Paying your rent
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our rent is due in advance from the start of your tenancy. You may be expected
to pay up to a month dependantnt on your income payment frequency.
How to Pay
• Direct Debit
• Standing order
• Housing Online
•
Post Office
• Automated Telephone payments
- 01543 215020
• Payzone
Council Tax
All Council properties are Band A or Band B. The Housing Team will tell you the
band of your new home or visit www.counciltaxfinder.com
If you live in the property alone you may be entitled to a 25% discount off your bill.
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The simplest and
most convenient
way for you to
pay bills.
Cannock Chase Council understands that there are many pressures on
household incomes, but payment of your rent should always be your
first priority as it means that you can enjoy a safe and secure home.
Council rents in Cannock Chase:
Property Type
1 bed low rise flat
1 bed bungalow
2 bed low rise flat
2 bed bungalow
2 bed house
3 bed house
3 bed bungalow
4 bed house
Average Rents
£67.05
£68.33
£73.34
£78.02
£78.76
£81.42
£84.60
£90.83
If you are on a low income you may be entitled
to help to pay rent and Council Tax.
For more information visit
www.entitledto.co.uk
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Universal Credit
Universal Credit replaced six benefits with a single monthly payment. It will be
paid once a month IN ARREARS into your bank account, in the same way as salary.
It is payable to people of working age including
those who are unemployed, working or too sick to
work. Universal Credit replaces:
• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Housing Benefit
• Child Tax Credit
• Working Tax Credit
Universal Credit is a replacement of Housing Benefit. YOU will need to make
arrangements to pay the rent yourself. Paying rent is a priority payment. Failure
to keep the rent account up to date may result in you losing your home.
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Things to remember
• Universal Credit will be paid directly into your bank account
and paid monthly in arrears
• YOU will have to pay the landlord yourself as any help you get
with rent will be included in your Universal Credit Payment
• You will get one monthly payment for your whole household
• Most people will claim Universal Credit online and keep their account up to
date online
• If you open a bank account that doesn’t have an overdraft facility you won’t
normally have to go through a credit check.
t
d
The Housing
Team can help
set up email
addresses.
For more information or advice on preparing for Universal Credit
please contact Cannock Chase Council on 01543 462621
or visit www.cannockchasedc.gov.uk/universalcredit.
Benefi t Cap
The Benefit Cap restricts the amount of benefits you can receive to £384.62
each week for families. There are many benefits included in this cap including
Housing Benefit, Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income Support, Employment and
Support Allowance, Child Benefit and Child Tax Credits.At present, they are only
implementing the Benefit Cap by reducing from the Housing Benefi t claim. There
are exemptions to the cap. Some of the exemptions include Working Tax Credit,
Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payments and if you receive
the support component of Employment and Support Allowance.
For example, a couple living with
three children in a home of which
rent is £100 per week. The total
average benefit the family receives is
£333.36 not including Housing Benefit.
The Benefit Cap is up to £384.62
which means the family would get
£41.26 Housing Benefit and have to
pay £48.74 out of the other benefits
they receive.
For further information, please visit www.gov.uk/benefit-cap/overview
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depending on the utility company you choose and how much fuel you use.
Gas and Electric
Paying by Direct Debit and having the same supplier for your gas and
electricity (dual fuel) generally saves you money on your bills. (Please note not all
council properties have a gas supply), so all electric property energy costs will be
higher than stated. Pre pay meters tariffs are also more expensive that standard
credit or direct debit tariffs.
Below is an idea of weekly cost for gas, electricity and dual fuel. These will vary
depe g y p y y y
Average tariff
Comparisons
1 or 2 bedroom flat
single person/couple
Gas
Direct Debit
£15.86
OPM*
£16.87
Electricity
Direct Debit
£9.23
OPM*
£9.82
Dual Fuel
Direct Debit OPM*
£24.80 £26.40
2 bed fl at/ house/
single person/
couple with children
£21.43 £22.80 £13.65 £14.52 £34.79 £37.03
3/4 bed house single
person/ couple with
children
£21.67 £23.05 £14.02 £14.92 £35.42 £37.68
*Other payment methods - eg. payment cards, prepayment meters, cheque.
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Top tips on energy effi ciency
Lighting - Fit lower wattage or energy efficient bulbs wherever possible.
Heating - Turn your heating thermostat down and save on your energy bill.
The recommended temperature is 18°C. Use timers and programmers to
make sure that the heating and hot water are only set when you need them.
Laundry - Washing clothes at 30°C saves energy.
Cooking - Only fill kettles with as much water as you need.
Appliances -TV’s, DVD players and music systems use up to 90% energy in standby
mode so make sure they are turned off at the socket or use a power down device
which will automatically turn them off when you switch off your appliances.
For free energy advice visit www.uswitch.com
for further information.
Guide to Budgeting
By using our simple personal budget sheet it lets you see how
much money you will have coming in and will have going out
to leave you with a final figure. If this figure is positive you can
probably afford the cost of running a home e.g. plus £20.
If this figure is negative e.g. minus £15, you will be paying out more than you get
in each week - meaning you are at risk of debt. If this applies to you, we strongly
recommend that you have another look at your income and outgoings and think
whether you are in a position to set up home at the moment.
Completing your Budget Sheet
Read through this booklet to see what your costs might be. Make sure that all your
‘money coming in’ figures and ‘money going out’ figures are changed into either
weekly or monthly amounts.
• To change weekly figures into monthly, multiply by 52 and then divide by 12
eg. £73.10 per week Jobseeker’s Allowance x 52 ÷ 12 = £316.77 per month
• To change monthly figures into weekly, multiply by 12 and then divide by 52
e.g. £90.00 per month on electricity x 12 ÷ 52 = £20.77 per week
If you need advice on debt or money management or you think you may be
entitled to additional welfare benefits there are a number of agencies such as the
Citizens Advice that can offer help. Please refer to our website for details.
Priority and non-priority bills
Your main priority bills are rent, Council Tax, TV Licence, gas, electricity and water
and you should always ensure that these are paid on time. If you do not pay
these, you are putting your tenancy and
belongings at risk. You can even face
fines and imprisonment for non-payment
of your Council Tax and TV Licence.
Non-priority bills include loans, credit
cards and catalogues. These are debts o
which you have received credit through
companies and you are expected to
pay them back. You usually have to pay
interest on what you receive.
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n
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Always remember that
your priority bills should be paid
over non-priority bills. If you are
having money worries, there are
many agencies including
Citizen’s Advice that can assist you.
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Utilities
Water Rates
If your new property already has a water meter, we will explain how
it works when you sign your tenancy agreement. You will be charged
for the amount of water you use instead of paying a fixed amount. A water meter
can’t be taken out. If there is no water meter you will have a fi xed charge.
Water Rates are based on the Rateable Value of the property. South Staffordshire
charge £1.88 for each pound of Rateable Value
Here are some examples of how much the water rates could be:
Water Weekly Yearly
1 bed flat £6.12 £317.80
2 bed flat £8.33 £433.06
2/3 bed house £9.51 £494.46
4 bed house £10.00 £519.93
If the property does not have a water meter and you think that having one could
save you money, contact your supplier. A single person may benefit from having a
water meter but a family with children would be unlikely to.
For further advice contact South Staffordshire Water contact 0845 45 67 063
or visit www.south-staffs-water.co.uk
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M
o
a
f
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Make it go further
Reuse unused water:
For example, pour
leftover glasses of water
on houseplants and
avoid wasting water
from running taps
while waiting for
hot water.
Top 7 water saving tips
Don’t be a drip
A dripping tap can
waste more than 5,500
litres of water a year, so
make sure your taps are
properly turned off and
change washers when
taps start to drip.
Change your head
If a family of four replace
their shower head with a
water-efficient one they could
save around £72 off their gas
bills and around £72 off their
water metered bills each year.
That’s a total saving of £150.
Snub the tub
If everybody in a family
of four replaces one bath
a week with a fi ve-minute
shower, you can save up
to £18 a year on gas bills
and up to £21 on a water
bill, if metered.
w
Suds law
Using a sink of water to
wash up twice a day rather
than having the hot water
tap running could save
around £34 a year on you
gas bill and around £25 on
your metered water bill. If
you need to rinse utensils
or wash vegetables, use
cold water and don’t
leave the tap running!
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Turn it off
A running tap wastes
more than six litres
of water a minute, so
turn off the tap while
brushing your teeth,
shaving, or washing your
face - and use cold water
if you don’t need hot.
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Fill ‘em up!
Make sure that Washing machines
and dishwashers are full before you use
them, and always use the most efficient
water and energy savings settings.
When it’s time to replace your
appliance, look for the Energy
Saving Recommended logo.
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Call Housing
Repairs direct on
01543 462621
TV, Internet and Phones
TV Licence
If you use any type of television equipment or receive or record
television programmes, you are required by law to have a TV licence.
For more information visit www.tvlicencing.co.uk
The current cost of a
colour TV licence is £159
Cable and satellite packages
Many people now choose to subscribe to cable or satellite packages
that include TV channels, broadband and landline calls.
The cost of a package can be between £22 and £68 per month, check
with individual suppliers for details. You will need our permission to
install a satellite dish so contact 01543 462621 for details.
Internet access
You may need the internet for claiming a benefit, conducting job
searches or paying your rent so you should consider how you can get
connected. You could either have broadband fitted in your home for
a monthly fee or you may prefer internet access on the move for your
mobile phone, laptop or tablet that you can subscribe to through by
contract or pay as you go.
Landlines and mobile phones
Line rental costs vary and call costs may vary, check with individual suppliers
for details. If you have a mobile phone, remember to budget for your contract,
call charges or top-up costs.To compare prices and tariffs visit www.uswitch.com
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Food and other household expenses
For food and other household expenses you should allow on average:
• £30 - £50 per week, per adult
• £20 - £30 per week, per child
If any member of your household has medical conditions or needs
a special diet, you may need to allow more.
Average cost of school meals
School meals cost about £12 per week or £2.40 per day. Free school meals are
available to any full-time student who is still at school including nursery
children who attend all day and also sixth form students for your child if you
or your partner gets either:
• Income Support
• Income-Based Jobseekers Allowance
• Child Tax Credit only (with a family income of less than £16,190 - assessed
by the HM Revenue and Customs)
• National Asylum Seekers Support
• Guarantee Element of State Pension Credit
• Employment and Support Allowance - income related only
Free school meals will be provided for all students up to Year 2.
Meals are not available for students at further education level.
For further information visit www.gov.uk/apply-free-school-meals
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Wages/salary
Universal Credit
Job Seekers’ Allowance
Income Support
Employment Support Allowance
or Incapacity Benefit
Personal Independent Payment or
Disability Living Allowance
Child Benefit
Child Tax Credit
Working Tax Credit
Pension
Pension Credit
Maintenance
Other
Total A
Money Coming In
Amount Weekly
Notes
Rent
Council Tax
Water
Gas
Electricity
Home Contents Insurance
Other Insurance
TV Licence
TV subscriptions (Sky, Netfl ix etc...)
Food & household expenses
Broadband/Internet
Clothing
Car Insurance, tax, maintenance & servicing
Petrol/diesel
Public transport
Childcare costs
School meals
Mobile
Telephone
Money owed to others
1 £
2 £
Store cards
Credit cards
Total B
Money Going Out
Amount Weekly
Now take B from Total A to find your disposable income
Total A £
–Total B £ = £
If your figure is a minus,
contact us to see how
we can support you.
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Moving in day
One of the first tasks is to take readings of your gas, electricity and
water meters and provide them with your meter readings. (if you
are moving out of your property, then you should take your final
meter readings too). You should also contact your Local Authority and make
arrangements to set up your Council Tax account.
There are other people you need to tell such as:
• Old and New landlord
• Housing and Council Tax (benefits)
• TV Licence (required by law)
• Electoral Role (this can help with your credit score and contribute to your
digital footprint)
• Utility Providers (now would be a fantastic time to check your getting the
best offer)
• Your employer/Job Centre/Her Majesty Revenue & Customs
• DVLA for driving licence and vehicle registration (required by law)
• Internet and Television providers
• Royal Mail (there may be a charge to have your mail redirected, try to inform
people before you move)
• Any companies you have borrowed money from or owe money to
• All bank/building societies
• Doctor
• Dentist
• Schools
• Family and Friends
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DVLA
www.dvla.gov.uk
0300 790 6801
Step Change Debt Charity
www.stepchange.org
0800 138 1111
Money Advice service
www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk
0300 500 5000
Who Supplies My Electric
0845 603 0618
Who Supplies My Gas
0870 608 1524
Register To Vote Online
www.gov.uk/register-to-vote
Useful telephone numbers and websites
Citizens Advice
www.citizensadvice.org.uk
03444 111444
USwitch
www.uswitch.com
0800 051 5493 (Landline)
0333 321 6808 (Mobile)
National Debt Line
www.nationaldebtline.co.uk
0808 808 4000
TV licensing
www.tvlicencing.co.uk
0300 790 6165
South Staffordshire Water
www.south-staffs-water.co.uk
0800 389 1011
Royal Mail
www.royalmail.com
03457 777 888
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Rent
Food
This document can be provided in braille, on audio cassette tape/disk,
large print and in other languages on request to
Cannock Chase Council on 01543 462621.
? =
01543 462621
Household Bills
Gas
Council Tax
Water
Electricity
Insurance
Clothing
TV Licence
How we use your personal information
The information provided will be used by Cannock Chase Council, who are the data controller.
We will only share your information when necessary, with other departments such as Housing
benefi ts, Council Tax, Environmental Health and external agencies such as Social Services,
Staffordshire Police, NHS Choices, or where the law requires or allows us to. For further
information please see: www.cannockchasedc.gov.uk/PrivacyNotice
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www.cannockchasedc.gov.uk
