Debt assistance initiative

When our tenants get into rent arrears we know they often owe other debts as well and so need debt and benefit advice. We want to help them maximise their income and get help to deal with their rent arrears and any other financial problems.

To help with this SYHA is working in partnership with Sheffield City Council, Sheffield Debt Support Unit (DSU) and other Housing Associations in Sheffield to deliver debt and benefit advice to tenants in Sheffield. This ground breaking initiative has employed two full time and one part time debt and benefit advisers who will advise on a number of issues including:-

• Income maximisation
• Ways to reduce expenditure
• Negotiating with priority creditors
• Payments to non-priority creditors
• Representing in court
• Looking into causes of debt
• Helping people to better manage their own finances

Information on how to access this help will be going out with our letters and if you think you could benefit from this help please contact your housing officer.

SYHA will refer people to the Project on the basis of their need for advice. We will then complete a simple referral form that a tenant will need to sign to accept assistance.

Once that’s done the debt advice worker will telephone first to arrange a home visit, or a meeting at our Wellington Street office or at the Debt Support Unit on Broadfield Road in Sheffield.

This advice and debt prevention work is funded for 2 years and we will watch with interest to see how well it works.