Angus Homefinder – Understanding Household Types – Bid or Match

When we process your application, we will tell you whether your household type is BID or MATCH. This lets you know whether you can bid on properties or will be matched to a property.

Applicants who need supported or fully adapted housing will be MATCH applicants and will be matched to a property without the need to bid.

Applications from people in an institution (e.g. hospital, prison or care facility), who cannot bid will be matched to suitable accommodation when this becomes available.

We know that our allocation policy doesn’t cover everyone’s circumstances. The policy allows for exceptional circumstances and discretion to be applied where you need to move or be housed urgently. In some cases, you may be matched to a property if we need to offer you housing quickly and a suitable property becomes available.

All other applicants are BID applicants and will have to bid for available properties.

Heat Well Angus – Fuel Vouchers still available

In partnership with SCARF we recently launched the Heat Well Angus Fuel Voucher Scheme, and there are still vouchers available to help with the cost of rising fuel prices.

With the recent rise in fuel prices and increased costs of living, many of us face a real financial challenge to maintain an acceptable level of affordable warmth in our homes.

SCARF– in partnership with Angus Council – has secured Scottish Welfare Fund backing to provide fuel vouchers to Angus residents whose household income has been adversely affected by Covid-19.

Access to vouchers is strictly subject to eligibility criteria and assessment. A limited number of vouchers will be made available until all funding has been distributed.

For further details, visit the SCARF website and to apply for Fuel Voucher, complete the Heat Well Angus online form.

Please be aware that you will be asked to provide details about yourself, your household, your property and your energy supplier, so you will need to have these readily available for application.

Please note that if your application is successful, you will be notified by email. Please check your spam/junk inbox as there may be instances where it lands there. Once you have received notification of a successful application it may take up to 10 days for the payment to reach your energy supplier account.

To find out about other financial support that may be available to you, please call Home Energy Scotland at SCARF on freephone 0808 808 2282

Change to Housing Privacy Notice

In January, we updated our housing privacy notice to include contact specifically with tenants of new build properties around one year after they have moved into their new home to complete a survey. The surveys are a requirement by the Scottish Government for all council and Registered Social Landlord new builds.

 See below copy of the notice with a new paragraph included.

To view the full Housing Privacy Notice see our website.

We will continually review and update this privacy notice to reflect changes in our services and feedback from service users, as well as to comply with changes in the law.  

Tenant Hardship Fund: COVID-19 related rent arrears

You may be able to get limited financial help if you’re a social or private sector tenant in Angus who built up rent arrears between March 2020 and August 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

You will need to apply for the help and provide evidence that the pandemic affected your ability to pay rent.

How to apply

Tenants who live in Angus can apply online.

As part of your application you will need to provide details about:

• your tenancy
• your rent arrears
• why the pandemic affected your ability to pay rent

You will also be asked to provide evidence of your income during the period. For example:

• evidence of your income from employment (wageslips; a reduction in your income, such as furlough or reduced hours)
• evidence of other income during the period (such as whether you were claiming benefits)
• bank statements

Funding is limited and applicants must provide full evidence outlining their arrears and why the pandemic affected their ability to pay their rent.

To apply for funding, please use our online application form.

Private Landlord Registration Fees Increase

Our current landlord registration fees, set by the Scottish Government, are:

•             Principal fee: £67

•             Property fee: £15 (per let property)

•             Late application fee: £133

From 9 am on Friday 1 April 2022 the landlord registration fees will increase to:

•             Principal fee: £68

•             Property fee: £16 (per let property)

•             Late application fee: £137

To find out more about landlord registration, visit the Scottish Landlord Register website and our Private Landlord Registration website.

New Fire Alarm Regulations – help for those who own their home

The law on fire alarms has changed which means that all Scottish homes need to have interlinked alarms. Interlinked means if one goes off, they all go off, giving people more time to escape and call emergency services.

Angus Care & Repair have some funding available to help home owners with the costs of the new alarms. To be eligible for support from Care & Repair Scotland, you must live in and own your home that has a Council Tax banding of A-C. You must also either be of state pension age and in receipt of guaranteed Pension Credit or have a disability and be in a support group for Employment and Support Allowance.

If you meet the criteria, then please contact Angus Care & Repair by email at anguscr@caledoniaha.co.uk

Alternatively, if you do not meet these criteria then you may be able to get some advice and assistance from the Scottish Fire Service. For more information see the Fire Scotland website.

We do not offer any funding to support with the installation of alarms, and all enquiries relating to this should be made direct to Angus Care & Repair and/or the Scottish Fire Service.

Communities Team becomes Census partner in February and March 2022

Scotland’s Census is the official count of every person and household in the country. The answers people give to census questions help build up a picture of the population, and government and other service providers rely on census data to make important decisions. Scotland’s next census will be held on Sunday 20 March 2022.

To ensure everyone is counted in Angus our Communities Team along with the Vibrant Communities department will become a ‘census partner’ with core responsibility to let citizens know how, when, and where to complete the census questionnaire.

To maximise response the Communities Team will be working with partners who have contact with 12 target groups identified by the Scottish Government including people who are digitally excluded, minority ethnic, veterans, disabled, and LGBTQ+.

Along with the national multimedia, news, letters, and postcards going out to every household between 14 February and 20 March the Communities Team will support through local engagement for those targeted groups:

• Letting people know that the census is coming.
• Explaining what the census is and what the benefits are.
• Letting everyone know when they need to complete the census.
• Ensuring people know where they can find help and support when completing the census

Information about Angus Homefinder – Starters and Movers

When we process your application on Angus Homefinder, we will tell you if you are a Starter or Mover based on what you tell us.

When we advertise properties they will be advertised to Starters or Movers or both. To make the best and fairest use of our housing, the following guidelines will generally apply:

• Properties with two or fewer bedrooms will be advertised as 65% to starters and 35% to movers;

• Properties with three or more bedrooms will be advertised for both starters and movers;

• Ground floor, barrier-free properties will be advertised for both starters and movers, regardless of size;

• Sheltered / Retirement / Amenity and Adapted or Adaptable Housing will be advertised for starters and movers

If you place a bid on a property that doesn’t match your category you will get the following message and the bid will not be accepted.

Sheltered and Retirement Housing Guest Rooms Remain Closed

The guest rooms at our sheltered and retirement units remain closed. We don’t have the resources to manage the change-over and cleaning requirements to the safety standards now needed as a result of the pandemic.

We will be reviewing the provision of guest rooms in the near future. This means that in the meantime, family members or relatives will regrettably have to make their own arrangements in local hospitality venues, as happens in some other neighbouring local authorities.

Information on places to stay can be found on the Visit Angus website

Get Help to Heat your Home

With the rise in energy bills, many people will find themselves in fuel poverty this year. That’s why the Scottish Government has launched a £3 million Home Heating Support Fund . Debt, money or energy advice agencies can refer individuals in need of financial assistance.

There are also grants available through SCARF for Angus residents whose income has been affected by COVID-19.