Professional Documents
Culture Documents
IN THIS ISSUE
GARTH OPENING HOURS : MONEY AND BENEFITS UPDATE : DERWENTHORPE ENERGY CENTRE JRHT ANNUAL MEETING : YOUR WARD COMMITTEE : FAMIILY LEARNING HEARING DOGS - FUND RAISING IDEA : SMARTERBUYS : ENER-G SWITCH 2 COMMUNITY NEWS : CONTACTING US
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Trust News . . .
. . . the magazine that goes out to residents of the Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust. Trust News is your magazine, so if there are any issues or community news which you would like to see included or if you have any suggestions for improving Trust News or ideas for articles you would like to see (or even write), we would love to hear from you. Contact Ursula on 01904 735020 or email ursula.berry@jrf.org.uk
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Kathryn Keith
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Benefits Update
Next year brings many changes to the benefits system. Preparation is key for many of these changes, so we want to make sure that everyone who will be affected is aware of exactly what is happening and when. If any of the changes below apply to you and you have not already done so, please get in touch with a Money and Benefits Adviser as soon as possible. Please note that none of these changes will affect those of pension age or over. Housing Benefit? From April 2013, you will receive less benefit if you have any spare bedrooms in your house. You are allowed a bedroom for each adult or couple in the household. Children are dealt with as follows: Children under 16 of the same sex are expected to share a room Children under 10 are expected to share a room, regardless of sex The only exception is if you are disabled, you are allowed an extra bedroom if you need a non-resident, regular, overnight carer. Your housing benefit will be reduced by 14% if you have one spare bedroom and by 25% if you have two or more spare bedrooms. Housing Benefit will also be phased out and replaced by Universal Credit (see below). Having your Housing Benefit paid to your landlord will no longer be an option as Universal Credit will be paid in one monthly sum, directly to you. This does not apply to those over pension age. Disability Living Allowance? From April 2013, Disability Living Allowance (DLA) will start to be replaced with a new benefit called Personal Independence Payment (PIP). It will be introduced in April for new claims in the north of England, and gradually rolled out over the whole country for all new claims. Existing claimants of DLA will have their awards reassessed between April 2014 and March 2016. All existing claimants of DLA will be reassessed, even those who currently have a lifetime award. Please note this does not apply to Attendance Allowance. Council Tax Benefit? In April 2013 Council Tax Benefit is being replaced by support from Local Authorities. It has been announced that funding will be cut by 10% so it is likely that even if you currently receive full Council Tax Benefit then in April you will have to pay something. This does not apply to pensioners. If this affects you, then the council will contact you directly. Jobseekers Allowance, Income Support or Employment and Support Allowance? In October 2013, income based Jobseekers Allowance, Child Tax Credit, Working Tax Credit, Housing Benefit, income related Employment and Support Allowance and Income Support was replaced by Universal Credit. It is being introduced to try and make the benefits system simpler and it will be paid directly to you on a monthly basis in one lump sum. This change to Universal Credit will be gradual for existing claimants you will be transferred across either when you have a change in circumstances or at a date set by the government. The Money and Benefits Advisers can be contacted in the following ways: By dropping in to The Garth, White Rose Avenue, New Earswick, YO32 4TZ By calling the Freephone number 0800 587 0211 Paul Rose paul.rose@jrht.org.uk 01904 735 026 Kathryn Wordsworth kathryn.wordsworth@jrht.org.uk 01904 735 025 www.jrht.org.uk
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Around 130 residents attended the Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust annual meeting on Saturday 29 September at Joseph Rowntree School in New Earswick. The meeting informed residents on the current and future work of JRHT and provided residents with an opportunity to question JRHT directors on the work of JRHT. It also provided an opportunity to celebrate the talents and contribution that residents make as individuals and groups. The Hartfields resident choir, Diana Brabbs a new resident at Plaxton Court, Anne Norris resident at Orchard Court and member of the Clear Info Group and June Groom from Hartfields Gardening Group provided excellent examples of how residents have come together to improve the environment for residents. The annual meeting also provides an opportunity for JRHT to work with Joseph Rowntree School, and this year GSCE year 11 drama students created an improvisation drama with an intergenerational theme. The drama was titled Breaking Thoughts was created by studying case studies from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation Dementia without walls research and by interviewing people who have dementia and their carers, providing an in-sight into what it is like to live with dementia. The drama represented how dementia affects daily lives and aims to show the challenges people with dementia face when carrying out tasks that we take for granted.
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. . . just by tearing the stamps off letters, parcels and postcards you receive, you can raise vital funds for Hearing Dogs. Please leave a 1cm border around the stamp and sort into British and Foreign in order for us to maximise the funds raised. You can send your used stamps direct to Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, at PO Box 6198, Leighton Buzzard, Beds LU7 9GW. The dealer doesnt have the facilities to be able to acknowledge your gift, however, should you wish to be kept informed as to where the valuable funds raised are spent, please contact 01844 348 100 or email info@hearingdogs.org.uk and they will be happy to send a letter. In 2005 enough funds were raised for the first stamp dog, Becks (Beckham), a spaniel from a litter of puppies all named for the 2004 England football team. Since then stamps have supported 5 more hearing dogs Penny (a black Labrador), Womble (a black and white mongrel), Flynn (a Duck Tolling Retriever), Woody (a Labrador x Poodle) and Marti (a Cocker Spaniel x Poodle). So you can see that every stamp you send plays a part . . so please keep sending the stamps and remember that no amount is too small!
Smarterbuys is offering savings to tenants. You can make purchases through the Smarterbuys website http://www.smarterbuys.org.uk Smarterbuys are increasing their offers every week and have great offers on their site, ranging from washing machines to cordless phones. They have recently added small electrical starter packs and will add more soon. Coming shortly will be beds, bedroom furtniture and dining furniture. Smarterbuys want to help tenants money to stretch as far as it can. They already offer various payment routes, so that you can access affordable credit, instead of relying on doorstep lenders, payday loans or weekly payment stores.
ADMIN TEAM
Paul Rose Money and Benefit Advisor for York and District Tel: 01904 735026 paul.rose@jrf.org.uk Kathryn Wordsworth Money and Benefit Advisor for New Earswick Tel: 01904 735025
kathryn.wordsworth@jrf.org.uk
Susan Wheller Office and Admin Assistant Tel: 01904 735032 susan.wheller@jrf.org.uk Helen Warters Admin Assistant Tel: 01904 735028 helen.warters@jrf.org.uk
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Sally Houghton Service Improvement Manager Tel: 01904 735032 sally.houghton@jrf.org.uk Fateha Begum Resident Involvement Officer Tel: 01904 735008 fateha.begum@jrf.org.uk Matthew Harper Community Development Officer Tel: 07802 927354 matthew.harper@jrf.org.uk Sandra Marshall Early Years Manager Tel: 01904 750323 little.rowans@jrf.org.uk
HARTFIELDS
Tel: 01429 855070 Dale Owens Neighbourhood Manager Hartfields Tel: 01429 855072 dale.owen@jrf.org.uk Lynne Lee Care and Support Manager Hartfields Tel: 01429 855078 lynne.lee@jrf.org.uk
Charlotte Hope Neighbourhood Services Officer 0800 5870211 Hartfields ____________________ Tel: 01429 855081 charlotte.hope@jrf.org.uk Carole Burns Catering Manager Tel: 01429 855075 carole.burns@jrf.org.uk Kim Andrews Senior Receptionist Hartfields Tel: 01429 855070 kim.andrews@jrf.org.uk Lynne Dawson Admin. Officer Hartfields Tel: 01429 855080 lynne.dawson@jrf.org.uk
EMERGENCY REPAIRS
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CARE SERVICES
HARTRIGG OAKS RECEPTION Tel: 01904 750700 John Kennedy Director of Care Services Tel: 01904 752201 john.kennedy@jrf.org.uk Central Care Services Tel: +44 (0)1904 752209 Fax: +44 (0)1904 752225
marketing@hartriggoaks.org.uk
Isobel McCoy Neighbourhood Services Officer CUSTOMER SERVICE ADVISORS for York and District Tel: 01904 752922 isobel.mccoy@jrf.org.uk Advice and information on Nadia Rehman Neighbourhood Services Officer repairs and provisions for York and District Tel: 01904 0800 5870211 Tel: 01904 752916 nadia.rehman@jrf.org. uk Beverley Atkinson beverley.atkinson@jrf.org.uk Donna Stead Neighbourhood Services Fiona Crawford Assistant fiona.crawford@jrf.org.uk (temp. maternity cover) Tel: 01904 752921 Jackie Smith donna.stead@jrf.org.uk jackie.smith@jrf.org.uk Kathryn Keith Neighbourhood Services Officer Scarborough Area (temp. maternity cover) Tel: 01723 340290 Fax: 01723 341888 kathryn.keith@jrf.org.uk
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