencies can offer a range of services to help people through these difficult times:

Credit Crunch : Credit Crunch

Are you worried about losing your home?

Our Housing Advice Officers can provide you with information and advice on all your housing options. We work proactively with other agencies to provide a range of services to address a variety of housing issues.

If you fear you are at risk of losing your home, you should contact your landlord or mortgage lender to discuss your circumstances with them. It is also advisable that you contact the Housing Advice Team as early as possible, as the more time we have to work with you and other relevant agencies, the more options we have to explore and the more help we may be able to offer.

Please click on the Housing Options link on the right hand side of the page for more information on the services offered by the Housing Advice Team.

In response to the growing number of homeowners who are experiencing difficulties in paying their mortgage due to the economic downturn, two schemes have been launched specifically to help these households; the Mortgage Rescue Scheme and the Homeowners Mortgage Support scheme. For more information on these schemes, please click on the links on the right hand side of the page.

You can also seek independent advice from the housing charity, Shelter. For urgent housing advice, you can call their national helpline on 0808 800 444. Alternatively, you can contact the local Gloucestershire office at 35 St Michaels Square, Gloucester, GL1 1HX, Tel: 0844 515 1286. There is also a lot of useful information on their website - please see the link on the right hand side of the page. If you are unable to travel to Shelter's local office in Gloucester, you can arrange to see a Shelter advisor at the Tewkesbury Borough Council offices by appointment, by calling the number above.

Are you worried about debts or bills you can't pay?

The Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) can provide advice and information on lots of issues, including debt, benefits, legal rights, tax and employment, as well as providing a Court Desk service. They can help you to manage and prioritise your debts, leaving you feeling more in control of your finances. You can find lots of information and advice on their website (link on the right hand side of the page) or you can contact the local office on 01242 522491.

CAB hold drop-in sessions at the Tewkesbury Borough Council offices on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday mornings between 10 and 12 and also provide a service at the Priority One Shop in Priors Park on Wednesday mornings 9.30-11.30.

Sessions are held in Churchdown, Brockworth, Winchcombe and Innsworth, by appointment.

Clients from any part of Tewkesbury Borough are also welcome to drop into the Cheltenham office at 6 St James Square, Cheltenham, GL50 3PR, which is open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm.

Benefits

If your financial or personal circumstances have recently changed, you may be entitled to housing or council tax benefits. Please click on the links on the right hand side of the page for more information.

Can't sell and your home is in poor repair?

Consider improving rather than moving.  The Council offer assistance to vulnerable people to help repair their home, deal with health and safety hazards, provide modern facilities and improve thermal comfort.  Ring the Housing Grants team on 01684 272230 for more information and to apply.

Worried about fuel bills?

If you have urgent concerns about your ability to pay your fuel or utility bills, in the first instance you should contact your supplier, who may be able to help by changing the type of fuel or payment plan you are on.

To save money on your fuel costs in the longer term, you can take steps to improve the energy efficiency of your home. There are various options available and some people may also be entitled to a grant to pay for some or all of the work. For more information on energy efficiency measures, call the Energy Savings Trust Advice Centre on 0800 512 012.

Are you thinking of renting out your home to beat the credit crunch?

Open the link on the right hand side of the page to the leaflet "Thinking about renting out your home?"  This guidance provides people with the information they need to stay on the right side of the law.  By following this simple ten-point checklist, people can avoid trouble when renting their homes:

1.         Speak to your mortgage lender

2.         Get references from potential tenants

3.         Prepare a formal tenancy agreement

4.         If you take a deposit, it must be properly protected

5.         Obtain an energy performance certificate

6.         Find out whether you need a property licence

7.         Get all your gas and electrical appliances checked

8.         Minimise the risk from fire

9.         Ensure that your property presents no risk to your tenants'

            health and safety

10.        Don't find yourself in court when something goes wrong

Failing to talk to a mortgage lender could see people lose their home, or by not storing a tenant's deposit in an approved scheme could cost new landlords three times over. Failing to license a property could result in up to a £20,000 fine.

Other sources of advice

The government's Directgov website has lots of information on keeping your home, budgeting, dealing with redundancy and lots more.

There is also free, confidential advice available from National Debtline on 0808 808 4000 or by visiting their website.