The Scottish Housing Minister Kevin Stewart has moved to reassure social housing tenants of the safety measures in place as landlords, including Cairn and ANCHO, plan the resumption of routine repairs and planned maintenance work. The letter also outlines measures which have been put in place to assist tenants through the pandemic. In an open…
Coronavirus updates
Benefits News: A Roundup
Support for self-employed workers If you are self-employed and your business has been adversely affected by coronavirus, you have up until 13th July to claim for the Government’s Self-Employed Income Support Scheme (SEISS). The second grant will open for applications in August. You can find out more about eligibility here. Advised to self-isolate by…
Frequently Asked Questions
Are you open? Cairn staff are continuing to work during this period. Staff are working from home and our contact centre are running slightly reduced opening hours of 9:30am to 3:30pm, Monday to Friday. We can also be contacted by webchat or by emailing enquiries@cairnha.com Are tenants entitled to a three-month rent break, similar…
Grassroots projects benefiting from Cairn Community Fund grants
Cairn Housing Association has supported dozens of initiatives through the Cairn Community Fund over the last five years, with local projects across Scotland applying for much needed support to tackle social isolation, health inequalities and barriers to tenancy sustainment. From the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic many people have been keen to help the most…
Void works and letting empty homes to recommence
At the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak, we suspended all work on empty homes and the allocation of our homes in line with guidance from the Scottish Government. We have recently had confirmation from the Scottish Government that we are now able to carry out work to our empty homes and start to let our…
Universal Credit
If you’re already getting one of the old legacy benefits like tax credits, and you apply for Universal Credit because you’re income has dropped to coronavirus, your old benefits will stop as soon as you apply. The new amount you could get on Universal Credit may be less than what you get now, and you…
Financial Support Available
Lots of people across the country are suffering from a loss or reduction in income just now. If you’re struggling with money, there is lots of support out there. From information on how to claim benefits, to grants you might be able to apply for, this handy guide rounds up some of the help available…
NHS Inform coronavirus site updated for languages and formats
The NHS Inform website has been updated with a range of community languages and formats, including Easy Read, British Sign Language and Audio.
Update on ground maintenance
Update from our blog entry from 6th April: Due to measures imposed by the UK Government, Cairn paused all grounds maintenance work in our communities from 1st April while we reviewed how these important services could be delivered safely. Where possible, and with immediate effect, we now aim to reinstate a slightly reduced service. Our…
Cairn Community Fund updated to fund coronavirus projects
We have been overwhelmed by the way in which people have rallied round to support the most vulnerable in our communities. In response to the coronavirus crisis, we have relaxed our funding criteria to support grassroots and community projects which aim to support those affected. Projects that we could support might include food banks, meals…