Tenant Advice Service
Our Tenant Advice Service has a team of advisers who are happy to help in the following areas:
Money & Debt Advice
We offer a comprehensive money/debt advice service which is in line with Scottish National Standards, from basic budgeting to debt rescheduling.
- Budgeting Advice – all tenants referred to us will be offered budgeting advice. This will help to manage expenditure and identify gaps in income/benefit entitlement.
- Income Maximisation – where possible we will help tenants to identify expenditures that are high, suggest appropriate options, alternatives and financial products. We will encourage tenants to access all appropriate benefit entitlements.
- Debt Advice – where tenants are in debt, we will discuss the full range of debt remedy options and support them to access those most appropriate to them.
Money Advice Officer: Fiona Whitelaw
Benefits Advice
We offer a comprehensive welfare rights advice service which is in line with Scottish National Standards, from an initial benefit check up to appeals level advice.
- Benefit checks – all tenants will be offered a benefit check. We will identify benefit entitlement and/or ensure income is maximised by checking they are receiving all the benefits they are entitled to.
- Benefit advice – We will explain the benefit application process and discuss the possible outcomes of various benefit applications.
- Benefit applications – assistance to apply for benefits where specialist benefit knowledge is required, as well as help to complete subsequent benefit forms where applicable.
- Challenging decisions – assist tenants through the various stages of challenging benefit decisions.
Welfare Rights Officers: Karen Pryor & Susan Colvin
Tenancy Sustainment Advice
A comprehensive tenancy sustainment advice service, including assisting new and existing tenants to successfully sustain their tenancies.
- Assessing and identifying the needs of our tenants.
- Sourcing and applying for grants, where appropriate.
- Offering referrals to, and support to access appropriate internal and external services.
- Practical help at the start of a new tenancies, such as, council tax and utility set up.
Tenancy Sustainment Officers: Stephanie Marshall, Leo Parades, Trudy Smithers
If you wish to speak to the Tenancy Advice Service, please call 0131 554 0403 or email TenantAdvice@polha.co.uk.