Struggling to pay your rent

If you’re having difficulty paying your rent, worried about money problems or struggling on a low income, our Income Officers are here to help.

Your dedicated Income Officer is your main point of contact for any rent-related concerns. They’ll deliver tailored support for your circumstances, including but not limited to:

• Discuss your current financial situation and any rent arrears 
• Work with you to create a manageable payment plan 
• Help you stay on track with your rent account 
• Provide support with Universal Credit and other benefits 
• Connect you with additional financial support and budgeting advice, if needed. 

What do we mean by rent arrears? 

If you fall behind on paying your rent, we call this being in arrears. Even one missed payment, or underpaying would mean you’re in arrears. It’s important to act quickly if you’re worried about missing a payment or have already missed one. 

What happens if you fall behind 

If you miss a rent payment, we will contact you to understand your situation and offer support. 

We will work with you to create an affordable payment plan to help you catch-up.  

What is a payment plan? 

A payment plan is an affordable way to help you manage what’s owed. We’ll work with you to create a plan that’s tailored to your financial circumstances, helping you stay on track without added stress. When customers agree to a payment plan, we expect them to: 

• Engage with us early if you're struggling 
• Stick to the payment agreement 
• Keep in touch if your circumstances change 

If you maintain your agreement, no further action will be taken. 

What If payments are not met? 

If you continually fail to make rent payments and do not engage with us, this is a breach of your tenancy agreement. It could lead to legal action, including eviction. 

We want to avoid this outcome and will do everything we can to support you before it reaches that stage. 

Talk to us 

If you're worried about paying your rent, think you might struggle, or want to speak to your dedicated Income Officer, we’re here to help.

It’s important that you reach out and let us know what’s going on. To speak to us, you can: 

• Call us on 03000 120 120 
• Email act@alliancehomes.org.uk   
• Complete a ‘Contact us’ webform 
• Send us a message in Connect, our customer portal or through Live Chat on our website 
• Send us a letter or visit us at Alliance Homes, 40 Martingale Way, Portishead, BS20 7AW.