Shining a light on Hillcrest’s heroes: Income Management

Hillcrest’s Income Management team deal with all things rent related. Their job is to check tenant’s rent accounts to make sure that rent is paid when it’s due, and support tenants to pay their rent if there are any difficulties.

Due to the current Coronavirus pandemic, the team has been inundated with calls from tenants who are worried about not being able to pay their rent. Many tenants have lost their jobs and incomes and are having to claim benefits for the first time. The team have worked their socks off providing advice and support, very often to people who would never have thought they’d need to ask for help. The team has been explaining how Universal Credit works and giving reassurances that no-one will lose their home as a result of Coronavirus. This has been a huge relief to many of our tenants who are now finding themselves in financial difficulty.

It’s not always easy to speak about money, but our Income Management team is human too and will not judge you. Their aim is to get you the help you need and make sure that you have the means to cover your rent.

The team has been overwhelmed by the gratitude shown by tenants so far. The team helped a lady who is in lockdown in India because she didn’t manage to get back from holiday in time, and they even got a rendition of the French National Anthem by a lovely 89 year old who they helped get her Housing Benefit sorted out!

If you are worried about covering your rent because you have been affected by coronavirus, please contact the Income Management Team on 0300 123 2640.