Evictions – Government announcement your questions answered
We welcome the government’s proposed ban on evictions, and want to reassure tenants that no one in a CGA home will be evicted because of coronavirus. As a not-for-profit organisation we want to support residents who are facing a tough time because of this virus and this will continue even when the proposed three-month ban on evictions ends.
We are working closely with tenants to help them manage their housing costs and ensure they get access to the benefits they are entitled to. We urge anyone who is worried about financial difficulties to get in touch with us. We offer extensive financial help and support for tenants, including help claiming benefits and we are putting in additional measures during this challenging time and will be doing everything we can to support you.
Despite the ban, rent will continue to be charged weekly, therefore, if payments are not made by you your account will go into arrears. Unfortunately, we are not in a position to offer payment holidays at this time, as the rental income we receive is vital to enable us to provide essential services such as repairs, maintenance and support to you during this difficult time.
If you are in receipt of full Housing Benefit/Housing Element you should see no change and payments will continue as normal. Therefore, if you receive Housing Element within your Universal Credit payment, you are still required to pay this over to CGA. If you’re receiving benefits, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has made temporary arrangements for benefit claimants impacted by coronavirus. Please check the DWP's information about coronavirus and claiming benefits page regularly for updates.
Wherever possible, we encourage tenants to pay a little extra each week – this may prevent you from falling into arrears if your situation changes over the coming weeks/months.
As usual, we will continue to work with our tenants offering support and advice around your personal circumstances to assist you through this difficult time. However, we can only do this if you speak to us.
We urge any tenants who are struggling, to contact us on 0800 953 0213 as soon as possible to discuss their situation.