Pay your housing rent

If you are eligible for full Housing Benefit, your rent account will be brought up to date. Your Housing Benefit will be paid into your account each Tuesday to match the rent and other charges.  You do not need to take any action.  Please continue to pay your rent as usual.

If you are not eligible for Housing Benefit or Universal Credit, we will help set up a payment plan. It will help you clear your rent account by the end of the financial year, 31st March 2025.

New housing rent charges start on the first Monday in April every year. For 2024/25 it will start on 1st April 2024.

No, you do not need to do anything yet.

You will receive an ‘amount to pay’ letter at the end of March. The letter will list all charges including Housing Benefits you are entitled to. The letter will also show you exactly how much your weekly or monthly payment will be.

Arrears

If you have made a plan to settle arrears, it will be unaffected. You must keep making the agreed extra payments.

Direct Debits

If you pay by Direct Debit, we will write to you to confirm how much will be collected from your bank each month. This includes any agreed arrangements.

Standing orders

If you pay by standing order you will need to change the amount of your payment from 1st April 2024. You can change the amount once you know your new weekly rent amount.

We calculate our housing rents under government guidance. The government limits annual rent increases. They must be to the consumer price index (CPI) at the preceding September plus 1%.

For the financial year 2024/25, your rent will increase by 7.7% for general needs tenants. Changes to other charges are based on the amount of money spent on those services.  This also applies to Sheltered tenants.

We know that for many tenants, this year is hard. Inflation and living costs are increasing. This is especially true for energy and food costs. 

We need a rent increase in April 2024. Without it, we can't keep up the current service or improve housing.

This charge is applicable if you have a non-secure tenancy. This includes the items in the property. They include a cooker, carpets, and curtains. The charge for the non-secure service is eligible for Housing Benefit.

Most tenants will get a separate water bill. They will get it from their water company.

We provide heating and hot water to the individual flats in sheltered housing. They also get access to Careline support and laundry facilities. A facilities charge is payable where these services are provided. The charge is not eligible for Housing Benefit or Universal Credit.

This includes extra support provided at the sheltered scheme by the staff.  This charge is eligible for Housing Benefit or Universal Credit.

When you pay your rent, the money is put into the our Housing Revenue Account. This money pays for the housing services you receive. It also covers things like our borrowing costs. These costs are for major repairs and improvements to council homes. Rent money can only be used for services for residents in council homes. It can also be used for leaseholders. So it cannot be used to subsidise council tax.

• Grounds maintenance. We do grass cutting, pruning of bushes and trees, and general gardening. We also weed communal areas around estates and blocks. It includes the maintenance of play equipment on estates. We carry out a cyclical programme of tree pruning on estates throughout the borough.

• Caretaking. This is for dedicated estates services operatives. They will sweep and clean common areas in your block and your estate. They will also carry out safety checks.  They are also responsible for litter picking and removal of fly-tipping on housing land. These services are not covered by council tax.

• Light and power (communal lighting). The fee covers electricity for shared lights. It also includes charges for fixing and up-keeping lights in common areas of buildings and estates.

• Estates road maintenance. The charges are for inspecting, repairing, and maintaining roads in estates. They are also for paths around blocks.

• Sheltered housing service. Charges for cleaning service for sheltered schemes. This includes staff costs and the cost of cleaning materials.

If you need more information you can contact the Resident Services team:

• Phone Customer Services: 020 8901 2630

When you contact us by telephone, we will need to ask you some questions to verify your identity. This is because we cannot discuss tenancy information with anyone other than the tenant.

Rent and service charge increases may not be covered by Housing Benefit or Universal Credit. This will depend on your personal circumstances and your earnings.

Housing Benefit is based on how many bedrooms you need, not how many you have in your council home. This means that if you have more bedrooms than the Government thinks you need, your Housing Benefit (or Universal Credit) will be reduced.

When you apply for Housing Benefit, you need to tell us about your income, savings, rent, and the income of others who live with you. You also need to provide proof about these things. If your household situation changes, this will affect your Housing Benefit. You must tell the Benefits team if your situation changes. Do so soon or you may get less than you should.

You may be entitled to Universal Credit. It helps with your living costs and rent. You can get it if you are on a low income or out of work.

If you get Universal Credit, you must report any changes to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).  You should receive a 'To Do' through your Universal Credit journal.

Moving claimants from their old benefits to Universal Credit is called Managed Migration. Claimants have three months from getting their notice to claim Universal Credit. They must do this before their old benefit ends. Once you get a Migration Notice, you must follow its instructions. Or, your benefits may stop. 

Your letter will include a deadline. It will tell you when to start your claim for Universal Credit.  You don’t need to do anything until you receive your migration notice from DWP.

We have followed the Government’s rent policy to calculate your rent charge. We cannot change the rent for one property. If you are worried about affording your rent, you can speak to our Resident Services Team on 020 8901 2630 or housing.residentservices@harrow.gov.uk.

If you still use an Allpay card to pay rent, you need to set up another way to pay. We no longer have a contract with Allpay. So, we cannot guarantee your payments will be received.