We are pleased to share our priorities for year 4 of our Corporate Business Plan 2025 which runs from April 2023 to March 2024. This year we will be prioritising customer service to ensure we meet residents’ expectations, while also meeting our other objectives.
Read our Corporate Business Plan update online here.
If you’d like an alternative format of this plan, we can provide a printed copy, large print, Braille, audio tape, or translated version. To request an alternative format, please call 020 8633 8764 or email citeam@ccha.biz.
Did you miss your first Cost of Living Payment this year?
People on specific means-tested benefits, including Universal Credit, Pension Credit, ESA (income related only), Income Support and Working Tax Credits, should have already received a one-off payment of £301 towards the cost of living crisis. This money was paid between 26 April 2023 and 17 May 2023 (slightly different dates applied to those on Tax Credits only).
To be eligible for the Cost-of-Living Payment, you must have been entitled to payment for one of these benefits between 26 January and 25 February 2023.
Please note if you recently became eligible for Pension Credit (i.e., made a claim on or before 19 May 2023). The award was backdated to 25 February 2023 or before – you should still get the payment.
£150 Cost of Living Payment for those with a Disability
People on Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payment or Attendance Allowance will receive a one-off payment of £150 between 20 June and 4 July 2023. Again, if you have made a new application for one of these benefits but have not yet had a decision, and this decision is later backdated, you could still be entitled.
How to report a missing £301 Cost of Living Payment
You can report a missing Cost of Living Payment if you think you should have had the £301 payment but cannot see it in your bank, building society or credit union account.
Report a missing Cost of Living Payment.
Scam Warning: Payments are made automatically like you usually get your Benefit payments. If you receive a text message, phone call or email inviting you to make an application for one of these payments, please be careful – it could be a scam.
Calling all our Residents on Pre Payment-Meters – last chance to use or claim your Energy Vouchers:
Around 25% of vouchers in the South East of England are yet to be claimed.
Households on prepayment meters must claim their Energy Support vouchers by 30 June if needed. You will not be able to use them after this date. If you are on a prepayment meter and haven’t received vouchers (one a month for around £66.00 from October 2022 to March 2023, worth a total of £400.00), please get in touch with your Energy Supplier as soon as possible.
Scammers want to steal your money – please be vigilant.
It is not just the elderly and vulnerable that are being caught out. With the increased use of smartphones, social media etc., anyone can be a victim. Remember, Banks, Amazon, Retailers, HMRC etc., will NEVER contact you for your passwords, pin numbers, bank details etc. Never click on links in texts or emails, and never give anyone remote access to your online devices. Be wary of automated calls. Watch out for messages that try and rush you into taking urgent action. If you have any doubts, step away, wait a while and speak to a friend or member of your family first.
The online Which group has a – free scam alert service that can help you spot and avoid the latest scams.
We are happy to announce that we have settled into our new office at 29 Sheldon Street.
The new address is only two minutes from the High Street and not far from public bus stops or train stations. You can see our location on the map included below.
How to find us:
Sheldon Street is located a 2-minute walk from Croydon High Street.
Public transport:
If coming in to East, West or South Croydon Station, you can walk to Sheldon Street in 15-18 minutes, with East Croydon being the closest. If you prefer to get a bus, there are several services that stop along the High Street, however, do require a 2–5-minute walk to reach Sheldon Street.
Driving & parking:
Sheldon Street can be accessed just off the A232. There are a few parking options in the area:
- Pay and Display: Wandle Surface Car Park – this car park is located opposite the office.
- Prebooked Parking: Wandle Road Apcoa Parking – this car park is a 1-minute walk to the office.
- On road parking: you may be able to find on road, pay & display parking in the area.
We are open Mondays to Fridays, 9 am to 5 pm by appointment only.
As our staff are working in the office and at home, they may not be in when you visit without an appointment, therefore, please contact us beforehand to arrange a visit.
Residents can either contact individual team members, email customers@ccha.biz or call our switchboard on 0800 054 6710 to arrange an appointment.
If you need help finding us on the day of your appointment, please call 0800 054 6710 for directions.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Energy vouchers
Please note that the deadline to claim your energy vouchers is Friday 30 June!
If you are on a pre-paid metre and haven’t received your £67 per month voucher to help with your energy bills, please contact your energy supplier before the end of June. If you are unsure how to do this or require further information, don’t hesitate to contact Jane White by emailing janew@ccha.biz.
Cost of Living Payments
The first Cost of Living Payment for this financial year is due anytime between 25 April and 17 May 2023.
You may be entitled up to 3 Cost of Living Payments of £301, £300 and £299 if you get any of the following benefits or tax credits on specific dates:
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Income Support
- Pension Credit
- Universal Credit
- Child Tax Credit
- Working Tax Credit
The amount will be paid automatically into your account. Do not click any links or provide your bank details to anyone requesting this payment.
If you do not receive this first payment, please contact Jane White.
For more information, please visit the Government website.
Rent changes & housing benefit
If you are a resident living in Sutton and have not updated your rent with the local council since 2021, you may be getting paid less housing benefit than you are entitled. This applies to residents who get their housing benefits paid directly to them.
In 2021, Sutton Council stopped accepting Landlord rent increase notifications, meaning residents need to inform the council directly of any rent increase themselves. If you aren’t sure whether you have done this or need support advising Sutton Council, please contact Jane White.
If you need any support with paying your energy bills, counselling or help with accessing benefits, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our Welfare & Debt Advice Officer, Jane White, by emailing janew@ccha.biz.
Power outages can happen at any time, either planned or unplanned. With some preparation, you can ensure you are safe and your home is protected during these times.
If you want to check if there is a power outage in your area, you can visit: https://www.ukpowernetworks.co.uk/power-cut
Before the power outage:
- Staying warm: Stock up on thick blankets, bedding and clothing.
- Alternative lighting: Candles may look nice, but they’re a fire and health hazard and should be avoided. Having a torch with batteries means you won’t drain your phone battery, which you might need in an emergency. Getting a solar lantern that can recharge without plugging in or LED lanterns with long-lasting batteries are two other ways to safely light your house.
- Food: Try and keep some non-perishable foods that don’t require cooking in your cupboards such as canned meats, fish, vegetables and fruit or nuts, dried fruits and energy bars.
- Communication: Charge mobile phones, power banks, laptops and other devices. Although landlines are likely to still work even in a power cut many homes no longer have one.
- Key numbers: Make sure you have your utility’s emergency number written down somewhere. If you smell a gas leak, you don’t want to be reliant on Wi-Fi to pull up your utility’s emergency number.
- First aid kit: make sure it is easily accessible
- Something to do: Have some entertainment ready, books, board games, jigsaw puzzles: anything that doesn’t need electricity to work. The biggest enemy during power outages will be boredom, particularly for young children and young adults.
During the power outage:
When the power does go out:
- Do not open fridges or freezers as the cold air will escape.
- If the property has a hot water tank don’t take a shower or bath –save that water for hot water bottles, since the tank will stay warm for a while after the power goes out.
- Unplug electronic equipment including computers, TVs, sound systems, chargers, air fryers, microwaves and ovens. There may be a small possibility of power surges once on the power comes back on, so unplugging will avoid damage and keep people safe.
- Secure vulnerable pets.
- Check on vulnerable neighbours who may need help.
When the power comes back on:
The power will all come back at once, but that doesn’t mean things will work perfectly right away, lots of things may need resetting.
- Check the fuse box for flipped trip switches
- Reset clocks and timers
- Reset Wi-Fi
- Check your refrigerator and freezer for any spoiled food. Some foods, like ice cream, are unsafe to refreeze
- Check on vulnerable neighbours
Thank you to Zurich for providing the above advice.
Read the newsletter online today.
In this edition, we cover:
- How to claim all the benefits you’re entitled to
- Money saving tips
- An update on youth initiatives & how you can take advantage of holiday clubs for your children
- Recent resident events
- How to report damp and mould
- What happens when you call us, including an interview with Debbie
- And more!
As usual, we have our competition for you to enter for a chance to win Love2Shop vouchers and we have included even more recipes for you to try.
We hope you enjoy reading this edition of Connections and if you have any feedback, please get in touch by emailing me at rachell@ccha.biz
Want to receive Connections directly to your inbox? Sign up to our email list.
Do you need the newsletter in an alternative format? We can provide print versions, large print, audio tape, Braille and translated versions. Request yours by calling 020 8633 8731 or emailing citeam@ccha.biz.
In this month’s edition of Money Matters, we are looking at ways of saving money, and ensuring you are getting any top up of benefits you are entitled to.
Saving on your energy bills
If you are struggling to pay your energy bills, having issues with your supplier, or want to know more about how energy is charged, you can visit the Ofgem Energy Aware website page to find links and resources.
Discounts on your water bill
WaterSure is a scheme which helps some people with their water bills.
To qualify for WaterSure you need to:
- be on a water meter or have applied for one and be waiting for it to be installed, or be paying an assessed charge because it’s not possible to fit a meter at your property
- be on certain benefits
- have a high essential use of water
To apply, you need to fill out a form from your water supplier. To find out more about the scheme and the benefits, please visit the Citizens Advice website.
Are you claiming everything you are entitled to?
Even if you are working, you may be entitled to a top up of benefits. You can see if you are eligible by using the EntitledTo Calculator.
Dear Residents,
We have been having issues with website contact forms being delivered to us. This problem has now been fixed, but if you have completed a form and not yet received a response, please forward the confirmation email to citeam@ccha.biz and we will respond as soon as possible.
Apologies for any inconvenience caused.
It’s been a tough two and a half years and we’re aware that the winter months have brought even greater challenges for many. We would like to remind residents that we remain sensitive to how the economic climate has impacted many of you and we encourage those who are struggling to get in touch with Jane, our Welfare and Debt Advice Officer, on 020 8633 8767 or 07384 255 630 or email JaneW@ccha.biz.
Our financial focus this month is on the Cost of Living Payments and the Energy Grant.
Cost of Living Payments
If you receive certain benefits such as Pension Credit, Income-related Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Universal Credit or Tax Credits, you should have received two Cost of Living Payments, from either the DWP or HMRC.
The first payments of £326 were made in Summer 2022 for those who received qualifying benefits between 25th April 2022 and 26th May 2022.
The second payment of £324 was paid directly into bank accounts between 8th and 23rd November unless you received Tax Credits only – in which case you should have received the payment by the end of November 2022. The payments showed as ‘DWP COL’ or ‘HMRC COL’ on your bank statement.
If you haven’t received either payment and think you qualify, it’s not too late – you can report a ‘missing Cost of Living payment’ online.
Energy Grant
The £400 energy grant has been split into payments of £66 in October and November, rising to £67 per month from December until March 2023. Those with a domestic electricity meter point who make payments through payment cards, standard credit and direct debit will receive an automatic deduction on their bill or have the money credited to their account.
Energy providers such as Bulb, E.ON and Octopus Energy are automatically crediting the amount to their customers’ accounts, so the bill amount is reduced.
However, companies such as British Gas, EDF, SSE and Ovo Energy are among a handful of companies charging customers their usual amount via direct debit and then crediting the grant amount into their bank account.
Those who use pre-payment meters and top up their credit before using energy will be provided with discount vouchers in the first week of each month. It is worth contacting your energy provider to confirm how they are handling this process.
Need some support?
Our Welfare & Debt Advice Officer, Jane White, is here to help. If you’d like to find out if you are claiming everything you are entitled to, or need help submitting a form, you can call Jane on 07384 255 630 or email JaneW@ccha.biz.
Update: 27th October 2022
ccha offices at Norfolk House are now closed. While we wait for our new offices to open, staff will be working remotely and in satellite offices and can be contacted through email, phone and mobile. We will update the website when we can share more about our new office.
Update: 26th September 2022
We are pleased to announce we are moving from our Norfolk House office from 31st October 2022. Our new office will be at our new Angel Oak Point development on Sheldon Street in Croydon. Please read on to find out about key dates, our new address and how to find us. You can stay up to date on our move by visiting out website or social media.
Key dates:
14th October 2022
This is the last day residents can visit us at Norfolk House. Please ensure if you need to meet with a member of staff, you are booked in prior to this date.
15th October-31st October 2022
Staff will be working remotely or in our smaller offices to ensure you receive the level of service required. We will be available via email and telephone, and staff will be continuing visits as normal. If you need to visit staff, sign forms, or drop off keys during this time, please speak with a member of staff about how and when this will take place.
1st November 2022
Our registered address officially changes to Sheldon Street. Staff will continue to work remotely while we get the office ready and will be available via email and telephone as above. We will keep you updated on when the new office opens on our website and social media.
New address:
ccha, 29 Sheldon Street, Croydon, CR0 1SS
How to find us:
Sheldon Street is located a 2-minute walk from Croydon High Street.
Public transport:
If coming in to East, West or South Croydon Station, you can walk to Sheldon Street in 15-18 minutes, with East Croydon being the closest. If you prefer to get a bus, there are several services that stop along the High Street, however, do require a 2–5-minute walk to reach Sheldon Street.
Driving & parking:
Sheldon Street can be accessed just off the A232. There are a few parking options in the area:
- Pay and Display: Wandle Surface Car Park – this car park is located opposite the office.
- Prebooked Parking: Wandle Road Apcoa Parking – this car park is a 1-minute walk to the office.
- On road parking: you may be able to find on road, pay & display parking in the area.
Staying updated:
Once we are settled, we hope to invite you for an opening event to meet staff and have a chance to see the new office. Keep an eye out for your invite towards the end of the year.
You can stay updated of our progress on our website or social media.
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www.facebook.com/cchahousing |
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www.twitter.com/officialccha |
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www.ccha.biz |
If you have any questions or would like to contact us, please email customers@ccha.biz or call 0800 054 6710.
We look forward to welcoming you to the new office soon.