Wrexham emergency rent programmes

Arrears on rent can lead to an eviction if not addressed in time. The rent assistance schemes in Wrexham enable tenants to remain in their homes if it is feasible for them to afford to stay over the long term.

Discretionary Assistance Fund

Wrexham County Borough Council does make referrals for the Discretionary Assistance Fund. There is a budget for providing grant aid to local residents who are in trouble with late rent. These funds may be authorised when a documented hardship is causing a family to experience serious financial distress. In these cases, citizens would likely face eviction without the aid.

A crisis can be countered by Emergency Assistance Payments. These supplemental funds can offset the arrears so that tenants are no longer in arrears.

Individual Assistance Payments can provide interim support for someone waiting on benefit payments to begin. They allow for someone to remain in their home even though their benefits have not yet kicked in.

Budgeting Loans

Rental arrears could be correcting using budgeting loans. These are offered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to help those who do not qualify for other aid programmes.

These zero-interest loans may be used to pay rent arrears and any other urgent needs. The minimum loan amount is £100 and up to £1,500 may be borrowed depending on whether any other social loans are still outstanding. Up to two years are allowed for repayment. Anyone already receiving benefit payments will simply have a small portion deducted from each instalment until the proceeds are fully repaid.

The SF500 claim form may be filed at the Wrexham Job Centre on Grosvenor Road. Residents may call 01978 316 500 with questions and to schedule a meeting with a job adviser.

Money Advice

Shelter Cymru operates an advice centre on Edgerton Street. Since drop ins are not allowed, residents must first call 01978 317911 to request an advice surgery. There are some adjustments that may be recommended to correct a budget shortage. Advisers may also provide benefit advice and assist with an aid application.

People may call the same number (01978 317911) to request advice through the Citizen’s Advice Bureau on Grosvenor Road. CAB usually assists with a broad spectrum of financial woes that go beyond just the scope of rental arrears.

The Wrexham Young Persons Project provides specialised advice to young people who often lack the credit, income and savings to raise money quickly. The programme has access to emergency housing if someone does lose their rental housing, but the goal is to help maintain existing tenancies for those who can afford to stay. Residents aged 16 to 25 may call 01978 314314 to request a meeting at the King Street office.

Alternative options

Some individuals may request grant funding from charities to pay for emergency housing needs. However these organisations tend to focus on education and outreach rather than providing actual cash payments. There are some grants available with fairly strict criteria that must be met by a successful applicant.

Someone who does not qualify for aid programmes due to their higher income levels may find that borrowing can be a reasonable option. There are several high street lenders that would love to meet this need, but their services should be avoided. A better option is to only apply for loans through mainstream banks or credit unions. Credit unions are not for profit, so their fees tend to be affordable for most applicants who are working.

In some situations, arrears may be too high to address, or there may be limited time to arrange for an option to stay in the home. In these cases, an adviser may suggest that leaving the home may be the best option, at which point they can assist with the transition so that homelessness does not occur. Tenants should be aware of this alternative option, since there is a possibility they may still have to leave the home that they have grown to love.