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Social landlords supporting tenants' money management

Free download
Caroline Hunter: How to succeed with enforcement action on rent arrears

Over 300 practitioners use MoneyActionNet to:

Improve rent arrears procedures
Avoid expensive mistakes
Identify problems at an early stage
Make timely referrals
Improve customer service
Enhance organisational standing

"It's my ideal site ... I would certainly use it myself ... I could have done with it 6 weeks ago!" - Elaine Jackson, Six Town Housing

"I use MoneyActionNet very often ... to do things right and to ensure that we're following good practice" - Ken Allen, Housing Coordinator, Eldonian CBHA

"MoneyActionNet has been especially useful for updating our action plan on financial inclusion." - Paul Knight, Assistant Director Performance & Income, CDHT

"We're using MoneyActionNet for good practice ideas and information ... The examples are especially useful." - Stephanie Barnard, Vale of Aylesbury Housing Trust

What's inside MoneyActionNet?

Guidance

Improve practice with over 400 pages of practical and legal guidance on rent, debt and financial inclusion.

Resources

Refer to hundreds of examples, legal case briefings, templates, example policies and inspections.

Network

Share and learn in the active discussion forum with hundreds of money practitioners. Read and post job adverts for free.

Who's MoneyActionNet for?

Housing officers
Caseworkers
Service managers
Team leaders
HR managers
Policy and performance staff
Other frontline staff

How is it updated?

Up-to-date case law
New examples of successful initiatives
Latest research on effective practice
Briefings on government announcements

Professor Caroline Hunter (York University) compiles the case law and legal briefings.

How much does it cost?

Subscriptions to MoneyActionNet provide all staff in your organisation access to the site.

Call us on 020 8348 8263 to discuss prices, based on the size of your organisation.

How do I find out more?

If you would like a free trial then click here. We'll call you at a convenient time and give you a personal tour of the site over the phone.

Click here for a free trial

Over 400 pages of guidance

MoneyActionNet has over 400 pages of of practical and legal guidance on rent, debt and financial inclusion..

For example, this page gives guidance on seeking possession for rent arrears.

Professor Caroline Hunter (York University) compiles all the legal briefings for the site.

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Learn from examples of good practice

Members can access over 70 examples of good practice in dealing with tenants' money problems.

This example shows how Brighton and Hove City Council work with tenants on their benefit problems before seeking possession for rent arrears.

Every month we add new examples of interesting and successful work from across the UK.

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Policy development

MoneyActionNet also helps you to improve your policy and performance.

For example, this page can be used to assess how much it costs to take action against arrears.

There are also hundreds of policies and inspection reports which are available for download.

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Rent arrears

Overview
- Introduction
- Regulation
- Secure tenancies
- Assured and assured shortholds
- Special tenancies
Prevention
- Tenant profiling
- Payment methods
- Publicity
- Incentive schemes
- New tenants
Before legal action
- Introduction
- Initial contact
- Agreement
- Vulnerable tenants
- Housing benefit
Notice of Seeking Possession
- Introduction
- Grounds for possession
- Rent lawfully due
- Contents of notice
- Serving the notice
- Dispensing with notice
- Notices for other types of tenancy
Possession proceedings
- Before the hearing
- Presenting the case
- Types of outcome
- Outright order
- Adjourned, suspended or postponed order
- Tolerated trespassers
- Warrants
Money judgments
- Introduction
- Application
- Judgments
- Information Order
- Attachment of Earnings Order
- Warrant of execution
- Other means of enforcement
Rehousing
- Homelessness applications
- Allocations
Policy
- Introduction
- Former tenants
- Organisational structure
- Staff training
- Information technology
- Costs of rent arrears

Personal debt

Overview
- Introduction
- Financial regulation
- Information law
First steps
- Debt situation
- Budgeting
- Balancing the budget
- Financial statement
- Credit reference file
- Priorities
- Challenging the debts
Regulated debt
- Bank overdraft
- Bill of sale
- Credit card
- Credit sale
- Hire purchase and conditional sale
- Mail order
- Pawnbrokers
- Personal loan
- Second mortgage
- Store card
Unregulated debt
- Child support and maintenance
- Council tax
- Court fines
- Gas and electricity
- Income tax
- Mortgage
- National Insurance
- Social Fund
- Tax credit overpayments
- VAT
- Water
Charges and fines
- Default charges
- Bailiffs
Priority strategies
- Interest-only payments
- Reduced payments
- Capitalisation
- Scheduled payment
- Change to repayment mortgage
- Mortgage rescue
- Sale of property
- Refinancing
- Time orders
- Voluntary charge
- Deductions from benefits
- Pre-payment meters
- Remittance
Non-priority strategies
- Write-off
- Freeze or reduce interest
- Reduced lump sum
- Moratorium
- Token payments
- Equitable distribution
- Consolidation
- Equity release
- Sale of property
Insolvency
- Introduction
- Administration Order
- Debt Relief Order (DRO)
- Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA)
- Bankruptcy
Housing regulation

Benefits and tax credits

Overview
- Introduction
- Administration
- Fraud
Housing Benefit
- Introduction
- Eligibility
- Capital
- Maximum amount
- Applicable amount
- Income
- Claiming
- Discretionary housing payment
Children
- Statutory Pay
- Maternity Allowance
- Child Benefit
- Child Tax Credit:
- Child maintenance
- Other benefits
Death
- Bereavement Payment
- Bereavement Allowance
- Widowed parent's Allowance
- Other benefits
Disability
- Disability Living Allowance
- Carer's Allowance
- Attendance Allowance
Emergencies
- Crisis loan
- Community Care grant
Employment
- Jobseeker's Allowance
- Going back to work
- Working Tax Credit
Low income
- Income support
- Council Tax Benefit
- Budgeting loan
Retirement
- Pension credit
- Over 80 pension
- Other benefits
Sickness or injury
- Statutory Sick Pay
- Employment and Support Allowance
- Incapacity Benefit
- Other benefits

Financial inclusion

Overview
Financial capability
- Introduction
- Profiling and identification
- Individual advice
- Training courses
Banking
- Introduction
- Basic bank accounts
- Post Office Card Accounts (POCA)
- Current accounts
- Pre-payment cards
- Access to banking services
Savings and investment
- Introduction
- Savings accounts
- National Savings & Investment
- Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs)
- Child Trust Fund
- Stockmarket
- Pensions
Borrowing
Insurance
Home ownership
- Attitudes and aspirations
- Shared ownership
- Right to Buy and Acquire
- Mortgage rescue scheme
- Disability and health
Social landlord schemes
- Furniture and white goods
- Energy efficiency
- Savings and loans schemes
- Credit unions and CDFIs
Regulation and inspection

Rent setting

Overview
Rent influencing regime
- Introduction
- Target rent
- Guideline limit
- Rent cap
- Property valuation
- Service charges
- Rent policy and plan
- HA compliance
- LA compliance
Fair rent regime
- Introduction
- Application
- Determination
- Service charges
- Rent cap
- Objections
Assured rent regime
- Introduction
- Rent review clause
- Statutory mechanism
- Objections
Regulation and inspection

List of subjects

MoneyActionNet provides comprehensive guidance on tenants' money management for social housing organisations and partner agencies.

A full list of subjects covered by the guidance is given on the left-hand side.

To find out more about MoneyActionNet, apply for a free trial now.

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Five learning modules

MoneyActionNet eLearning has five modules on dealing with rent arrears, which can be completed by learners at their own pace.

For example this page gives information on helping tenants to write a list of their debts.

The learning modules can be used in recruitment, induction, mentoring, professional development, supervision and accreditation.

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Eight real-life case studies

The eLearning component also contains eight case studies which explore responses to debt and rent arrears in real-life situations.

For example on this page the learner can work through a case in which a tenant is being pursued for a debt which has expired.

Staff can use the case studies to learn from other organisations and avoid expensive mistakes.

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Multiple-choice test

Once the member of staff has completed the modules and case studies there is a multiple-choice test which can be taken under exam conditions.

This page shows a test question about the types of information held on credit reference files.

Managers can access all the test results to identify knowledge gaps and areas of improvement.

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Module 1: Tenants' financial circumstances

Identify tenants in need of assistance
Help tenants to write a budget
Assist tenants to work out how to balance their budget
Help tenants to claim housing benefit
Explain how tenants can get the most from opening a bank account
Show tenants the options to make the most of their savings.

Module 2: Tenants in personal debt

Understand an individual's debt situation
Write a financial statement
Obtain an individual's credit reference file
Prioritise an individual's debts.

Module 3: Initial action for tenants in rent arrears

Reach an agreement on repayment of arrears
Assist in making housing benefit claims and make other benefit deductions as needed.
Identify and help vulnerable tenants
Serve a Notice of Seeking Possession
Take action after serving the Notice of Seeking Possession

Module 4: Court proceedings against tenants in rent arrears

Issue possession proceedings
Prepare for the court hearing
Request the right order from the judge
Claim court costs
Seek a warrant for eviction.

Module 5: Recovery of rent arrears from former tenants

Obtain the whereabouts of former tenants
Apply for a money judgment
Request for a money judgment to be entered
Enforce a money judgment.

List of subjects

MoneyActionNet eLearning provides comprehensive course on dealing with tenants' money for new and established members of staff.

A full list of subjects covered by the eLearning is given on the left-hand side.

To find out more about MoneyActionNet, apply for a free trial now.

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Network with hundreds of professionals

MoneyActionNet maintains a network of people dealing with tenants' money management.

This page shows the forum, where members can ask questions or post information about work they have been involved in.

Members also receive access to all the other Lemos&Crane forums through the MoneyActionNet website.

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Your own profile

Each MoneyActionNet member has their own online profile, which you can use to learn more about other practitioners and their interests.

For example this page shows the profile of a member at Southampton City Council.

You can contact any of the other MoneyActionNet members directly through their profile.

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Monthly email

Each month members receive a free email with details of all the new and updated content.

This includes a 'monthly focus' on an important aspect of anti-social behaviour and links to new cases.

To find out more about MoneyActionNet, apply for a free trial now.

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Learn from hundreds of policies

MoneyActionNet has a special section for rent arrears and rent setting policies.

This page shows a list of some of the policies which are available for download.

Members can download over 80 policies and share their own with other users.

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Prepare for inspection

Read the relevant section of Audit Commission reports for housing organisations similar to your own.

This page shows the inspection report for Chester and District Housing Trust.

MoneyActionNet includes the inspection reports for all organisations which achieved have a 'good' or 'excellent' rating since 2005.

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Compare performance

Members of MoneyActionNet have exclusive access to data on the rent arrears performance of most housing organisations.

For example this page shows the performance of Sovereign Housing Association since 2006.

To find out more about MoneyActionNet, apply for a free trial now.

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Conferences

Websites

What's inside MoneyActionNet?

Guidance

Resources

Network

Who's MoneyActionNet for?

How is it updated?

How much does it cost?

How do I find out more?

Over 400 pages of guidance

Learn from examples of good practice

Policy development

List of subjects

Five learning modules

Eight real-life case studies

Multiple-choice test

List of subjects

Network with hundreds of professionals

Your own profile

Monthly email

Learn from hundreds of policies

Prepare for inspection

Compare performance

Who else subscribes?