Residents and Weekly Maintenance Contributions
Some almshouse residents may struggle to pay their weekly maintenance contribution (WMC) over the coming months, particularly if they work in the hospitality sector.
If your resident has their working hours reduced or is made redundant as a result of the coronavirus outbreak, you should encourage them to apply for benefits (housing benefit or universal credit) to help cover the cost fo their WMC.
The Citizens Advice Bureau offers guidance on how to apply for benefits at www.citizensadvice.org.uk.
Turn2Us helps people in financial need gain access to welfare benefits, charitable grants and other financial help. They offer online and telephone support at www.turn2us.org.uk.
There is
likely to be a delay between the resident applying for benefits and them
actually receiving a payment. This could cause them to fall into arrears with
their WMC. Trustees will need to consider how to best to deal with this. The
options could include:
- Giving the resident a temporary ‘WMC holiday’ where they do not have to pay their WMC and no arrears are built up. The trustees should consider whether the charity can afford this, both for the individual and for any other residents who might end up in this situation. The trustees should ensure that as soon as the resident starts to receive their benefit payment that they start to pay their WMC again.
- Not charging WMC to the resident for a fixed period of time but agreeing that they’ll pay back any WMC owed when they’re back on their feet. This should not exceed 2-3 months as a large arrears could cause distress and hardship to the resident.
Trustees
should show flexibility and compassion when dealing with residents who fall
into hardship over the coming months. These are extraordinary times and the
almshouse movement should continue to be seen to be supporting those in need.
Setting aside an appointment should be avoided at all costs.
The Almshouse Association is monitoring government announcements for any updates on support available to almshouse charities and residents. Updates will be made in due course.
Posted 24 Mar 2020