Case Studies - housing associations promoting financial inclusion
Updated October 2008
New Charter Housing Trust
MiNT – Money Information Network Tameside
New Charter Housing Trust owns and manages over 14,000 homes in the Tameside area of Greater Manchester.
Money Information Network Tameside (MiNT) is a multi agency partnership, spearheaded by New Charter, working to promote financial inclusion in the area. The partnership, which includes other housing providers, the local CAB, Sure Start and a local Credit Union, was borne out of an increasing awareness that rent and utility debts are caused more by poor levels of financial literacy rather than an unwillingness to pay.
Now in its fourth year MiNT delivers a co-ordinated approach to addressing the issue of poor financial literacy by providing financial literacy training, access to affordable loans, access to bank accounts, money management and debt advice.
Outcomes from the MiNT partnership include:
- 61 people have received debt awareness training
- Over 100 people attended the MiNT financial inclusion conference
- The website has over 1200 ‘hits’ per month
- Welfare benefits advice has generated increased income to tenants in excess of £150,000 per annum
Above: Attendees at the MiNT Financial Inclusion Conference
Raven Housing Trust
Free to use ATM
Raven Housing Trust provides high quality affordable homes and services to local people in and around east Surrey. In 2007 Raven joined with the Nationwide Building Society to provide a free to use ATM for the residents of Redhill and Banstead. Many of Raven’s residents could previously only access money via existing ATM’s that charged up to £ 1.85 per withdrawal – a significant amount for those on low incomes. The free to use ATM has proved a great success amongst the local community. The installation of a second ATM is being considered.
Above: The new free to use ATM
Axiom Housing Association
Welfare Benefits Check Up for New Tenants
Axiom Housing Association operate throughout Lincolnshire & Cambridgeshire and areas of Huntingdonshire providing general and supported housing, sheltered schemes, foyers, hostels and floating support.
Over the past five years Axiom staff have focused upon maximising new tenants entitlement to a wide range of welfare benefits.
When signing a new tenant up for a property Axiom staff supports the prospective tenant to claim any housing benefit and community care grants they may be entitled to. The information supplied by the tenant is used to check for entitlement to other potential welfare benefits. A referral is made to an in house welfare rights advisor who then supports the tenant to access any additional benefits they may be entitled to. Axiom have found this service has been particularly helpful in helping those in receipt of part time earnings to negotiate their way through the complexities of the welfare benefits system. By carrying out this comprehensive check of entitlements the correct amount of rent is able to be paid by the tenant from the start of the tenancy thus helping to prevent rent arrears.
Over the past 2 years, Axiom staff have helped 163 tenants gain £662,016.19 in additional welfare benefits.
Derwent Living Derby
Derwent Living own and manage over 10,000 homes across the Midlands, South East, Yorkshire and Humber regions.
Derwent Living has embarked on the development of a number of initiatives to help combat financial exclusion amongst their customers.
The organisation is currently developing:
- A partnership with Derby Credit union. Derwent Living and the Credit Union will be working with local people - offering a savings and loans facility to encourage saving and the take up of affordable credit
- A budgeting advice leaflet which will be distributed in tenancy sign up packs
- An affordable warmth strategy and investigating a social enterprise that could offer the installation of property insulation
- A white goods offer. Derwent Living are working with an electrical contractor to offer a range of competitively priced white goods packages to their customers - to include fridge/freezers, cookers and washing machines. Customers and Derwent Living staff will be able to apply for funding to the credit union to help with the purchase and;
- Links with Furniture Re-use Network members who operate in the same areas as Derwent Living. Information is made available to customers on furniture recycling schemes and the organisation has established a referral process.
For more information on the projects that Derwent Living are developing please contact Jane Dredge at Derwent Living, No 1 Centro Place, Pride Park, Derby.Telephone: 01332 614962, Email info@derwentliving.com.
Above: Derwent Living budgeting advice leaflet
Gentoo
Libra Partnership – Helping the residents of Sunderland
Launched in November 2007, The Libra Partnership was established to provide a co-ordinated approach to tackling financial exclusion in Sunderland. The partnership brings together a variety of voluntary and not-for-profit organisations including Gentoo, the local credit union, Sunderland City Council and the local Citizens Advice Bureau.
The partnership aims to:
- Improve local knowledge around the financial products and services available
- Provide free money advice and signposting
- Provide information in relation to how to access bank accounts, affordable credit and other financial products
Since the partnership was set up:
- Libra have hosted 5 profile-raising community events around the city of Sunderland
- Libra have had a presence at the International Friendship Festival (Washington) and have plans to attend Sunderland International Airshow and the Sunderland STAR Festival (Sunderland Together Against Racism)
- Through Libra, Gentoo have been working closely with partner Fiscus to host a Benefit Take-up Campaign for their tenants. Launched July 2008 it has already seen £10500 of debt cases consolidated and based on figures to date, will see £ 33208.76 financially gained over the course of the year
- New partners to Libra have increased expertise to include employment, enterprise, older people and home energy information
- Libra have directly helped and/or referred callers of the Libra number in queries relating to: basic bank accounts, mortgage and loan advice, debt management, business start-up advice, benefit entitlement checks, and home contents insurance
The Libra Partnership has produced a guide to financial services and local sources of help which had been distributed to Gentoo households in the area. In addition, the partnership also has a dedicated website at www.librasunderland.co.uk
For more information on the Libra Partnership contact:
Victoria Mackay
Gentoo Income Management Coordinator
0191 5255359
07734597889
Or call the dedicated Libra phone line on 0191 5255678
Share Your Financial Inclusion Work with Us!
One of the key aims of the National Housing Federation is to promote the valuable and wide ranging work that housing associations do. If your organisation is operating a financial inclusion initiative that is really making a difference to your customers then the Federation wants to hear about it. Click on the link below and use our template to help with your case study submission.
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