Your rent and finances during the COVID-19 pandemic

We know that this is a worrying time and we understand that many of you will be affected financially by the measures the Government has put in place, but we’re committed to ensuring no one is evicted as a direct result of COVID-19. We’ve put together some FAQs about paying your rent, but if you need further advice and support, including helping you make claims for the benefits you’d be entitled to, get in touch with our Income team on housing@tuntum.co.uk, or contact your income officer on 01159166066 as soon as you can.

A – If your household income has been reduced, we would recommend that you make a claim for benefits, to include the housing element for your rent. If you are entitled to Universal Credit, you will be able to request an advance payment to give you access to funds straight away. The Government has put in place additional measures to ensure that claims are paid without delay, and some people who may not have been entitled to benefits before, will now be able to make a claim.

All we ask is that you make a claim for the benefits you are entitled to, and pay to us your normal rent once your benefits are in payment. If you have had to wait for your benefits to be paid to you meaning arrears have built up on your account, we will come to an agreement for this to be repaid at an affordable rate, once things have settled down. Please speak to one of the Rents team who will be able to help you set up this repayment arrangement. 

You can contact them on:

 housing@tuntum.co.uk 

or 01159166066.

A – We know that this is a difficult time for everyone, and we will continue to support you through it, all we ask is that you keep in touch. We are committed to a ‘no eviction’ approach in line with national guidelines, and therefore we will not take any action for unpaid rent during this time if you are affected by Government measures or the impacts of coronavirus.

A – We have income officers who can advise you on making a claim for benefits. Alternatively visit www.entitledto.co.uk and click on the online calculator tool to check if you’re eligible to make a claim for benefits during this time.

You can contact our income officers on housing@tuntum.co.uk or by calling 01159166066

A – Mortgage lenders are offering payment holidays for up to 3 months for people whose income has been affected by the coronavirus. This will need to be paid back to lenders, and interest is likely to be added. The Government has introduced additional support which means that you may now be entitled to claim for your rent to be ‘paid’ whilst your income is affected. Please visit www.entitledto.co.uk to check if you are eligible for help with paying your rent.

A – If your income has not been affected by the measures put in place, you will need to carry on paying as you normally do. If your income is affected, and you are now unable to meet these payments, please contact your income officer on housing@tuntum.co.uk or 01159166066 to discuss your account. We will assess your current agreement or court order to make sure this is still affordable for you.

A – There are a number of different payment methods available to you.

  • Use your AllPay card to make payment using the AllPay telephone line on 0330 041 6497 or you can pay your rent online
  • Use your AllPay card to make payment by downloading the AllPay app for your smart phone
  • Pay your rent by bank transfer using your online or telephone banking. Make sure you quote your tenancy number as your payment reference so we can allocate the payment to your rent account. Our bank details are as follows:
    • Sort code: 30-80-12
    • Account number: 11758368
  • To set up a direct debit call 01159166066 where we can set this up over the phone for you

A – You can continue to call our offices on 01159166066 –  Monday to Friday between 9am to 5pm to make rent payments.

Further support and information

We will continue to update our website if anything changes over the coming weeks. We appreciate that situations are changing on a daily basis at the moment, so if your situation changes, please keep in touch with us so we can support you.