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 to the break homeowners can request?
Rent payments continue to remain a priority due during this period of economic uncertainty. If you have found yourself out of work or your income has fallen, please contact your housing officer to discuss your situation as soon as possible. If your income has fallen, you may be entitled to support with your housing costs under Universal Credit or from one of the Government support schemes designed to support people during this period.
You can check entitlement to benefits using the following website: www.entitledto.com
I am having problems accessing funds from the bank or Post Office during self-isolation. How can I pay my rent?
Many banks/building societies along with the Post Office have now put measures in place to allow you to nominate a trusted friend or family member to access cash on your behalf. Please contact your bank directly using their customer helpline to discuss. The Post Office can be contacted on 0345 722 3344.
I can’t pay my rent the usual way. How else can I do it?
- Logging into My Cairn, your self-service portal
- setting up a direct debit
- At Allpay – either online, through their app, by text message, or calling them on 0844 557 8321
- calling us on 0800 990 3405 to make a payment over the phone
- visiting any post office or shop displaying the PayPoint logo (you will need your allpay card to do this)
I am self-employed and have suffered a drop in income. What should I do?
If you are self-employed and have found that your earnings have decreased, you may be entitled to help from the Self Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS).
You may also be entitled to other government benefits during this time. You can check entitlement to benefits by going to www.entitledto.com
I am under pressure to maintain ‘non priority’ debts, such as loans or credit cards. Do I have any options?
Under government guidance, credit card and loan providers are obligated to provide customers who are in financial hardship due to the Coronavirus with a three-month payment break. If you feel that this would help, please contact your provider directly for further assistance.
I am moving home, will I need to claim Universal Credit rather than Housing Benefit?
If you are planning to move to a new home in a different local authority, please be aware that if you are below the state pension age you may be required to claim Universal Credit as you cannot make a new claim for Housing Benefit in a new local authority. This rule does not apply under certain circumstances, therefore, we recommend that you speak to Cairn’s Welfare Benefits Officer first. If you are moving home, but staying within the same local authority, your housing benefit claim can continue but you must notify your local Housing Benefit team to update them of the change in circumstances.
I have submitted a claim for Universal Credit and have been advised that I am not entitled to any payment. Can I restart my previous claim for Housing Benefit/Tax Credits?
When your Universal Credit claim has been submitted, you are now in the new system of benefits and you are no longer able to revert back to the ‘legacy’ benefit system. We would always strongly advise that all tenants seek advice from a Welfare Benefits Officer or check their entitlement using www.entitledto.com before making any new claim for benefit. This will prevent any potential loss of income when transferring to Universal Credit.
I made a claim for Universal Credit and have requested that the Housing Element (rent) gets paid direct to my landlord. Will this stop me accruing rent arrears?
When you request for your rent to be paid direct to your landlord there is a delay of up to 10 weeks for the rent to be transferred from your Universal Credit to your rent account. During this time, you will go into rent arrears which you are responsible for paying. You should contact your Housing Officer to make them aware of this delay.
