‘GIVE us freedom of choice’.
That’s the message tenants will urge when they challenge a council decision to rip up tenancy agreements and make changes to how more than 23,000 households pay their rent.
Members of Kirklees Tenants and Residents Associations will protest at council changes outside Huddersfield Town Hall from 3.30pm on Tuesday.
They will make a deputation to Cabinet members at the 4pm meeting urging them to re-think plans to change the way social housing tenants pay their rent.
Currently tenants can pay via a bank, the Post Office, paypoints, in shops or council offices.
That’s set to change in April and the only payment choice will be by Direct Debit.
Jill Long, a spokeswoman for the Kirklees Federation of Tenants and Residents Assoc iation (KFTRA), said: “As a Federation we are not against Direct Debits in general, we understand it is a cost-effective and easy way to collect rent.
“However we are worried about people currently paying their rent week in week out at the Post Office, paypoints or council rent offices who want to continue doing so.
“Lots of people, especially the elderly, don’t understand what’s happening. They’ve seen the messages about Universal Credit, where people will need a bank account, and think this is part of that. They don’t think it applies to pensioners so didn’t respond.
“We’re now getting more and more calls from people concerned about it.
“People got a formal document through their doors giving notice of a new tenancy agreement and they were scared by it.
“For some people going to the Post Office to pay their rent is one of few social interactions they get.
“I hope the councillors will think again – think about the people it will affect and give them the freedom of choice.”
Robert Bastow, a TRA member, will make the deputation and ask why Kirklees is the only West Yorkshire local authority to make the changes. They will also ask why care charges and other council bills can be made by various methods, but this is being restricted.
Figures show 197 people responded after hearing about the plans – 30 of them understood the changes and 25 switched to paying by direct debit.
A further 17 were concerned about bank charges, 45 needed more advice, 16 wanted to pay at the Post Office, 11 wanted to continue paying by cash, three not happy but would pay by Standing Order, 34 didn’t like the mandatory element and 26 didn’t have a bank account with direct debit facility. Others were concerned about using an external agency to collect rent.
The TRA members will be collecting signatures on a petition opposing the council’s plans.
