UK Bill Help

People seeking to let a private sector home or flat in South Ayrshire can get assistance with the deposit or receive help with the rent in advance payment. There are a few organisations that offer schemes or some other type of support to prospective tenants. Or if someone is not awarded funds from a scheme, then individuals with a local connection can also call Seascape for a loan as a last resort.

Free advice on the housing services provided to prospective tenants can be obtained from the South Ayrshire Council or the CAB, as both of these centres have authorities or volunteers that assist the homeless. There are programmes that will prioritize youth or the elderly, and there is also resettlement assistance for families threatened with homelessness. In these cases, help for the deposit payment will be provided if the new home is more affordable.

If an applicant is not able to receive assistance from one of these schemes, then they can turn to a charity for additional support. This may range from placement into a hostel or emergency shelter where they can get a meal and enroll into job training. When they are ready to move on, applications can then be completed for the rental deposit schemes that are based in Ayrshire.

Housing specialists from the South Ayrshire Council are available for the homeless and vulnerable. The council has a legal authority to provide some form of assistance to people that do not have a home available to them.

The council will assess the situation, then place the individual into some type of temporary or permanent accommodation. The council will also refer the individual to other charities for stability on issues such as income maximisation, dealing with debt arrears or job training, and these charities also offer schemes for rental expenses. The South Ayrshire Council has a few offices in the county, and they are listed below.

• Riverside House, 21 River Terrace, Ayr. The phone number for this office is 0300 123 0900.
• Girvan council office is at 17-19 Knockcushan Street. Telephone – 0300 123 0900.
• Prestwick Council is at a post of 2-6 The Cross, Prestwick, KA9 1AN. Telephone for more information is 0300 123 0900.
• Municipal Buildings, South Beach, Troon,KA10 6EF, phone 0300 123 0900.
• 64 High Street, Maybole. KA19 7BZ, phone 0300 123 0900.

Charities in South Ayrshire

Barnardo’s will only provide support to homeless individuals with a referral from the council Housing Department. A priority is on young people in the county. Additional assistance is for people that are in a temporary accommodation. Address – 62 Viewfield Road, Ayr KA8 8HH, phone 01292 610479.

Care & Share from Riverside Church provides emergency shelter and a free meal to the homeless. Other advice from the social worker at the centre will be on applying for housing benefits. There is also help for substance mis-users as well as others facing poverty.

Housing Aid Centre of Ayr can help address many housing problems, including offering assistance to the homeless. Staff provide free advice, help people apply to housing benefits, and provide referrals to schemes and deposit programmes. Other support for people seeking a tenancy is advice on illegal evictions, private sector tenancies, and fuel rights. Call the centre at 01292 288111, or drop in at the office at 7 York Street, Ayr, KA8 8AN.

The leading charity in South Ayrshire for housing problems is SeAscape, and the phone number is 01292 290035. The organisation has a rent deposit guarantee scheme for those residents that need help in moving into a private rented sector accommodation. The financial aid is for people on a low income and that are out of options.

When applying for help, an interview will need to take place at the Housing Offices. If SeAscape runs out of funds or if the individual’s application is refused, they may refer the applicant to the Credit Union for a low interest loan, and that money can be used for the deposit payment. Other support is provided too, and read more SeAscape deposit schemes.

CHAP – Community Housing Advocacy Project partners with landlords and tenants to find solutions to problems, including how to pay a rent in advance or fees that are required. The aim is to help the vulnerable, homeless, and rough sleepers, and the aid is also provided from their rent deposit scheme. The address is 71 Princes Street, Ardrossan, Ayrshire, KA22 8DG, and call the charity at 01294 475636.