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Contact
your Customer Accounts team (during normal office hours) on: 01249
466120 or email: customer.accounts@westlea.co.uk
The name of the officer who looks after your account is shown on all
letters we send you.
What to do if you owe us money when you move out.
What should I do before I move out?
You need to:
- give us four weeks’ notice ending on a Sunday (as explained in the ‘termination of tenancy’ form that we send you to fill in);
- give us your new address;
- ask how much rent you will need to pay us up to the end of your tenancy; and
- pay this money before the end of your tenancy or contact us to make a payment plan if you can’t pay it in full.
If you receive Housing Benefit, you should also:
- tell your council when your tenancy will end;
- give them your new address; and
- check with them when they will pay your Housing Benefit.
What should I do when I move out?
You should hand your keys in to reception at Methuen Park by the date your tenancy ends. If you hand them in later, we may charge you extra rent. When you hand them in, you should also pay us any money that you owe us or make a payment plan with us if you can’t afford to pay in full straight away.
Who should I contact to talk about this?
If you want to talk to someone about paying your rent, or paying off your rent arrears, please contact the customer accounts team.
Phone: 01249 466120
E-mail: customer.accounts@westlea.co.uk
The name of the person who looks after your account is shown on all letters we send you.
What happens if I have received the wrong Housing Benefit payment?
If your council has paid you too much or not enough Housing Benefit, the balance of your rent account could change after the end of your tenancy. We will write to tell you what to do about this as soon as your council lets us know.
What will you do if I owe you money when I move out?
We will write to you, and try to phone you or visit you in person, to:
- help you by agreeing a payment plan with you that you can afford;
- help you sort out any problems you have with claiming Housing Benefit;
- give you money advice; and
- put you in touch with other support agencies for help.
If, for any reason, we owe you money, we will refund it to you.
What will you do if I don’t pay the money I owe you?
We will consider taking you to court. If we do this, we will:
- let you know in writing;
- offer you help at each stage of the court proceedings; and
- apply to the county court for a money judgment. This is an official record that the county court keeps about your debt. It is also known as a county court judgment (CCJ) and will make it hard for you to get credit (loans and mortgages) in the future.
If the court gives us a money judgment and you still don't pay, we can apply for the following orders:
- A warrant of execution – the county court bailiff can repossess your belongings to pay off the debt. You can make a repayment plan with the bailiff to avoid this happening.
- An attachment of earnings – the money that you owe us will be taken straight from your pay at an amount set by the district judge.
- An oral examination – you will have to go to court to tell the district judge about your income and outgoings. The judge will then decide how much you can repay in instalments.
- A garnishee (third-party order) – the district judge can order someone else, such as your bank, to pay us directly from your account.
Who pays the court costs?
We will ask the court to charge you for any court costs.
How do I make a complaint or comment about your service?
If you feel that we have treated you unfairly or dealt with your case badly, please contact the person that you were dealing with, or our customer service team. We will try to sort it out for you as quickly as possible. If we cannot do this, you can make a formal complaint.
To do this, please contact us in any of the following ways.
Write to:
Complaints Co-ordinator
Westlea Housing Association
Methuen Park
Chippenham
Wiltshire
SN14 0GU
Phone: 01249 465465
E-mail: enquiries@westlea.co.uk
What about if I am happy with your service?
It is always nice to know when you are happy with our service. If you think we have done something well, please tell the member of staff involved or the customer services team.
Money advice
North Wiltshire Citizens Advice Bureau
We have set up a scheme with North Wiltshire Citizens Advice Bureau to make sure you get help with:
- claiming the benefits you are entitled to;
- making your money go further;
- any financial difficulties;
- banking, and what to do if you don’t have a bank account; and
- finding affordable credit (saving and borrowing from a credit union).
If you would like to find out about benefits you may be entitled to
Your Citizens Advice project worker will:
- check whether you are entitled to a benefit;
- check you are receiving the right amount;
- help you to make a claim or appeal;
- help you if you have been paid too much and have to pay some back; and
- tell you how to get specialist help.
If you need help with financial problems
Your Citizens Advice project worker will help you to:
- put together a realistic budget;
- talk to people you owe money to, and agree affordable repayments; and
- deal with legal action taken against you.
You can contact the project worker by:
- e-mailing the Citizens Advice Bureau at westlea@northwiltscab.org.uk;
- phoning 01249 445115 (extension 3); or
- texting the Citizens Advice Bureau on 07890 733919.
If you would like to find out how to make your money go further...
The North Wiltshire Citizens Advice Bureau also has a ‘Money Friend’, who will help you to:
- reduce the costs of your electricity and gas;
- get the costs of your water supply reduced (depending on your circumstances);
- set up a bank account or credit union account which is suitable to your situation;
- apply for grants; and
- get access to the Government’s Child Trust Fund.
You can contact your Money Friend by:
- e-mailing the Citizens Advice Bureau at moneyfriend@northwilts.cab.org.uk;
- phoning 01249 445115 (extension 3); or
- texting the Citizens advice Bureau on 07890 733919.
The citizens advice bureau’s main phone number (for any other advice) is 0845 1203707.
The national Citizens Advice website address is www.citizensadvice.org.uk.
You can download a copy of this information in PDF format here.
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