Help! Housing Association didn't inform us of Rent Arrears?!

notfunnymoney

By pure chance I have just found out we are over £2000 in rent arrears but I don't know how or had not been told?!

I decided to register foe they're online customer service scheme and suddenly saw this come up but haven't heard anything about it??!!

The online statement only goes back to May 2014 where we were £700+ in arrears so for over 6mths this has been a growing problem which we weren't even aware of?! Part of our rent goes directly to our landlord from housing benefit which has gone up and down a bit a few times due to changes in circumstances but I didn't think it would cause this?!

Is there anything I can legally do to fight some of this seeing as we weren't contacted and still haven't been? I've only just emailed them tonight to advise them I've just noticed and why haven't they told us!

Thanx

marleyboy

Sounds like the Housing Benefit was given directly to yourself instead of the LL, that you have then accidentally proceeded to consider it as extra income rather than rent.

Not sure there is much you can do but to offer to pay it back in instalments atop of your rent.

Lily-Rose_3

notfunnymoney wrote: »

By pure chance I have just found out we are over £2000 in rent arrears but I don't know how or had not been told?!

I decided to register foe they're online customer service scheme and suddenly saw this come up but haven't heard anything about it??!!

The online statement only goes back to May 2014 where we were £700+ in arrears so for over 6mths this has been a growing problem which we weren't even aware of?! Part of our rent goes directly to our landlord from housing benefit which has gone up and down a bit a few times due to changes in circumstances but I didn't think it would cause this?!

Is there anything I can legally do to fight some of this seeing as we weren't contacted and still haven't been? I've only just emailed them tonight to advise them I've just noticed and why haven't they told us!

Thanx

Unlikely you will be able to get out of this.

You say you were on part benefit, so how much percentage did you have to pay yourself?

Do you not get re-assessed by benefits a couple of times a year? My friend who gets part benefit (her rent is £400 and she pay £300,) has a re-assessment every six months, to make sure she isn't being paid too much housing benefit (or too little.)

So I don't see how this could have occurred, or how you could have 'not known.'

How could it have got so high without you being informed?

You saying you didn't know is not going to wash I'm afraid. You will have to pay.

Did the housing benefit go direct to your landlord, or to you?

notfunnymoney

Er no, definitely not come to us and if it was I wouldn't consider it as extra income, I'd pay my rent in full....

This is what has annoyed me, we haven't deliberately not paid, had they notified us we were in arrears and if it was because we needed to page more then we would have and wouldn't ve in this mess!

G_M

The obligation is on you, the tenant, to ensure your rent is paid.

It makes no difference if you pay it yourself, or make a claim for HB and get that paid to your LL. Your job is to ensure your full rent ends up being paid.

If indeed this amount has not been paid, then you owe it.

Of course, it would be sensible to ensure you do owe this amount, by comparing the total amount that has been paid over each month, year etc, (by both you and HB) compared to what was owed over the same period(s).

marleyboy

Maybe the Housing Benefit is paid a Month in arrears and your arrears will be put back into the black by the end of the Month when the rent goes through.

notfunnymoney

Our hb has fluctuated a little due to changes in circumstances but we were in credit for a long time so I assumed in the months where hb dipped then it would be covered by our credit until it went more regular again....or if we'd started to fall behind then I would've thought we'd have the HA onto us chasing payment?! We have no statement from them so as i said, just purely found out by chance because I logged onto this online account service. How many more months would they have left it if I hadn't emailed them tonight?!

Hump

So you have a tenancy agreement which says you pay £X per week to live in your home. It's entirely your responsibility to make sure that rent is paid. If you rely on Housing Benefits to help you pay then you need to keep on top of it. Your council will send you a letter every time there is a change in payments.


The best you can hope for now is that you can negotiate a repayment schedule that will be CURRENT RENT plus a bit off the arrears - make sure that 'the bit' is affordable.

notfunnymoney

I have absolutely no problem in paying my rent which is why I have a DD set up to pay the amount I thought we had to pay each month, which, along with HB, would then keep our account up to date! I am so annoyed that I've been led to believe all is well when it clearly isn't?! Why haven't they contacted me about this AT ALL over the last 6mths?! We don't even get a statement through where I could've noticed?!

notfunnymoney

I know it's my responsibility which is why I pay my DD accordingly! I just don't understand why any landlord would not contact their tenant if they started going into arrears?!

Lesson learnt - I will ask for future hb to be paid to me and I'll just pay the full rent amount each month, at least then I'll know it's getting paid properly in full!

theartfullodger

notfunnymoney wrote: »

Our hb has fluctuated a little due to changes in circumstances but we were in credit for a long time so I assumed in the months where hb dipped then it would be covered by our credit until it went more regular again....or if we'd started to fall behind then I would've thought we'd have the HA onto us chasing payment?! We have no statement from them so as i said, just purely found out by chance because I logged onto this online account service. How many more months would they have left it if I hadn't emailed them tonight?!

hb "fluctuated a little" & you've gone from credit to £2k arrears?? Think a bit more investigation may be worthwhile...

It has clearly been explained to you that it is your responsibility for you to pay the rent and/or ensure the rent is paid. There is no obligation on the HA to inform you of any arrears:

So, pay what you owe, sort out any HB issues and try to to make sure you don't get evicted: It is cold & wet on a park-bench this time of year..

If I were in your shoes I'd try & ensure all my communications with the HA were calm, polite and did not put their back up: Those guys can take eviction action, even over only 1p unpaid rent: You really don't want that! Nor the other consequences (bad credit rating, not being able to swap or transfer or bid for other properties, being ineligible to go on housing register at some other council area....). Court papers through the letter-box tend to be upsetting for the family

Cheers!