We currently have two funds to assist people at risk of homelessness because of housing-related debt, the Homelessness Prevention Fund and the Tenant Hardship Fund. If you are a tenant of Angus Council, an RSL, or a Private Landlord in the Angus area whose tenancy is at risk due to rent arrears please visit our website for more information.
Support
The Heat Well Angus Fuel Voucher Fund is now closed
You may have seen our recent posts about the Heat Well Angus initiative. All of the funding has now been allocated and the fund is closed.
If you are still struggling with the costs of heating your home, we suggest you contact Scarf for further advice about what help may be available.
Tenant Hardship Fund will close on 31 March 2022
Have you had rent arrears as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic?
The Tenant Hardship Fund could clear some of the arrears. The fund will close on 31 March 2022 – apply now so you don’t miss out.
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 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 of their arrears and why the pandemic affected their ability to pay their rent.
To apply for funding, please use our online application form.
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
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.
COVID-19 related rent arrears
Our Private Sector Team is looking to speak with Angus Registered Landlords who have tenant or tenants that have built up rent arrears between March 2020 and August 2021 as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The team may be able to offer assistance and invite you to contact them at PRSenquiries@angus.gov.uk for further information.
New Private Tenancy Services from Safe Deposit Scotland
SDS Resolution is a free service operated by SafeDeposits Scotland and its aim is to help landlords and tenants to sustain tenancies and avoid the need for formal legal action.
They can deal with disputes relating to:
- Property standards
- Repairs
- Entry rights
- Rent arrears
- Threatened eviction
- Breach of tenancy terms
-
Noise/antisocial behaviour (except serious antisocial activity).,
For more information see the SDS Resolution website
Safe & Sound service
This service has recently been launched with funding from the SafeDeposits Scotland Charitable Trust and has been introduced by Scottish charity Deaf Action to provide Scottish landlords and deaf tenants equal access to information and advice on the property rental market. Resources for tenants include BSL guidance videos, expert advice and interpreter access.
You can read full details about Safe & Sound on the Deaf Action website.-conflicts-tenants-tickets-149133
Free family conflicts resolution training opportunity
FREE PARENT/CARER ‘Family Conflict Triggers’ training opportunity!
When: Tuesday 16 March 2021 (12:00-12:40)
Are you a parent or carer? ‘Family Conflict Triggers’ explores those little things that can escalate and cause conflict, and how to manage these. Following the session, you will be able to:
Recognise these (daily) triggers that have the potential to escalate within a family context, so you can address them more effectively or seek appropriate support
To register your FREE place, please use the Scottish Centre for Conflict Resolution website
FREE YOUNG PEOPLE (16-25) ‘Anxious and Afraid’ training opportunity!
When: Thursday 18 March 2021 (12:00-12:40)
Are you a young person aged 16-25? Looking to learn more about conflict resolution? ‘Anxious and Afraid’ explores anxiety and stress. Following the session, you will be able to:
1. Relate to the emotional state of being anxious and afraid
2. Explore some of the science behind this state to improve individual wellbeing
To register your FREE place click here
Scottish Centre for Conflict Resolution (SCCR) is a national resource centre promoting and supporting best practices in mediation, family conflict resolution and early intervention. Through our free events and resources, the SCCR aims to encourage young people, their families and organisations to develop conflict resolution skills to improve both relationships and life chances and ultimately reduce youth homelessness. We have created a series of conflict resolution training based on our normal face-to-face training but adapted for an online event. Each session is about 40 minutes long.
Sessions will be delivered on the online platform Zoom, by the SCCR trainer. If you book on to the session you will be sent the details on how to join nearer the time to the event when bookings have closed and a full PDF document with all the information you need to know will be emailed to you. This session is at an introductory level and no prior knowledge of the subject is required.
Angus Council also operates a mediation and conflict resolution service in partnership with Relationships Scotland. The service aims to prevent one or more members of a family from becoming homeless as a result of the conflict. It is open to all Angus residents and is free of charge. Referrals to the service can be used by following the Mediation and conflict resolution service website.
£4 million Home Heating Support Fund launched
The Scottish Government has launched a £4 million support fund to help people struggling with their energy bills during the coronavirus lockdown.
The scheme, which will be administered by national advice service Advice Direct Scotland, is designed to prevent households falling into fuel poverty.
The Home Heating Support Fund is open until March 31 and applications can only be made on behalf of individuals by ‘referral partners’.
The referral partner for Angus residents is Save Cash and Reduce Fuel (SCARF) and their Angus Home Energy Advice Team (HEAT Team). Their expert debt advisers will assess eligibility and apply for funding on the individual’s behalf if appropriate.
Targeted funding will reflect each individual’s circumstances, with extra support available for households where one person is over 75, they rely on electric heating, or live in a remote or island community.
Eligibility is based on households which are ‘self-rationing’ their energy, meaning those who are deliberately limiting their energy use so that they can afford to spend money on other goods or services. This could be as a result of home-working or home-schooling due to the pandemic. Any households which are ‘off-supply’ are not eligible for the fund, and should seek support from their energy supplier or organisations which can refer them to the Fuel Bank Foundation.
For more information and to check your eligibility, call HEAT Team on 0808 129 0888
Who Cares? Scotland Helpline
The Who Cares? Scotland Helpline is open to all Care Experienced people across Scotland, of any age – whether currently in care or having left care.
The line (0330 107 7540) is open Monday to Friday from 12-4pm, and they can also be contacted by email on help@whocaresscotland.org.
They can provide a range of support to care experienced people, including:
• Support and signposting around finances, benefits, housing, health, employment, education, and rights
• Lifelong advocacy
• A listening ear
• Referral route into local advocacy if the caller is a young person
Angus Council Housing News 