linkhousing tenants newsletter spring 2013

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housing news SPRING 2013 The newsletter for Link tenants Bedroom Tax are you awake? Inside: Welfare reform update Quids In supplement Repairs Service Standards review Free Summer Tenant Trip New Complaints booklet www.linkhousing.org.uk

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LinkHousing Tenants Newsletter Spring 2013

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Page 1: LinkHousing Tenants Newsletter Spring 2013

housing newsSPRING 2013

The newsletter for Link tenants

Bedroom Taxare you awake?

Inside:• Welfare reform

update• Quids In supplement• Repairs Service

Standards review• Free Summer

Tenant Trip• New Complaints

booklet

www.linkhousing.org.uk

Page 2: LinkHousing Tenants Newsletter Spring 2013

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hello fromthe editorWelcome to Housing News.We hope you like its newlook. We have worked hardto refresh the layout andmake it bigger and bolder.Thanks to those who helpedus with the changes. To gowith the new look we think anew name is in order. If youhave any suggestions onwhat the new name shouldbe then please get in touch.

Inside, you will find acopy of ‘Quids In’ – amagazine which provideslots of information onspending, saving, borrowingand earning – as well asa copy of our newComplaints booklet.

If you have any feedbackon the articles, orsuggestions about topicswe could cover, then eithercall Leah Webb on08451 400100 or [email protected]

Welfare ReformHow we are helping tenants

Welfare Reform will have asignificant impact on Linkand many of our tenants.To help you through thesechanges we have:

● Visited Link tenants whohave been identified ashaving one or more “sparebedrooms” to provide adviceon their options.

● Met with MSPs to make themaware of the impact thatWelfare Reform will have onour business and your lives.

● Raised our concerns withthe Department for Workand Pensions about how theyplan to implement WelfareReform changes.

● Supported the ScottishFederation of HousingAssociations (SFHA) who arecampaigning on behalf ofHousing Associationsacross Scotland on manyareas of Welfare Reform,including the “Bedroom Tax”and Direct Payments.

● Issued a Tenants’ ReferenceGuide and carried out surveyto profile our tenantscircumstances and needs.

We will be working hard overthe next few months to ensurewe participate in any furtheropportunities to campaign,raise awareness and assist ourtenants through the changes. Ifyou think you may be affectedin any way by Welfare Reformplease call us on 08451 400100 or 0330 303 0013.

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Remember: to claim Universal Credit you must havea bank account. Post office accounts will no longeraccept benefits.

You will also have to claim for benefits online.We are looking into ways in which we can supporttenants to do this.

08451 400 100 or 0330 303 0013 or [email protected]

Page 3: LinkHousing Tenants Newsletter Spring 2013

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The following stories are examples of ways you could be affected by the changes tothe benefits system:

Lone Parent Debbie is a full time single mum to three girlsaged 12, nine and four. As she does not work, Debbie receives Child Benefit, Child Tax Credit,Council Tax Reduction, Housing Benefit and Income Support.

When her youngest daughter turns five, Debbie will lose her entitlementto Income Support and she will have to claim Jobseekers Allowance andattend regular work focused meetings at the Job Centre and look for a job.

From 2014/2015 onwards, Debbie will have to claim Universal Credit(which will replace Income Support, Child Tax Credit and Housing Benefit)and will get one single payment paid directly to her in arrears each month.This means that Debbie will be responsible for paying her rent herself as thehousing element of the benefit will no longer be directly paid to her landlord.

Extra Bedroom (Under occupancy) Richard (18) livesalone in a two bedroom flat. He is currently looking forwork and claims Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) and alsoreceives Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction.From April 1 2013, Richard will be classed as ‘under-occupying’ hisproperty as he lives alone. He will be responsible for paying 14% of hiseligible rent (£70), which means he will have to pay £9.80 a week fromhis JSA towards it. If he is unable to pay this, Richard may have toconsider moving to a smaller property.

After October 2013, Richard may have to apply online for UniversalCredit (which will replace JSA and Housing Benefit). He will thenreceive his benefits directly each month, including his housing costs,which he will be responsible for paying to his landlord himself.

Personal Independence Payments Annette, 55, has been receiving DisabilityLiving Allowance (DLA) for the last two-and-a-half years.She was awarded DLA high rate mobility (£77.45 per week) and low rate care (£20.55 per week) for threeyears. This is due to end in October 2013 at which time Annette will have to reapply for the benefit.Personal Independence Payments (PIP) replace DLA for renewal claims in October 2013 so Annette willtherefore have to claim for PIP.

Annette will have to complete a new application and undergo a medical assessment for PIP. Thereis a possibility that Annette may lose her benefit due to PIP being assessed in the same manner as ESA(points system).

If Annette fails the medical she can appeal this decision, but she faces being without the benefit untilthe appeal is heard. Once the appeal is heard she will receive the benefit backdated. Should the appealbe unsuccessful, however, she will not receive any payment and, unless her circumstances haveworsened, will not be eligible to reapply for six months. The appeal could also take anything up to a yearto be heard, which would see Annette without her disability income for this period.NOTE: PIP is being implemented in Scotland in June 2013, so anyone making a claim from thatdate will have to claim PIP instead of DLA.

www.linkhousing.org.uk

Page 4: LinkHousing Tenants Newsletter Spring 2013

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Under-occupying otherwiseknown as the ‘Bedroom Tax’If you receive HousingBenefit, and you live in aproperty with one or more“spare bedrooms”, you willbe affected by the newunder-occupancy rules(known as the ‘BedroomTax’). This will only applyto tenants who claimHousing Benefit and areof working age.

If you have one extra bedroom inyour home, your eligible rent willbe reduced by 14% and if you

have two or more extrabedrooms it will be reduced by25%. This means there will be ashortfall in your rent which youpay for yourself.

The Department for Work andPensions (DWP) states that:

● children under 16, of thesame sex, will be expectedto share a bedroom

● children under 10 years,of different sexes, areexpected to share.

The UK Government hasannounced that there will besome relaxations to these rules

including a room allowance forfoster carers, armed forcespersonnel, and severely disabledchildren. Link welcomed thenews and we are contacting alltenants this may affect.

Following consultation withtenants, we will not be changingour occupancy standards to theDWP standards. If tenantschoose to under-occupy and canpay the difference that is theirchoice to do so. We will makeany tenants aware if they will beaffected by the under-occupancyrules at the time a property isbeing allocated.

The table below shows some sample rents and how much youreligible rent will be reduced:

Monthly rent example £285.15 £334.54 £350.11 £408.93

If you have one extra bedroom your eligible rent is reduced by 14%:

Per week £9.21 £10.81 £11.31 £13.21

Per month £39.92 £46.84 £49.02 £57.25

Per year £479.06 £562.04 £588.19 £686.99

If you have two or more extra bedrooms your eligible rent is reduced by 25%:

Per week £16.45 £19.30 £20.20 £23.59

Per month £71.29 £83.64 £87.53 £102.23

Per year £855.46 £1,003.63 £1,050.33 £1,226.78

If you require any more information, please contact your Housing Officer orLink’s Customer Service Centre on 08451 400 100 or 0330 303 0013.

08451 400 100 or 0330 303 0013 or [email protected]

Page 5: LinkHousing Tenants Newsletter Spring 2013

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DISCRETIONARYHOUSING PAYMENT:Sally and John claim Housing Benefitand live in a three bedroom housewith their two sons Adam (age 15) andSam (age nine).

Although Adam and Sam have their ownbedrooms, Sally and John are classed as‘under-occupying’ their property as Adam isrequired to share a room with Sam. This meanstheir eligible rent will be cut by 14% until Adamturns 16.

As Adam is within six months of the underoccupancy age limit, Sally and John may beeligible to apply for a Discretionary HousingPayment (DHP) to cover the under occupancycharge of 14% until Adam turns 16 andtherefore entitled to his own bedroom.To apply for a DHP contact your local council.

When and What

Let’s talk about…Welfare Reform:‘The Cost!’Saturday 8 June 2013 Grangemouth Town Hall, Bo’ness Road, Grangemouth FK3 8AN

��� ��� ��

11.00am: Browse the Interactive Exhibition(Open throughout the day: Various stands hosted by community-based services and their partners)

11:30am: Welfare Rights Talk(Interactive talk on Welfare Reform and its implications)12noon: ‘The Cost’ (A short play about Welfare Reform)1.00pm: Community Safety Talk (Interactive talk by Central Scotland Police

& Falkirk Council’s Conflict Resolution Service)2.00pm: Don’t Give Fire a Home(Interactive talk by Central Scotland Fire & Rescue Service)

3.00pm: Close

Prize DrawWIN£50Tesco VouchersDrawn at 1, 2 & 3pm

FREE throughout the day!• Entry• Crèche Facilities• Refreshments

Downsize and get transfer priority!Tenants who wish to downsize to a smaller property will be given the highest priority for transfer. Inaddition, Link may be able to offer you up to £300 to help with moving costs.

If you want more information about downsizing then call us on 08451 400 100 or 0330 303 0013 toapply for a transfer pass.

This offer is for a limited first come, first served basis and is for anyone who wishes to downsize(whether on Housing Benefit or not).

www.linkhousing.org.uk

Page 6: LinkHousing Tenants Newsletter Spring 2013

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Tenant participationstrategy review Tenant participation allows tenants to have adirect influence on how their housing servicesare being delivered.

Our tenant participation strategy is being reviewed this year and itwill give tenants a chance to determine what our priorities fortenant participation should be for the next three years.

We will be holding a series of meetings and events to discusskey issues with tenants such as topics for tenant led inspection,scrutiny panel development, training and support, outcomes fortenant participation, methods to encourage participation and howlocal tenants groups are supported.

If you would like to join the scrutiny panel or the tenantparticipation register, please contact Leah Webb, TenantLiaison Officer, on 08451 400 100 or 0330 303 0013 oremail [email protected]

Scrutiny panelServices in thespotlightLink tenants are setting up a newpanel which will work to monitorand improve the services weprovide. The panel will work withstaff to get the best servicepossible and to check, from atenant’s perspective, that Link ismeeting the Charterresponsibilities. The ScottishSocial Housing Charter sets outthe outcomes and standardsthat all tenants should expectfrom their landlord. The panel willbe able to raise concerns aboutperformance, discussimprovement plans and willprovide regular updates in futuretenants newsletters.

08451 400 100 or 0330 303 0013 or [email protected]

Page 7: LinkHousing Tenants Newsletter Spring 2013

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FREE Annual Link tenantfamily trip

Friday 19 July M&Ds Theme Park,Strathclyde Country Park, Motherwell

Following successful trips to Edinburgh Zoo and Blairdrummond Safari Park, we areonce again organising a trip for Link tenants and their families. This year thedestination is M&Ds Theme Park, Strathclyde Country Park, Motherwell. The park haslots of activities such as an Amazonia indoor rainforest, a softplay area and themepark rides for all ages.

Transport will be provided from Edinburgh, Cumbernauld, Falkirk and Glasgow plus other pick up pointsas requested.

We will arrange access to the park, tickets for the rides and provide lunch. To apply for your FREEtickets complete the slip below and send it to:

Eleanor Henderson, Freepost RRBB-XKJB-EHRZ, Link Housing Association Ltd, WatlingHouse, Callendar Business Park, Falkirk, FK1 1XR. As the trip is extremely popular places are on afirst come first served basis. We will let you know if you have secured a place.

Name..............................................................................................................................................................

Address..........................................................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................................................

Telephone ......................................................................................................................................................

Number of adult tickets requested ................................................................................................................

Number of child tickets requested ................................................................................................................

www.linkhousing.org.uk

Page 8: LinkHousing Tenants Newsletter Spring 2013

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Save the dateTenant ConferenceSaturday 12 Octoberat ‘The Lighthouse’ Glasgow

The Link tenant conferencewill this year be held at ‘TheLighthouse’ in Glasgow – thehome of the museum ofarchitecture and design inScotland.

There will be a range ofworkshops to take part inincluding Welfare Reformadvice about getting online,support with employability,tenant scrutiny, mysteryshopping and the ScottishSocial Housing Charter.

More details will beavailable in the Summernewsletter but as usual theconference will be aninformative and fun day out!

Tenant groups in action

Tenants and staff recently carried out estate walkabouts inCarrickstone, Cumbernauld.

Link Edinburgh tenants are working with Edinburgh TenantsFederation to set up a new group to represent the views ofHousing Association tenants.

Residents at McIntyre Avenue, Larbert, areorganising an event as part of the Big Lunchhttp://www.thebiglunch.com/

Allendar Road, Bearsden, organised a litter pick and Easter Egghunt as part of the Keep Scotland Beautiful campaign.

Barnton Residents Association, Buccleuch Street ResidentsAssociation, Oatlands Development Trust and Shortlees Tenantsand Residents Association all held their AGMs.

Link tenants are involved in the Neighbourhood ManagementBoard and Breakfast Club at Hillhouse, Hamilton.

New Petersburn Partnership has organised a monthly clean upand litter pick for Petersburn Park.

Oatlands Community Resource Centre has organised a minibusto shops for local residents.

Oatlands Development Trust successfully bid for £250,000towards a playpark.

Green Dog Walkers campaigns have been set up in Falkirk and Denny.

If you are interested in organising an estate walkabout, litter pick, community funday or trip for your area get involved by contacting Leah Webb, Tenant LiaisonOfficer, on 08451 400 100 or 0330 303 0013 or emailing [email protected]

08451 400 100 or 0330 303 0013 or [email protected]

Page 9: LinkHousing Tenants Newsletter Spring 2013

New homes coming soonWe are due to complete two new developments over the next few months.These affordable housing developments will have homes for rent and for sale.

The homes for rent will be classed as ‘Intermediate Rent’. These are aimed at working households on ashort assured tenancy basis with a security deposit payable.

The homes for sale will be available under ‘Shared Equity’. This allows you to buy a home at between60% and 80% of the full purchase price and hold an equivalent equity stake in the property with theScottish Government holding the remaining equity stake. You have the right to buy out the remainingequity after one year.

Carradale Crescent, Broadwood, CumbernauldIntermediate Rent: 3 x 3 Bedroom Terraced Houses

3 x 2 Bedroom FlatsShared Equity for Sale: 3 x 3 Bedroom Terraced Houses

3 x 2 Bedroom Flats

These homes are scheduled to be completed in August 2013

Greendykes, Craigmillar, EdinburghIntermediate Rent: 6 x 2 Bedroom Terraced Houses

These homes are scheduled to be completed in November 2013

AVAILABLE NOW Kings Place, Craigmillar, Edinburgh

Intermediate Rent: One Bedroom Flats Rent £428.66 PCMTwo Bedroom Flats Rent £518.26 PCM

Shared Equity for Sale: One Bedroom Flats Priced from £57,000Two Bedroom Flats Prices from £69,000

(prices based on 60% Equity Purchase)

9

For more information on these homes please contact our dedicated team on08451 550019 or email: [email protected]

www.linkhousing.org.uk

Page 10: LinkHousing Tenants Newsletter Spring 2013

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Your Right to RepairAll Link tenants have the right to havesmall urgent repairs carried out withina given timescale. This is called theRight to Repair. All tenants are given acopy of the guide to Right to Repair intheir tenancy pack.

The scheme covers certain repairs up to thevalue of £350. These repairs are known as‘qualifying’ repairs. Some examples include:

● unsafe power or lighting sockets orelectrical fittings

● loss or part loss of electric power or watersupply or gas supply

● a blocked flue to an open fire or boiler;

● external windows, doors or locks which arenot secure;

● loss or part loss of space or water heating(if no alternative heating is available);

● toilets which do not flush (if there is no othertoilet in the house)

Please note this is not a full list – pleasecontact us for the list see Scottish Governmentwebsite or you can access the guide at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/46737/0028749.pdf

When you report a repair, Link will let you knowwhether it is our responsibility to repair and if itis a qualifying repair under the Right to Repairscheme. We may need to inspect your hometo find out whether the repair is a qualifyingrepair or not.

Repairs must be carried out within specifictimescales. If Link does not carry out therepair then you have the right to organisean alternative contractor. We can provide alist of contractors or a copy of the guide.

For more information speak to our RepairsTeam on 08451 400 100 option 2.

08451 400 100 or 0330 303 0013 or [email protected]

Page 11: LinkHousing Tenants Newsletter Spring 2013

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Repairs Service Targetsand Standards

We recently carried out a consultation with tenantson our repairs service which focused on how weidentify individual tenants’ needs, how we prioritiseworks and how appointments are used to deliver aneffective service. During the consultation, newresponse targets were agreed and came into forceon 1 April 2013:

Response category Response targets

Emergency 4 hours

Urgent 3 days

Routine 10 days

These response targets will be applied by our current externalcontractors and by our new in house trades team.

It was also highlighted during the consultation that there was anumber of areas in which we could improve such ascommunication, lack of feedback and repeat visits orappointments not being offered.

We are working hard to make sure these areas are beingaddressed and will work to identify the needs of individual tenantsso we can prioritise repair requests within mutually agreedtimescales.

If it suits the tenant better we can arrange an appointmentoutwith the response targets.

For repairs where materials required are not ‘off the shelf’ and itwill take longer than the response target to obtain these materials,appropriate temporary repairs will be completed within therequired category target. Tenants will be advised of this and afurther appointment will be made with the tenant to complete thework when the material has been sourced.

We are setting up a Tenants Repairs Panel in the centralarea to ensure tenants are involved in developing the newservice. If you are interested in joining, contact LeahWebb, Tenant Liaison Officer on 08451 400 100 [email protected]

LINK SAYS NOTO DRUGDEALING!

DRUGS

We have recently evicted atenant from their home fordrug dealing. Bycommitting a seriouscriminal offence, the tenantbreached a tenancycondition which states thattenants, their householdmembers, lodgers, friendsand visitors are forbiddenfrom criminal and anti-social activities.

As the tenant breached theiragreement, they were liable foreviction. We began legalproceedings once they had beenconvicted of drug dealing withinthe vicinity of the home. Linkworked with partnershipagencies to gather evidence tosupport the case for eviction.

Link takes a tough stanceagainst tenants who commitcriminal or anti-social acts in oraround any of our properties.

Evicting tenants from theirhomes is not something that wedo lightly, but in this case wehad to take the strongestpossible action to protectneighbouring families.

www.linkhousing.org.uk

Page 12: LinkHousing Tenants Newsletter Spring 2013

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New complaints procedure As of 1 April 2013, there are some fundamental changes to the way wehandle customer complaints.

In line with other Scottish Housing Associations, we have signed up to the Scottish Public SectorOmbudsman’s Model Complaints Handling Procedure. This procedure simplifies and speeds up thecomplaints process for customers. It will also help Link to learn from complaints and, where appropriate,make changes to our services. Now all complaints about our services will be dealt with in the same way.

If you need to make a complaint you can call us on 08451 400100 / 0330 303 0013, write to us at LinkGroup Ltd, Watling House, Callendar Business Park, Falkirk, FK1 1XR, email us on [email protected] via our website at www.linkhousing.org.uk

The new procedure has two stages:

1 Frontline ResolutionOur aim is to resolve the complaint quickly andas close to the point of service delivery aspossible. Unless there are exceptionalcircumstances, we will give you our responseto your complaint within five working days orless. The response will most likely be given bya member of front line staff. If you are stilldissatisfied, you can askto escalate yourcomplaint to stage 2.

You will have areceived a copy of our‘Complaints: whatyou need to know’booklet with thisnewsletter.

2 InvestigationWe will discuss your complaint with you tounderstand why you remain dissatisfied andalso to find out what outcome you are lookingfor to resolve the complaint. We will give you afull response within 20 working days or less. Ifyou are still dissatisfied, you can ask theScottish Public Sector Ombudsman to look atyour complaint. You can write to them at:

Scottish Public Sector OmbudsmanFREEPOST EH641EdinburghEH3 OBR0800 377 7330www.spso.org.uk

08451 400 100 or 0330 303 0013 or [email protected]

Page 13: LinkHousing Tenants Newsletter Spring 2013

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Investors in Diversity

Link is continuing its effort to ensurethat our services are open to allpeople irrespective of theirbackground or personalcircumstances.

We are working towards being an Investor inDiversity which means that we get advice andguidance on how to make sure our servicesand policies do not discriminate.

We are already a member of Happy toTranslate which means we have the tools tohelp people where English is not their firstlanguage. W przypadku, ze tutejsza informacja bedzie potrzeba w innej wersji n.p.

duzy druk, kaseta audio, lub w innym jezyku, prosze sie sontaktowac znami pod numerem 08451 559 559.

08451 559 559

08451 559 559

08451 559 559

08451 559 559

08451 559 559

Link supporting young peoplewith work experienceLink has offered work placement opportunities aspart of the Scottish Government’s Community JobsScotland (CJS) programme over the past twoyears. At present we have 19 trainees on a 26 weekplacement which offers young people (aged 16-19)who have limited experience within the workplacethe opportunity to gain experience in areas such asadministration, housing support, sheltered housing,care and support, trade and technical skills.

We have also been able to offer SVQ’s inbusiness administration to trainees who areinterested in completing this qualification.

As well as providing on-the-job training andcoaching, Link also offers trainees the chance toincrease their personal development by workingwith a mentor. A mentor is a Link employee whocan provide support and guidance to the trainee inrelation to any goals they would like to achievewhilst employed with Link.

Feedback from 10 individuals who completedthe 26 week placement in summer 2012 has beenpositive with four trainees securing employmentand two trainees accessing further education.

All our work placements available through theCommunity Jobs Fund are advertised on ourwebsite at www.linkhousing.org.uk/careers

‘I felt very welcome and part of theteam very quickly – I am enjoyingworking with Link.’Chris Henderson, trainee

www.linkhousing.org.uk

Page 14: LinkHousing Tenants Newsletter Spring 2013

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Silver Bairns Group

Sheltered news

CASTINGS HOUSE, FALKIRK Residents have set up a new committee (photo right).

Resident Jim Allen (photo below right) has an art exhibition ofhis work at Falkirk Town Hall from 3-17 June 2013.

Jim said: ‘I’ve always liked painting, but took it upmore seriously after some ill health, and got myselfsome £2 oil paints from Falkirk market. I dolandscapes from memory and have done a fewportraits of other residents and given them paintingsfor their houses. I am delighted to have theexhibition – it has taken me 70 years and now I’vedone it.’

Residents attend the Silver Bairns group each week to take partin activities such as exercise and computer classes.

08451 400 100 or 0330 303 0013 or [email protected]

Page 15: LinkHousing Tenants Newsletter Spring 2013

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ALBANY COURT, DENNY A series of cake decorating and card making classes havebeen a great success! Resident Jean McGregor was the winnerof the ‘Great Albany Bake Off’. Our photo shows Amy McKay,Sheltered Housing Manager, presenting Jean with her prize.

PEEL COURT, CAMBUSLANG The committee successfully received £3150 funding fromAwards for All towards for bus outings, live entertainment,computer, kitchen equipment and garden accessories and£400 from South Lanarkshire Council towards computerequipment.

CLADDENS COURTResidents enjoy a range of craft classes, including card making.

BEN LUI Silver Surfer classes are being set up to encourage residents tolearn computer skills.

Rita Kirby, Eleanor Cunningham (Glenpark Gardens) and LizKerr (Balmore) have all completed the Money Mentoring courseand can now offer advice on budgeting.

Food Hygiene courses arranged in April for both tenants andstaff. These courses allow tenants, who complete the training,to organise their own coffee mornings and use the cateringfacilities at the weekend.

Older People’s Day – 1 October 2013We are looking for your ideas for activities, events or fundraising to celebrate the achievements andcontributions that older people make to our society. Speak to your Sheltered Housing Officer if youhave any ideas on how we can celebrate older people’s day.

www.linkhousing.org.uk

Page 16: LinkHousing Tenants Newsletter Spring 2013

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Get set growGardeningcompetition 2013We know that lots of our tenants take pride in their gardens and makea great job of brightening up our estates. Once again we are lookingfor the green fingered amongst you to submit entries for ourgardening competition. Any Link tenant can enter their garden,balcony, allotment or communal area into the competition.

To submit an entry:• post your photo on Link’s Facebook page• email them to [email protected]• post them to Eleanor Henderson, Freepost RRBB-XKJB-

EHRZ, Link Housing Association Ltd, Watling House,Callendar Business Park, Falkirk, FK1 1XR.

Please make sure you include your name and address so wecan contact you if you are a winner. Entries should besubmitted by 31 October 2013. 1st place is £50 B&Qvouchers, 2nd place is £25 B&Q vouchers.

Home Contents InsuranceSince November 2012, 46Link tenants have taken outhome contents insurancewith THiS tenants contents.One Link tenant said,“I switched to THiS and ithas saved me a lot ofmoney each month.I recommended it to myneighbours and encouragemore tenants to get aquote.”

With policies starting fromas little as £1.02 (over 60s) or£1.33 (under 60s) eachfortnight you can cover thecontents of your home forfire, theft, water damage andother household risks. Forfree advice call 08451 6017007 or speak to yourHousing Officer.

Congratulations to AnneWhyte who completed theTHiS wordsearch in the lastedition of Housing News andwon £25 store vouchers.

Congratulations to LouiseKeenan, Falkirk, andAlexander Robb, Dalmuir,who won £50 M&S vouchers.They completed ourcustomer satisfaction surveywhich we send to residents inour new developments 12months after they move in.

Emergency contactnumbers for whenthe office is closed

For repairs to all new boiler orcentral heating systems thatare LESS than 12 months old,please call the number shownon the front of your boiler. If nonumber is shown, call DevineEnergy on 0131 660 2299

For repairs to central heatingsystems MORE than 12months old, call Saltire on08451 400 100 pressingOption 5

If you have any otheremergency repairs:

Call Morrisons on 01698403146 if you live in Argyll& Bute, Clackmannanshire,East Renfrewshire, EastAyrshire, East Dunbartonshire,Falkirk, Glasgow, Inverclyde,North Lanarkshire, Perth &Kinross, Renfrewshire, SouthAyrshire, South Lanarkshire,Stirling or West Dunbartonshire

Call R3 on 03000 999 247 ifyou live in the Borders,Edinburgh, East Lothian, Fife,Midlothian or West Lothian

Call Lochaber HA on 01397702530 (Fort William) or Skye& Lochalsh HA on 01478612035 (Kyle of Lochalsh) ifyou live in the Highlands

Link will produce this information on request in Braille, Audio Tape, Large Print andCommunity Languages. To find out more, please telephone the Customer Service

Centre on 08451 400 100. Link Housing Association Limited is a companyregistered in Scotland. Company registration number SC216300.

Registered Office: Link House, 2C New Mart Road, Edinburgh EH14 1RL.Part of the Link group. © LinkGroup Ltd 2013.

08451 400 100 or 0330 303 0013 or [email protected]