For Origin Housing customers in London and Hertfordshire

IN THEKNOW

2014WINTER

Universal Credit…Pg 4 and 5 | Neighbourhood Improvement Fund…Pg 6| Funding for Community Projects…Pg 7 | …and much more

IN THIS ISSUE

HOUSING

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WINTER 2014

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WINTER 2014

Executive message

Universal Credit

Money skills

Neighbourhood

Improvement Fund

Making homes warmer

for Origin residents

Funding for Community

Projects

Welcome to Enfield

Single Housing

News for residents

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Contents

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Customer contact centre: 0800 040 7989

Email: enquiries@originhousing.org.uk

Origin Housing | St Richards House 110 Eversholt St | London NW1 1BS

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@originhousing

Origin Housing

Welcome to the Winter issue of In the Know. In this issue is a focus on Welfare Reform, as well as a look at how to manage your money.

As ever, your news, views and questions are welcomed. Please email communications@originhousing.org.uk, write to us or call, we’d love to hear from you.

The front cover picture comes from the learning and disabilities Christmas party.

Rachel Hudson, Editor

Letter from the editor

Origin’s Neighbourhood Team had a day out of the office when they helped tidy up the Sidney Estate and door knock to gather views about the regeneration project.

They met a group of residents who look out for their elderly neighbours and one of the residents showed off her new kitchen, which she was really pleased with.

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IN THE KNOW

Executive message- from Manpreet Dillon

Earlier this month, the Government announced that Universal Credit would be rolling out across some parts of the UK with effect from February 2015.

Universal Credit is a new simpler, single monthly payment for people in or out of work, which merges together some of the benefits and tax credits that you might be getting now.

For Origin residents, this initially affects those living in the London Boroughs of Barnet and Brent who are newly unemployed. You can find out more about how to

get ready for the change to Universal Credit on pages four and five.

Over the past few months we asked people to fill out a questionnaire about Universal Credit. The results show that 86% of people have never heard about Universal Credit and 51% of people struggle to keep track of their monthly bills.

To support you with the change to Universal Credit we have a dedicated team who are focused on helping you, either by giving you help to get online (all claims have to be made online), debt and budgeting advice or help with finding a job.

If you are interested please call us on 020 7209 9222 or email stuart.cunningham@originhousing.org.and speak to Stuart Cunningham, there’s also information on our website.

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WINTER 2014

UniversalCredit

A focus on

Universal Credit is a new benefit for people who are on a low income or out of work. It is paid monthly, the way most people’s salaries are paid. This monthly payment includes your housing benefit which you will then have to pay to Origin for your rent.

You will receive one monthly payment directly into your account. If you are a couple, this will usually be a joint account to help you and your partner manage your money together. You can choose to have payments made into one of your individual accounts if you prefer.

You may not have been paid this way before, so it’s important that you know how to prepare. www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/325525/guide-to-managing-uc-payments.pdf

Step 1

Find out more about Universal Credit and prepare yourself by taking these three simple steps:

Check what changes you need to make to use the government’s online Personal Planner to help you prepare for the changes that Universal Credit brings.

You’ll be asked to provide the answers to some basic questions and it will tell you how ready you are for Universal Credit. It gives advice on what you need to do and the best sources of help. It won’t tell you how much Universal Credit you get as this will depend on your circumstances when you claim.

You can find it online at: www.gov.uk/universalcredit

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IN THE KNOW

Money skills with Rickmansworth Citizens Advice Bureau

In November, our Social Inclusion Coordinator Trevor Willoughby ran a workshop to help people manage money more effectively. This was run together with Rickmansworth CAB.

Residents who attended the workshop received:

Attendees left the workshop armed with new skills, information from the CAB related to the workshop and vouchers for local supermarkets.

• advice to help them to manage their money better

• information on where to go for help

• tips on how to save money at home • financial advice on priority bills• skills to managing your money.

Step 2

Make sure you have a suitable account such as a bank, building society or credit union account, for your monthly payments.

Once you have done this you will need to arrange to manage your finances by:

• considering how best to make sure you pay your regular bills; for example setting up direct debits and/or standing orders to pay your rent, gas, electricity, etc

• working out how you are going to keep track of your spending. Setting up electronic banking can help you keep an eye on your outgoings through the internet

• for couples, considering how best to manage your money together, perhaps by opening a joint account.

Step 3

Work out your monthly budget by planning ahead and ensuring your bills are paid promptly. There are lots of ways you can manage your money. For example:

• using a simple monthly budget planner, like the one available on the money advice service website. This will help make sure your money lasts to the end of the month

• writing down what you spend each month and working out how much you will have left over once your bills are paid

• getting budgeting advice from family or friends

• speaking to your local Jobcentre Plus work coach.

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WINTER 2014

Neighbourhood Improvement Fund

So far this year funds have been spent on:

• Better signage on estates – e.g fire safety signs and improving the signs with the name of estates or blocks of properties • Better external lighting and a washing line for Pargraves Court• New railings at Spencer House where a tree was removed leaving a gap in a wall• A new bin store at Green Yard• Post boxes at Doughty Street• New notice boards • CCTV and better security measures at a number of estates.

Approved funding has been agreed for:

• Paving an area of garden in front of Kent House - currently an antisocial behaviour hot spot • Painting parking space lines at Stanborough View • New bin store doors at a number of estates in Brent • Repainting and new signs at Langdale House • Putting up a wall mounted ash tray at Deanery Close where some residents are dropping cigarettes outside the communal entrance • Replacing communal flooring at Hop Court and Ball Court• New tamper proof postboxes at Russet Court • External lighting at Oman Court in the car park. As part of our commitment to improve

the energy efficiency of our housing stock we worked with Climate Energy to clad many of our properties in Somers Town.

As a result of this work, residents are likely to benefit from average energy bill savings of £260 per year. We have also saved enough carbon to fill the equivalent of over 4,150 double decker properties.

You can view a time lapse video of the work on our youtube channel - visit www.youtube.com/user/originhousing

Making homes warmer for Origin residents

Residents and members of staff can apply for funding to help us make improvements on the estates. All bids are looked at and approved by the Neighbourhood Panel, which is made up of residents, on a monthly basis. We would encourage all residents to talk to their Neighbourhood Manager and make an application for the Neighbourhood Improvement Fund if they have an idea that could improve their estate!

(Above) Wall insulation at Somers Town.

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IN THE KNOW

The Origin Community Grants Programme is now open for applications from groups and organisations looking to fund projects which will benefit Origin Residents. We’re looking to fund projects that relate to one or more of the following themes:

• Building Stronger Communities• Gardening, Food and Environmental• Celebrating Heritage.

You can apply for grant funding of up to £500, or £1000+ if you’ve successfully delivered similar projects in the past.

Everything you need to make an application is available on our website: www.originhousing.org.uk/community and if you have any questions, or need any support in applying, please contact Jon Foster on jon.foster@originhousing.org.uk or 020 7209 9267.

You can make applications throughout the year, providing there is still money in the grants programme funds. The panel meets quarterly to make awards, usually in March, June, September and December of each year.

The deadline for the next round of funding is 20th March 2015. If your application is successful, we aim to be in touch within two weeks of the panel meeting, and to have grants paid within three weeks of all paperwork being completed.

Welcome to Enfield Single Housing

Following Origin Housing’s merger with Lee Housing, we are delighted to welcome our new residents to Origin.

In order to meet as many residents as possible, we carried out a Big Door Knock. Our aim was to visit every resident during the first weeks of the merger.

On the agenda for each visit was: essential information given such as the tenant handbook; options on how to pay rent; completing the customer profile form; and any queries the residents may have.

This work has enabled us to get to know the issues affecting our new residents. We have managed to get lots of customer information, property repair information and satisfaction data from residents as well.

Funding for Community ProjectsThe Origin Community Grants Programme

Translation In the Know is your magazine where you can find out the latest news from Origin Housing. It is available in other languages, large print, braille or in print by contacting 0800 040 7989.

Painting Brussels Court at Watermill Lane

We’ve been working closely with Barclays Bank who are encouraging their staff to volunteer on various projects run by Origin Housing.

(Above) Neighbourhood Manager Gillian Bleasdell, Caretaker Brian and Barclays volunteers are ready to start painting Brussels Court in Watermill Lane.

The Cream Tea Club hosted a Christmas special with turkey and cranberry sandwiches, mince pies and mulled wine. Entertaining the guests, St Aloysius Junior School Choir performed a medley of songs; two of the children played their violin and recorder and everyone played pass the parcel and bingo!

The Cream Tea Club at Christmas

Over the past few weeks residents at Robert Morton House have been designing and creating beautiful butterflies using tissue paper, plastic and acrylics.

Art Attack

T | 020 7209 9222

E | enquiries@originhousing.org.uk

Origin Housing | St Richards House | 110 Eversholt St | London NW1 1BS