David BurdisFinancial Inclusion Manager

Who are New Charter Housing?• Based in Tameside, East Manchester• 18,000 homes• Located in Oldham and Gedling• Turnover of £90m per annum• Workforce of 800• We receive £43m pa Housing Benefit

Who are our tenants?

Financial Inclusion Survey• 7% of our tenants do not have bank accounts• 27% have long term debt• 20% of those use doorstep lenders• 68% of our tenants have no savings• 57% know what a credit union is but only 2%

use one• 31% use a ppm to pay for fuel• 52% do not have home contents insurance

Financial Inclusion survey cont’d

• 19% feel they don’t have enough money to live on

• 34% admit to having money worries• 57% do not have internet access

So what have we done?

Debt Advice team

• Four advisers dealt with 242 new clients in 2011/12

• Total indebtedness £2.3m• Average debt per case £9509

Welfare Benefits team

• Three advisers dealt with 288 new cases in 2011/12

• Overall gains £568,000

Thinking BIG• Information sessions for all staff• Message - Welfare Reform is a problem

for everyone not just Revenues• Explore ideas from across the company• Unified approach• SWAT

SWAT

• Specialist • Welfare Reform• Advice • Team

SWAT• Tenants whose property is too big and

they will be affected by the bedroom tax• Face to face chat about their options• Refer to advice agencies if appropriate• Refer to money skills sessions• Refer to re-lets regarding a swap

SWAT• Early indications are tenants want to

stay in their homes and are prepared to find the difference

• May prove very difficult when effect of council tax benefit cuts are known

Support alternative credit

• Supports the local credit union providing staff and meeting rooms

• Encourages tenants and staff to join• Helps to develop financial products with

the credit union

Working in partnership

Tough times ahead but….…..everything is achievable