Housing costs
Managing rent and service charge payments
Our Customer Accounts Team help customers keep on track with rent and service charge payments. If you miss a payment, or your financial position changes, we will work with you to find a solution and discuss affordable repayment plans. Our promise is that no one will lose their home where they are working with us to make payments.
If you think you will struggle to pay, please let us know as soon as you can by visiting the My Onward Portal, emailing customeraccounts@onward.co.uk, or calling 0300 555 0600.
If you don’t work with us, we may need to apply to Court for possession of your home, which will cost you a further £350 in fees. And if you still fail to pay, you will be in breach of your tenancy agreement which could result in you being evicted. Please don’t leave it too late to work with us, as once an application has been made to the Court it cannot be withdrawn.
Benefits calculator
Our benefits calculator can help you explore which benefits you may be entitled to. It’s free to use, and the details you provide are anonymous.
Before you start, make sure you have information about your savings, income, pensions and existing benefits for you and other household members.
If you run out of time, don’t worry, you can save your progress and pick up right where you left off.
launch the benefits calculator
Universal Credit
Universal Credit (UC) is a benefit that can help you with your living costs, and replaces several legacy benefits, including income-based job seekers allowance, income-related employment and support allowance, Housing Benefit, income support, working tax credits and child tax credits.
If you already receive any of these benefits and you have a change of circumstances, you will need to claim for UC. A change of circumstances could be starting a new job, being declared fit or unfit for work, a partner moving in or out of your home, or having a new baby.
It can take up to five-weeks from when you claim until your first payment, and claims are not backdated, so it is important that you make your claim as quickly as possible. You can start your claim on the Government’s website.
To make sure your claim goes smoothly you will need:
- Access to the internet
UC can only be claimed online. If you don’t have access to a computer, you can make a claim on a mobile or tablet device. If you don’t have any of these, there may be free facilities such as libraries or job centres in your local area. You can also apply for a free digital device and data via Onward Digital Connect.
- An email address
To apply for UC, you’ll need to set up an account with an email address. If you don’t already have an email address, you can set one up for free through Outlook, Google or Yahoo.
- A bank account
You will need a bank, building society or Post Office account that allows automated payments to receive your UC payments. You may need to check with your provider that your account allows this. Most high street banks will offer a basic account that does not require a credit check or charge a fee. For more guidance on opening a bank account, please watch this short video.
- Key information to hand
You will be asked to provide key information as part of your claim, including:
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- how much you earn from work, such as recent payslips, or accounts or receipts if you’re self-employed
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- any income that’s not from work, for example a pension or insurance plan
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- any savings or other capital you have, for example shares or property
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- how much you pay for childcare, if you want to claim childcare costs
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- child benefit reference number(s) if you claim this benefit (you can find this on letters about child benefit, they start with ‘CHB’)
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- details of any other benefits you receive
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- who lives with you
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- your partners’ details if you have one
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- your National Insurance number
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- your postcode
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- your type of accommodation, for example a housing association tenancy
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- how much rent you pay each month
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- your landlord’s address and phone number
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- your bank, building society, credit union or Post Office card account details
If you need any assistance with your UC claim, please get in touch with us by visiting the My Onward Portal, emailing moneyadviceteam@onward.co.uk, or calling 0300 555 0600 between 8am – 6pm Monday to Friday and 10am – 6pm on Wednesdays.
Discretionary housing payments
If you currently receive Housing Benefit, or the housing element of Universal Credit, you can apply for a Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP) for financial support to help with rent or housing costs.
Your local council will have their own application process for a DHP and will consider your circumstances to determine if you are eligible.