Are you struggling to pay your rent? We can help you.

We know this time of year is hard, especially with the rising cost of living. We don’t want you to struggle in silence and get behind on your rent. If you are struggling, please contact us.

You can talk to our dedicated team who will be able to help you. Whether the problem is due to a change of circumstances, a budgeting problem, or a cut in benefits or wages, there are vital steps you can take to help get yourself back in control and avoid the situation getting out of control.

We are always able to help, so please use our live web chat or call us on 0333 320 4555.

While it is understandable that you might be afraid of telling us that you are going to be late with the rent, it is far better to discuss this with us so we can explore how we might be able to assist you.

When you contact us, can you please explain why you are going to be late with your rent. Please be clear about what you are doing to address the problem to help ensure it won't happen again and make sure you have a plan in place to pay your rent and clear any rent arrears that you may have.

In some cases, it will be obvious why you have a problem as perhaps your income or expenses have suddenly changed for the worse, for example, because you have lost your job or your partner has moved out and stopped contributing to the rent. In other cases, it may be that you are living beyond your means.

First, we would encourage you to use our budget planner to work out the shortfall between your monthly income and your expenses. The Money Advice Service also has some excellent budget planning tools to help you budget better.

Once you have done this, try to look at ways you can cut back on spending or boost your monthly income to close the gap. We know that cutting back can be difficult, but ensuring you maintain your tenancy is far more important, which is why you need to act now.

Ask yourself the following questions:

  • Can you stop any of your regular monthly expenses or cut back on any luxuries?
  • Are you on the cheapest tariff for all your monthly bills – gas, electric, mobile, broadband?
  • If you have credit card debt, can you switch to a 0% credit card and save yourself some interest payments?
  • Are you spending too much on going out or on new clothes or takeaways? It is far more critical to be able to pay the rent.

 

Extra expense at Christmas

Are you feeling the pressure to spend a lot more at Christmas? We understand why, but in the longer term it is far more critical to be able to pay the rent. The Martin Lewis Moneysaving Expert website has a useful blog on saving money at Christmas - www.moneysavingexpert.com/shopping/christmas-savings/

We have also put together a list of ways to save money during the festive period: www.progressgroup.org.uk/news-events/news/news-2022/tips-on-how-to-do-christmas-on-a-budget/


So if you are having problems paying your rent call us as soon as you can on 03333 204555. You can also find some helpful information and links on cost of living hub on our website.  www.progressgroup.org.uk/support-wellbeing/cost-of-living-hub/

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