Halton Housing Trust has announced the winner of their first Clear Rent Account competition designed to reward customers who pay their rent on time.
Clair Padley, 41, who lives on the Town Hall Estate in Runcorn, was selected at random from hundreds of Halton Housing Trust customers who had a clear rent account on the day of the draw.
Following the draw Clair received a £250 cheque at her local housing office at Grange House. Among the runners-up were Matthew Hayes and Morris McCormack from Widnes who won £100 and £50 respectively.
The competition was launched as an incentive to encourage customers to keep on top of their rent and includes four draws every year. The next draw is scheduled to take place on 27th June.
The scheme has been designed to be self-financing and is expected to generate real increases in rent receipts while reducing rent arrears at the same time.
Nick Atkin, the Chief Executive of Halton Housing Trust, said: “The competition provides people with an added incentive to pay their rent whilst encouraging customers to take control of their own finances.
“We take the view that it is just as important to reward customers who pay their rent as it is to take action against those who don’t.”
He continued: “We would like to congratulate Clair who won our prize draw which is very well deserved. A big thank you also needs to go out to all our other customers who have managed to keep their accounts clear or reduce their rent arrears.”
Clair has since splashed out her winnings on a Nintendo Wii.
“I was really surprised when my name was picked out of the draw and I was delighted to be presented with the cheque,” said Clair, a Civil Servant. “I spent the money straight away and have been enjoying hours of fun playing on the Wii.
“I think the competition is a really good idea as I always make sure that I’ve got enough money put aside for the rent and that that I pay on time.”
The Trust decided to take action on non payers last summer through its “If you don’t pay, you can’t stay” campaign which included bus stop posters and local bus advertisements.
Although the Trust has emphasised it will not tolerate non-payment of rent, it is also planning to employ a welfare support officer. Their role will be to assist customers to maximise their income to enable them to pay their rent. The Trust has also introduced an additional direct debit date in response to requests from customers.
As part of their approach, a Financial Inclusion Strategy has also been developed. The strategy aims to maximise customers’ income and provide them with longer term solutions where they may be experiencing financial difficulties or hardship.
Customers who are finding it difficult to meet their rent payments are advised to contact a member of the Trust’s Income Recovery Team on 0151 510 50245204, who will refer to other agencies if appropriate.
The Trust has set up surgeries to encourage customers to start saving with the Credit Union while providing assistance on managing their money, planning for the future and dealing with serious financial difficulties.