Payments
Home-Loss Payment
Expenses
Housing Benefit and Council
Tax Benefit
Handing in keys
Contact us
Comments, Compliments and complaints
On occasions some of our customers may be affected by a decision by the
Council to proceed with the selective demolition/conversion of their homes.
Prior to the Council's decision to proceed with any demolition/conversion
scheme we will carry out an extensive consultation with all of our customers
that are affected. We will also consult all of the stakeholders that are
likely to be affected.
Following the Council's decision to proceed with a demolition/conversion
scheme we will contact all of our customers who are affected in order to
discuss and identify their individual re-housing requirements i.e. the type of
property they require and the area in which they wish to be re-housed. We will
actively assist our customers seeking properties provided by our Bolton
Community Homes partners and will support those customers who wish to move to
owner occupation.
The following information is provided for any customer who is affected by a
demolition/conversion scheme:
Any of our customers who have to move as a result of a demolition/conversion scheme will be entitled to a Statutory Home-Loss payment in accordance to the provisions made under the Land Compensation Act 1973 - s.29(1)(c). There are two types of payment that can be made. One is a home-loss payment. The other is expenses. Neither can be paid until a customer has moved out of their property and handed in their keys.
This is a payment that we are required to make, but only to those tenants
who qualify for it i.e. those who have lived in their current property for 12
months or more. The amount is set by law, but we may deduct from this sum
anything that you owe us.
You will need to complete a claim form for this payment. The staff at your
Local Estate Office, or a dedicated liaison officer, will help you to do this
when you hand in your keys. Payments will be made by the Council's Legal
Department and, although we cannot guarantee exactly when this will be done,
the process usually takes about two weeks.
If yours is a joint tenancy, both of you will have to sign the form. Both of
you will need to attend the Estate Office, or an appointment with your Liaison
Officer for this, and you should bring with you some proof of identity.
When you have accepted a new tenancy, you will need to contact your liaison
officer in order to agree a date on which you will be moving to your new home.
The liaison officer will arrange for a removal van on the date of your move,
provided that your move is within the Borough. We will pay the removal firm
direct.
For any other items, such as disconnection/reconnection of telephones, gas
appliances and so on, you will need to make your own arrangements (please
remember that anyone working with gas appliances must be CORGI registered).
You will have to pay any bills and produce the receipted bills (all at one
time is best) to your liaison officer. We will arrange to repay you for any
qualifying items. If you are in any doubt about whether an item will be
repaid, please ask your liaison officer first.
If you already claim Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit, it will be necessary for you to inform the Benefit Service of your change of address and to submit a new claim in order to ensure that you continue to receive payments at your new address. You can do this by completing one of the claim forms that are available at your local Estate Office, and then by handing in your completed form along with any necessary proofs of identification and income. Please remember that Housing Benefit is payable on your principle address, so you must move into your new property as soon as possible.
You will need to agree with your liaison officer the date to hand in your
keys to your old property. It is important that you hand your keys in as soon
as possible after you leave so that we can arrange to have certain services
like your electric supply, disconnected.
Please don't forget to arrange for final readings to be taken of your gas and
electricity meters. Before your move you will probably need to give at least
48 hours notice to your current gas and electricity suppliers.
Nickki Pope (Senior Lawyer Community)
Telephone 01204 331104
Email: nikki.pope@bolton.gov.uk
If you would like more information, or have a comment, complaint or suggestion about how we can improve our services or complain to us about a service you have received. A form is available from reception areas, or by using the feedback link below or contact us directly on 01204 335765 and we will send you one. You can also give feedback in writing to:
Best Practice & Performance Team
Bolton at Home
FREEPOST NAT13006
Bolton
BL1 8ZZ
Or email: Housing.complaints@boltonathome.org.uk
Feedback form
Housing Benefits entitlement (opens in a new window)
