NEWS AND INFORMATION FOR THE TENANTS OF WOLVERHAMPTON HOMES

Tenants’

UpdateDECEMBER 2016

ChristmasintheCommunityPage11

2www.wolverhamptonhomes.org.uk WolvesHomes 01902 556789

We’ve got loads going on in this Christmas edition.There’s plenty of advice on keeping on top of your rent (page 4)and who you can turn to for help and support.We’ve also included someinformation on upcoming changes to your rent and how you pay it (page 3).

There’s an article on staying safe this winter, as well some top money savings tips.We also asked some of you how you spend your Christmas…read more (page 6).Finally the Tenant Engagement team are pleased to tell you about what they’ve been upto in the community and about upcoming events (page 12).I’d like to finish by wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Ann Ramsbottom, Editor, Tenants’ Update

Editor’s Comment

Cover shot:Thanks toAnn,May, Roy, Enid, Natalie,Michelle, Joanne,Dwayne and Nordia and their kids for helping with our cover photo.

Rent First

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‘‘‘‘Kelly joined our Money Smart Team in September. She said,

We know that with recent changes tobenefits times are tough for a lot of people.Don’t suffer in silence. If you’re strugglingto pay your rent, get in touch. We can helpand support you with money advice.

We work with a range of other agencies whose job it is to support people with debt advice andmoney matters.CAB 03444 111 444 www.citizensadvice.org.ukStep Change 0800 138 1111 www.stepchange.org

Visitwww.wolverhamptonhomes.org.uk/moneyadviceLike our pagewww.facebook.com/MoneySmartTeam

We’re here to help

Other support is out there…

Don’t let the lure of Christmas shoppingdistract you from your priority bills – andthere’s nothing more important thankeeping a roof over your head.It doesn’t take long to get into debt but it can take a verylong time to get out of it again.

Remember, your rent is due weekly in advance. Keep ontop of it by paying on time. If you pay weekly you need tomake sure your rent is paid by the coming Monday.

Think about how you pay and how long it will take for yourpayment to hit your account. If it’s not there by Monday,you’re already in arrears and headed for trouble.

If you pay monthly, you’ll need to make sure you are alwaysone month in credit.Our teams are out and about at the moment visiting anyonewhose rent is overdue.

The best ways to pay your rent are:

1. Direct Debit, just call 0800 408 0400 to set one up

2. www.wolverhamptonhomes.org.uk/pay3. 0800 180 4464

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YOUR RENT REVIEW

In 2015 the government announced that allsocial landlords (councils and housingassociations) must cut rent by 1% each yearfor the next four years. The next 1% reductionwill come into place in April 2017.

Service charges – depending on whereyou live, your rent may also include servicecharges. These are charges that are includedin your rent to pay for services such asconcierge, CCTV, cleaning and gas heating.

Next year will see some minor changes, withsome service charges going up and otherscoming down. If you would like to know more,visit our website at:

www.wolverhamptonhomes.org.uk/rents-2017

Don’t worry, we willtell you in Februaryhow much your newrent will be.

We mentioned it in the last edition,but we wanted to remind you thatwe are looking to change the waywe charge you for rent. If plans goahead, as of April 2017 there will beno rent free weeks.They were never really free – we justsquashed what you have to pay overthe year into 50 weekly paymentsinstead of the normal 52.By paying over 52 weeks you will bepaying a little bit less each week. Howyou use your weekly savings is up toyou…why not use them to build upsome credit on your rent account so youcan breeze through Christmas 2017?We’ll let you know how in the next issue.

RENT CHARGESChange is coming

perweek

Youpay

£100£5,200per year

perweek

Youpay

£104£5,200per year

YOUR RENT

YOUR RENT

If you came along to one of our recentGet Togethers, you will have heard all aboutthis year’s rent review and been asked foryour views.

GETTOGETHERSThis year’s Get Togethers were a huge success and werestreamed LIVE on Facebook, so if you were unable tomake it you could still get involved.They’re a great way to find out about important changes,what’s happening at Wolverhampton Homes and in thecommunity, and a fantastic opportunity to meet likemindedtenants and make friends.We’ll be advertising the next round of Get Togetherson our website, social media and in the nextedition of Tenants’ Update, so watch this space…

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UNIVERSALCREDIT

SPECIAL DEALSFOR CREDIT UNIONMEMBERS ANDTENANTS

Right Price Electricals can help with their exclusive offers.• Competitive prices• Delivery within 48 hours

for 95% of orders• 90 minute delivery slots for

large appliances• Free removal of your old model

when you buy any majorkitchen appliance

• Low cost finance 01902 572340 www.wccul.co.uk

More changes tobenefitsThe government is introducing a new benefitcap. Under the old rules, families could claima total of £26,000 per year in benefits. Underthis latest change, the total families can claimhas been reduced to £20,000 per year. This isequal to £385 per week.

Any family whose benefits were already cappedbefore 7th November will have had their benefitsreduced under the new cap. Families that weren’taffected before the 7th November but who nowclaim more than £385 per week will have theirbenefits reduced in January 2017.

We are working closely with the Department ForWork and Pensions (DWP) and our Money SmartTeam have been contacting those tenants who areaffected to offer support and advice.

Remember, our Money Smart Team is on hand to help.

Visitwww.wolverhamptonhomes.org.uk/moneyadviceLike our pagewww.facebook.com/MoneySmartTeam

Thinking of sub-letting?Think again!A tenant from Boscobel recently had their property repossessed and wasslammed with court costs of over £2,000…Ouch!All thanks to the hard efforts of our Fraud Team. Don’t be a fool. If you don’t need yourhome, give it up to a family that does.

1 BANK ACCOUNT2 EMAIL ADDRESS3 PAY A MONTH’S RENT

UP FRONT

Job seekers, Housing Benefit,Income Support, EmploymentSupport Allowance (ESA),Child Tax Credit, WorkingTax Credit.

All of these benefits are beingrolled into one benefit calledUniversal Credit. It has alreadyarrived for single people claimingfor the first time, with more than200 of our tenants already claimingit. It’s paid monthly in arrears whichis going to be a big change forsome of you…So the question is,are you ready? You’ll need:

ARE YOU READY?

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Marie said,Make weeklydeposits into aChristmas tin…come winteryou’ll have savedenough to do mostof your Christmasshopping.

Jeremy said,Design and makeyour own Christmascards andwrapping paper…you can getcreative and it’llsave you moneyat the same time.

Margaret said,When you boil thekettle, think aboutkeeping the waterin a flask… it’llsave you having toboil water everytimeyou want a cuppaand it will save youa small fortune inelectricity too!

WanttomakeyourmoneySTRETCHfurther

thisChristmas?

Mohammad fromBlakenhall wrote,“Instead ofbuying presents,cook some tastydishes for yourloved ones. It’sthoughtful andis something youcan enjoy together.

Nicola fromTettenhall wrote,

Cut tubes ofcosmetics and foods

in half when you’ve

squeezed all you can

out of them and they

seem empty. You’llfind there’s more to

be had and you can

use the top half

as a makeshift lid.

7

We’ve put together some top tips on staying safe this Christmas.

• Turn off fires, heaters and Christmas lights before bed…

• It’ll save you money and it could save your life.

• Don’t leave things close to a heat source• Remember to blow out candles

• Test your smoke alarm weekly

• Keep your eye on cooking food

• Carbon monoxide detector.Not got one? Get in touch!

Play it safe this Christmas

For more top safety tips, visit www.wmfs.net/your-safety/at-home

IF YOU’RE GOING TO DO IT YOURSELF

THEN DO IT RIGHTIf your home was built before the mid-1960s, there’s a chanceit contains traces of lead in the paintwork, which if disturbedcould be bad for your health. If the paint is in a decentcondition, it would be best to seal it with an overcoat ofmodern paint. Once sealed, the lead poses no risk. If thepaint needs removing, contact WolverhamptonWorks on

01902 551981 or visit our website for more information:www.wolverhamptonhomes.org.uk/lead-paint

Never tamper with gas appliances yourself – it can lead to allsorts of problems and sadly the results can be fatal. Worksshould only ever be carried out by a certified Gas Safe engineer.You can check someone’s Gas Safe status using this link:

www.gassaferegister.co.uk.

Our contractor Dodd Group checks your gas appliancesevery year. For the sake of you and your family it’s importantthat you let us do the work on time. Let’s make gas safety apriority this winter. Tell us how you feel about our service bycompleting a quick survey on our website:

www.wolverhamptonhomes.org.uk/gas-servicing

Remember, you need our permission before doing anychanges to your home. We all like an attractive home,so if you’re looking to spruce the place up, get intouch so we can give you the go ahead first.

If you do any DIYjobs be careful, there

could be hiddenpipes, asbestos orwires behind walls,floors and ceilings.One wrong move

could bring thehouse down.

M T W T F S S19 20 21 22 23 24 25

26 27 28 29 30 31 01 JAN

02 JAN 03 JAN

OPEN AS OPEN AS OPEN AS OPEN CLOSED CLOSED CLOSEDNORMAL NORMAL NORMAL

CLOSED CLOSED OPEN OPEN OPEN OPEN CLOSED

CLOSED OPEN ASNORMAL

OneStopShopstill 5.00pmHomesDirecttill 4.30pm

MarketStreet only9.30am -1.00pm

OneStopShops till 5.00pmHomesDirect till 4.30pm

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CHRISTMASOPENING HOURS

Our Merry Hill one stop shop willbe closed permanently from

19th December 2016 (see page 10)

Damp?

Most people see mould and think damp, when inmost cases the problem is condensation.Condensation happens when moist air touches a cold surface,like a wall or ceiling. The water in the air condenses and appearsas water droplets on the surface, often resulting in mould.

How to deal with it:• Keep your home warm.• Ventilate rooms by opening windows when cooking,

drying clothes or bathing.• Avoid drying clothes indoors or dry them near an open

window to allow the moist air to escape.• Leave a gap behind furniture so that air can circulate.• Think about getting a dehumidifier.• To treat mould, wash down walls with a mould and

mildew remover.• Prevent mould coming back by recoating

affected areas with an anti-mould paint.

False reports of damp costs us money and thatcosts you money. Before reporting damp, thinkabout condensation! Our EnergyWise team couldhelp (see page 9)

USEFULNUMBERS

Emergency Repairs

01902 552999

Gas leak? 0800 111 999

Western Power

0800 678 3105

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Energy wise

Struggling to keep warm this winter? Are your energy billsthrough the roof? Want to save money?If you said “yes” to any of the above, then you need our Energy Wise Team. They’re offeringFREE advice to tenants on all energy and water related matters, whether it be warming your home,reducing your bills or changing your supplier. Drop in to one of our Energy Advice Surgeries:

Energy and Climate Change Officer Alvina Ali, said: “These free advice sessions offertenants the chance to find out about ways to cut their energy bills, such as throughswitching energy supplier and by making sure they’re on the best tariff. Whateveryour concern, our advice and support is tailored to meet your needs.”

Severn Trent Water will also be there to offer advice and support, and to give youinformation about their services, including their Watersure and Big Difference schemes.Come and hear what they have to say and you could be in for a big saving!

For more information visit their website: www.stwater.co.uk

Tuesday 24th January 2017Wednesfield Shop, AlfredSquire Road,Wolverhampton.WV11 1XU

10.00am - 3.00pm

Thursday 26th January 2017Bilston Shop, Bilston TownHall, Church Street,Bilston, WV14 0AP

10.00am - 3.00pm

Monday 30th January 2017Market Street Shop,29 Market Street,Wolverhampton,WV1 3AG

10.00am - 3.00pm

www.wolverhamptonhomes.org.uk/energyContact the Energy and Climate Change Team:@wh_energywise‘Energy Wise with Wolverhampton Homes’

MORE UPCOMING EVENTS FROM ENERGY WISE17th February 2017 – Fuel Poverty Awareness Day March 17 – Water Saving Week (Waterwise)

Save Energy, Save Money

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Following feedback from tenantswe decided to close the Low Hill OneStop Shop. If everything goes to plan,the Merry Hill One Stop Shop willbe following suit and closing on19th December.

Our Bilston, Wednesfield and citycentre shops are still open Monday toFriday and our city centre shop is alsoopen on a Saturday, 9.30am to 1.00pm.

There’s never been a better time to do itonline…

3 Pay your rent

3 Check your rent account

3 Book your repairs

3 Contact us via email, web chat,

Facebook, Twitter and more!

3 Check out the latest news

The future of housing is just one click away.

Remember though, behind every email,every and every hashtag, there’sa person dedicated to helping you withyour query.

Our Estate Managers are out and abouton estates on a daily basis.

If you want to speak to yours face to face,get in touch and let them know.

ONE STOPSHOPS

To enter visit our website at:www.wolverhamptonhomes.

org.uk/hop-online

Confidenceholding youback?Are you eager to embrace thedigital age but worried you’ll gettangled up in the web?We know that learning new skills can bescary. That’s why we’ve joined forces withother agencies to launch the Black CountryClick Start Campaign. Our Click Start Tutorwill be on hand to give you the confidenceand the online skills you need to get intowork, apply for benefits and manage yourfinances – all in the comfort of your own home.Interested? Contact us on

07717 732982

We know that people celebrate Christmas in their own unique way,so we thought we’d ask some of you how you celebrate yours…

“We are Roman Catholic so we always attend Mass.I only have two days off from work, on the 25th and26th of December. I celebrate Christmas with my

wife, my three children and my wife’s sister’sfamily. We have a big get together and exchangepresents. We have a turkey dinner, plus traditionalfoods from my home country of Sri Lanka – it’s very

similar to Indian food.”

“No one should spend Christmas on their own.That’s why I give my time to celebrate it with

people who might otherwise be on their own.It’s a fantastic day for both the guests and

volunteers.” Eat Together brings life and hope tocommunities through eating together. If you

would like to be a guest get in touch with us viaFacebook or call us on 01902 553373.

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ChristmasintheCommunity

BENJAMIN

ANAND

“We celebrate Christmas with our four children, though sometimes we willinvite friends over. The kids are up early on Christmas day, sometimesas early as 5am to open their presents. At around 8am we’ll have a

breakfast of ackee and salt fish, fried dumplings and other Caribbeanfood. We won’t eat again until we’re hungry, so about 4pm. For

dinner we have fish, chicken, curried lamb and rice and peas. Wespend the day telling stories from back home in Jamaica, playinggames – especially Domino which is a tradition for us, and watching

Christmas movies.” NORDIA ANDDWAYNE

“We celebrate a traditional Polish Christmas. Celebrationsbegin on Christmas Eve, when we decorate the house and

put up the tree. Eve is a fasting day though, so we don’t eatanything until the first star has appeared in the sky and not

until the family has shared ‘Oplatek’ – the Christmaswafers. We always serve 12 dishes to symbolise Jesus’

disciples and 12 months of prosperity. Dishes includebeetroot soup, dumplings and fried carp.”

MARLGORZATA

If you would like to support the initiative, go towww.eat-together.org.uk/contact-us25th December 2016, 12.30 – 4.30pmTabernacle Baptist Church @ Broad Street, Westbury Street,Wolverhampton, WV1 1JD, 01902 42460

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PRIDE IN YOURGGG GG

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GROUPHosted by one of ourtenants, Natalie Scott, theFriendship Group meetsevery Wednesday afternoonto enjoy a range of funactivities.

It’s quickly being dubbed thebest Wednesday afternoon inWolverhampton. So, if youfancy trying your hand atsome new crafts, tucking intosome home-made cakes, oryou’re just up for a good oldlaugh, get in touch and jointhe Friendship Group –everyone is welcome

FLAIRFAIRHave you got a talentworthy of an audience?Why not show it off at nextyear’s Flair Fair?

The Flair Fair is the perfectopportunity for you toshowcase and profit fromyour creative talents. Inrecent years tenants haveproduced all sorts ofwonderful things, from handlotions and jewellery to softtoys and clothing.

If making things isn’t yourthing, that’s okay. Maybeyou’re the next Tom Jonesor Celine Dion, or maybeyou have moves that are justtoo good to keep to yourself.

If you have a talentwe want to see it!

Friday 9th December andSaturday 17th DecemberDudley Street Market in

Wolverhampton city centreALLDAY!

PRIDE IN YOURCOMMUNITYCHALLENGEWe challenged you to showus just how proud you areto be part of yourcommunity.

The challenge was taken upby 16 streets throughout thecity; some just got togetherwith neighbours for a photo,others held events, includinga food festival, a Pokemonbike challenge, a spookyHalloween party and afootball training session.

The response was brilliant!

The streets that took partwere rewarded with a prizeof their choosing. Take a lookat our website to see whatthey chose.

The great news is it’snot too late to takepart! Get involved andwin a reward for yourstreet.

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If youwant to get involvedfor future events, let us know

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OLDERPERSONS DAYOn the 7th October tenantsfrom various backgroundspulled together to host this1940’s themed event.

Those that attended enjoyedhome-made cakes and arange of entertainment. Theevent was a huge success,thanks to the efforts of anumber of tenants whorolled up their sleeves andgot stuck in decorating theroom, preparing gift boxes,serving food and drinks.

Thank you to you all!

It’s with a heavyheart that weannounce thatJean Bigby,Chair of ArthurGreenwoodand MillfieldsTRA, passedaway on 23rdOctober.

Our condolences go out toJean’s family and friends.She’ll be sorely missed.

GARDENCOMPETITIONTrue to tradition a goodnumber of you got greenfingered and put out yourhanging baskets for thisyear’s gardeningcompetition.

We want to thank everyonewho took part – together youmake Wolverhampton lookjust that little bit prettier.

We’ll be announcingthe winners in thenext edition, so watchthis space!

TUNELESSCHOIRHave you got the voice?...No? That’s even better! Itmeans you’re perfect forthe Tuneless Choir.

It’s for everyone and wedon’t judge – it’s all aboutshowing that you don’t haveto be an amazing singer toenjoy singing.

The choir meets every twoweeks and it’s absolutelyfree to WolverhamptonHomes tenants.

Come along and singyour heart out.

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G For more informationabout any of ourevents, contact ourTenant EngagementTeam on01902 555119or visit:www.wolverhamptonhomes.org.uk/get-involved

Dates and venuesto be confimred.For more informationcontact the TenantEngagement Team.

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WOLVERHAMPTON PRIDEOur Proud To Be Me Network once again flew the flag for

Wolverhampton Homes at this year’s Pride, which took place

on Saturday 1st October.

It was a fabulous turnout. Staff and tenants braved the elements to

show their support for LGB and T equality and fairness for everyone.

Do you want to help others? Do you want to give back tothe community? Are you looking to do something

personally rewarding?

If so, you could be just the person we’re looking for to be one ofour Tenant Champions.

You can get involved in a range of projects and volunteer asmuch or as little as you like – it’s your choice. All our champions

receive training so they feel confident about offering their support.

Want to know more? We’re waiting for your call…Clare Poskitt – 01902 550749

www.wolverhamptonhomes.org.uk/get-involved

Tenant Champions

BefriendingServiceWe recently launched our older person’sbefriending service in partnership withAge UK.

Between 11am and 1pm on a Tuesday andThursday, our trained volunteers give elderlytenants a call and chat about all sorts of things.

We’re looking for volunteers to help us makethose precious calls. Two hours of your timemight seem like such a small thing, but to aperson living on their own it’s probably thegreatest gift you could give. It’s okay if you can’tbe there every week or even every month.

We’re grateful of whatever help you can give.

If you would like to volunteer or register forthe service, get in touch with Ruth Fletcheron 01902 551009.

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TOGETHERThe Wolverhampton Federation of Tenants’ Associationshas obtained a small grant from the Awards for All BIGLottery programme to organise some sessions to bringtogether migrants and tenants within the city to talkabout the challenges they face, encourage understandingand put to bed any myths and stereotypes.It will also give communities a chance to showcase their cultures.

The Federation are pleased to be working in partnership withthe Migrant Empowerment Group, the TLC College and theCommunity Action and Training Service.

The project kicked off with an event on 27th Septemberat the Wednesfield Community Centre.

Black Country Impact is ascheme for anyoneunemployed, aged 16 to 29and looking for support infinding a job and making themost out of education andtraining opportunities.

Are you 16-29 and living in Wolverhampton?

Black Country

impactKelly 07392 121949 Dave 07392 121942 Ronnie 07766 472986

You don’t have to be receiving benefits to apply, you need to beunemployed and aiming for a brighter future!

If you’re interested, get in touch:

We and a number of otherorganisations have pledgedour support towards makingWolverhampton a City of Sanctuaryfor Refugees and Asylum seekers.Inderjit Bhogal OBE, who started the Cityof Sanctuary movement in Sheffield butalso lived in Wolverhampton in the 1980’sstated, “Sanctuary is not just about havinga roof over your head, what people reallyneed is friendship – we all want a sense offriendship and belonging”.

www.wolverhamptonhomes.org.uk/bc-impact

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Picture: Alvine Dongmo-Noumay(left) from the Migrant

Empowerment Group andJanet Taylor, one of the

Federation’s Board membersFormore events run byWFTA visit www.wfta.org.uk or call 01902 556816

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Kids’ CompetitionCan you spot our five Christmas trees somewhere in the newsletter?As usual there are two prizes up for grabs one for the under 5s and one for 5-10 year olds.Both will win £20 in a Credit Union Account.

There were no winners from the last issue.Name Age

Your Address

Postcode

The stickers are on pages

Quiz timeComplete our quiz to win up £100* in a Credit Union Account or £50 paid into your rent account.Find the answers in this issue. (*£50 will be paid into a Wolverhampton City Credit Unionaccount, another £50 will be paid in 6 months later.)

1. Who joined our Money Smart team in September?

2. To stay safe this Christmas, what should you test weekly?

3. What’s special about 17th February 2017?

4. Which of our contractors checks your gas appliances every year?

5. On what date did Wolverhampton Pride take place?

Your FeedbackTell uswhat you think about any of our services and youcould be included in the next TenantsUpdate.We welcome all feedback – good or bad.

Name

Your Address

Postcode

Your telephone Your email

Return to: Communications, Wolverhampton Homes, Chillington Fields Industrial Estate,Off Hickman Avenue, Wolverhampton, WV1 2BY or save yourself a stamp andenter online www.wolverhamptonhomes.org.uk/tenants-update

The closing date is 30th January 2017.Last issue’s winner was Jolene Bell from All Saints.