Many people are facing difficult choices due to changes affecting their money.

We know making the first step to ask for help can sometimes be daunting but please do speak to us as soon as you become concerned about being able to pay your rent.  The earlier you talk to us the faster we can help.

Please contact your Community Housing Officer or call us on 01792 479200 and press option one.

The first thing we will do is listen. Everyone’s circumstances are different and we will listen to you to help us understand your personal situation. We aim to work with you to help you budget and reduce any arrears in a way that’s affordable for you.

• We can help you check if you are receiving all the benefits you are entitled to – you can also do this yourself here 
• Setting up a direct debit is the easiest way to pay your rent yourself – we can help you do this if this is right for you
• We can help you develop a repayment plan that’s right for you
• We can help you with accessing various hardship funds or grants to assist you through these difficult time
• We can help you find other services which may be able to help you such as foodbanks – there are some details of these and other financial wellbeing advice here 

John moved into his home with Coastal in 2011, a new 2 bedroom flat. He was working full time as a taxi driver until the pandemic, his earnings dropped significantly as a consequence.

Struggling to find enough for his priority bills such as rent, gas and electric, John called his Community Housing Officer, Sarah, for help. He was quickly assisted to claim Universal Credit, which topped up his low working income, and meant he could afford to pay his bills. Unfortunately, a year later the UK Government reduced Universal Credit by £20 per week and John struggled to pay the rent. He was impacted by the bedroom tax.

Once again, he spoke to Sarah who met with John and completed a Discretionary Housing Payment form. This resulted in a £1000 payment to John to use towards his rent.

If you are struggling financially, this can also affect your health and wellbeing – there is lots of support available if you need it. Find out more here

You can find out more about how we set your rent and service charges here.