Rent Debt - Help & Advice
Everyone can struggle with bills at times. Illness, sudden death, loss of employment, change in Benefit, relationship breakdown; all of these factors can affect any one of us at any time.
During difficult times, you may feel overwhelmed, and you might not know what to do.
Paying your rent and keeping your home secure is essential. If you are struggling, the most important thing to do is to seek help.
We have a dedicated Revenue Team. You will have an allocated Rent Officer who can work out an affordable and reasonable re-payment plan with you. They can arrange an office appointment, or home visit, if you are unable to call at the office.
They will work through an Income and Expenditure Assessment with you and this will help us agree a re-payment arrangement with you to deal with your rent debt.
We also have two Welfare Benefit Officers in the team. We can arrange a referral to them to check that you are receiving the benefits you are due and/or to help you claim for benefits you may be entitled to.
You may also be entitled to other help. We can signpost to Money Advice services, Foodbanks, help with school lunches, the Scottish Welfare Fund and Citizens Advice Bureau.
We will do everything we can to help you deal with your rent debt. However, sadly, if you don’t engage with us and the debt continues to increase; we may need to take legal action.
We will do everything we can to avoid this, but if legal action is being considered, you will receive a Notice of Proceedings. This will be issued to the tenant and everyone in the household over the age of 16 years.
If the issue is still not resolved; we would need to instruct our Solicitors to seek a court date. You would be notified in advance of the calling date. On the court date, we would ask the Sheriff to make a decision about your tenancy.
Throughout this process, we will continue to try to come to an agreement with you. You can also seek independent advice from in-court advisers and from the Citizens Advice Bureau.
Remember it is never too late to ask for help. The most important thing you can do is deal with the issue and ask for help. Our job is to help you sustain your tenancy, keep your home safe, and help you through a difficult patch. We will do this by offering supportive, clear and confidential advice. You can contact us on 01698 268855.
