Help with paying your rent
Housing Benefit
If you need help paying your rent you may be entitled to Housing Benefit. Stevenage Borough Council Benefits Service will help tenants to claim any available assistance with paying their rent. To find out more about Housing Benefit, click below:
From 2012, the government are making changes to the amount of housing benefit some people can claim. You can download an information sheet about these changes from the National Housing federation below:
What you need to know about changes to housing benefit
Financial advice
Free and independent rent, money and benefits advice are available from Stevenage Borough Council's Housing Advice Service and Stevenage Citizens' Advice Bureau. You can contact the Citizens' Advice Bureau on 0845 120 3789 (Advice Line) or 01438 759300 (Appointments 24 Hour). Your tenancy officer may also be able to give you advice and assistance on paying your rent.
National Debtline can also provide free independent debt advice. For more information, click below:
The website financialadvice.com also offers a series of downloadable documents to help you manage your money. To visit the site, please click below:
Stevenage Credit Union
We also recommend Stevenage Credit Union as a good way of saving and borrowing. They may be able to help you get your finances under control and keep up with your rent.
Credit Unions are financial organisations owned and run by their members for their members. They can help you take control of your money by encouraging you to save what you can and borrow only what you can afford to pay back. The advantages of the Credit Union are:
- Help you get your finances under control - Credit Unions are much cheaper to borrow from than most loan companies or credit cards.
- Dividends can be up to 8% per year.
- Access to money advice free of charge.
- When you borrow you get life insurance that will cover the cost of the loan.
Credit unions are a cheap way of borrowing and an easy way of saving. All you have to do is:
- Save for at least 13 weeks (it can be as little as £1 a week)
- Live or work in Stevenage
You can then apply for a loan. The interest rates will be cheaper than the high street rates and much cheaper and safer than borrowing from a loan shark.
To visit the Credit Union's website, please click below:
More help with paying your rent
For details of more websites and organisations that can help you with your money, please click below: