Throughout lockdowns and local restrictions, many of us had to make changes to keep on top of our finances in 2020-21.

But whether you were living on furlough or reduced income, were made redundant, dealing with debt, facing unexpected costs or were struggling to find work, we wanted to remind you that we were here to help.

Our Income Team reached out to customers to make sure they knew what support was available, including our flexible payment plans, which have helped customers who were having problems paying their rent. We also worked closely with the National Housing Federation to adopt their pledge to help customers to keep their homes and we’ve committed to not taking legal debt enforcement action where a customer is working with us to improve the situation.

It’s really import for us to collect your rent, as the money is vital to fund our service to you, from delivering repairs to helping our customers in need of support. When customers fall into arrears we know that there’s usually a good reason, which is why getting in touch quickly is vital so we can get you the help you need.

Throughout the pandemic, we worked closely with partners at local authorities and support agencies, such as Clean Slate and the Longleigh Foundation, to make sure that we could refer customers to the right place to get more help if they told us they were struggling.

We know that some of our customers are facing really tough times, with a reduction in Universal Credit, the end of the furlough scheme, increased food and heating costs and next year increased National Insurance contributions. If you are worried or struggling, we are here to help and we're standing by to talk to you.