We have some frequently asked questions from customers that will help you with any queries you may have around the Coronavirus outbreak. We have split them into services for ease of reference. Please click on a tab to see the answer to the question. If you have a query that is not answered on this page, please email info@lincolnshirehp.com, use our Contact Form or call 0345 604 1472.
General
In the interests of keeping our customers and staff safe, it is vital that you let us know if you or anyone else in your household is self-isolating.
Please contact us on 0345 604 1472 or use the Contact Us form on our website.
Where possible, we have enabled our staff to work at home. For those staff who continue to provide the vital services to our residents, we have completed risk assessments and have appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
We are now offering an Emergency Plus Repairs Service and our Housing Service is now being delivered remotely.
With the well-being of staff and customers in mind, we closed our offices to the general public from Monday 23 March. If you need to contact us, please call 0345 604 1472 or email us. Alternatively, you can direct message us on social media (Twitter: @lincolnshirehp or Facebook) or use the contact form on our website.
Please visit the NHS web page - https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/ for up to date gudiance on symptoms to look out for.
Official NHS guidance states that everyone must stay at home to stop the spread of Coronavirus.
The latest advice if you have symptoms is to stay at home for seven days
For further information, please visit: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/symptoms-and-what-to-do/
We have put measures in place through our Warden Service to assist those self - isolating customers, who are without family or relatives to support them in obtaining supplies.
If you need further information, please call 0345 604 1472.
We will continue to work with our key partners on how we can work together to provide support to our most vulnerable and elderly customers.
For further information on advice for vulnerable and elderly customers, please click here.
Housing
To minimise the risk to both customers and staff during the Coronavirus outbreak, we have made the decision to move an Emergency Plus Repairs service, until further notice.
We will continue to provide the following repairs and services to ALL customers:
• Heating and hot water
• Sanitation, including running water
• Power
• That properties are secure: doors and windows
• Fix anything which is causing significant damage to the property
If you have a current appointment scheduled with us, one of our Planning Team will be in touch to postpone your appointment and we will reschedule these once our normal repairs service resumes.
Please call our main number, 0345 604 1472, to let us know that you are self-isolating
We continue to work with our key partners on how we can work together to provide support to our most vulnerable and elderly customers.
We have provided further information for all our customers at this link.
As part of the services we are providing during the Coronavirus outbreak, we are committing to continuing work on our void properties.
This is because these properties can potentially be offered to those in urgent housing need during the outbreak, or if we are approached to house key workers who want to reduce travel between their home and their job.
We continue to liaise with our partners about the availability of properties and we want to reassure you that staff working on these properties are taking all the necessary safety steps, as outlined in government guidelines.
Financial
We have a multitude of payment options available, many of which you can do from your home. If you have internet access please visit our website, otherwise please contact the CSC or Income team on 0345 604 1472 who can talk you through the options to find the best solution for your circumstances
There are no changes with regards to rental charges. You are still responsible for the payment of your rent and service charges but we realise that this is a difficult time financially. Please contact the Income team on 0345 604 1472 who can assist you and put you in touch with our free Money Support Service
If a new or existing claim for benefits requires a face to face visit or assessment these will be done over the telephone instead, they will contact you direct to arrange this
It is really important to keep logging on to your UC journal to keep your work coach up to date with your circumstances, they will discuss every aspect of your claim with you, including payments and what will be expected with regards to claimant commitment.
The DWP have made changes and can provide an advance payment immediately without the usual ID appointments. However please remember that this advance includes an amount for your housing element so please discuss with the Income team what rent you should pay
Please contact your energy providers as they are offering a variety of solutions to help customers with the bills and topping up.
The rent element of your shared ownership is not the same as the mortgage portion. The rent will continue to be charged, in line with the rest of our social housing rents.
If you need to talk to anyone regarding your rent payments, or if you are experiencing financial difficulties please contact 0345 604 1472 and ask for the Income Team or email LHP-MoneySupportService@lincolnshirehp.com.
We would like to reassure everyone that we will not evict customers for rent arrears caused by the impact that the Coronavirus outbreak may have on their personal lives, and we will continue to support our customers through our Income Team and Money Support Services.
If you are struggling to pay your rent for any reason, including the Coronavirus outbreak, it is important that you contact us. Please call 0345 604 1472 and ask to speak to the Income Team or visit www.lincolnshirehp.com/moneysupport/.
Keeping on top of your rent is really important, and there are many ways you can choose to pay – please visit our website www.lincolnshirehp.com/waystopay for more information.
We understand some of you may have concerns about paying your rent, if your financial situation changes due to this outbreak. We do have a Money Support Service – available through the Income team, who can offer advice, guidance and discuss your options with you. Please make sure you get in touch with us as soon as possible, if you are struggling to pay your rent.
Please contact us on 0345 604 1472 and ask for the Income Team or go to the Money Support page on our website for further information.
If you are in self-isolation or are unable to leave your home and are looking for an alternative way to pay your rent, please visit our information page: www.lincolnshirehp.com/waystopay.
We are not offering a “payment holiday” for rents at this time as this would increase the monthly rent payment once the “holiday” if over and would create an extended period of debt for our customers.
However, we would encourage anyone experiencing financial difficulties due to Coronavirus or for any other reason should call 0345 604 1472 and ask for the Income Team or email LHP-MoneySupportService@lincolnshirehp.com.
The four rent free weeks will not be brought forward but used to support our customers experiencing financial hardship later in the year.
We have just had a two-week rent free period, because those customers that receive the rent free weeks received them w/c 16/03/20 and 23/03/20.
Anyone experiencing financial difficulties due to Coronavirus or for any other reason should call 0345 604 1472 and ask for the Income Team or email LHP-MoneySupportService@lincolnshirehp.com.
Sheltered Schemes
The safety and well-being of our residents and colleagues is our main priority and we are taking every possible step to safeguard this while continuing to support our residents. We would ask that residents follow the governments guidelines and limit the number of visitors to their home, unless you receive help from a relative with essential items, such as groceries and medical supplies.
Yes, we have been working with all independent care providers who provide independent personal care to our customers. They will be following their own guidance around visiting service clients in schemes.
We are currently assessing the risk of opening some communal lounges, and we will only do so where we can maintain social distancing and minimise the risk of infection. Our communal kitchens remain temporarily closed. The catering service continues to be provided by our catering suppliers at our Mayfield’s Extra Care scheme. Other communal areas such as laundries remain open. As laundries are small spaces, we are asking residents to ensure that only one person at a time is in the laundry. In other communal areas we are asking residents to respect social distancing guidelines and keep two metres apart.
All residents should follow the government advice on social distancing. Where anyone with a potential or confirmed case of coronavirus, they should self- isolate, avoid contact with others (even those you live with) and not leave your home for any reason.
For further information, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-outbreak-faqs-what-you-can-and-cant-do/coronavirus-outbreak-faqs-what-you-can-and-cant-do
We have increased the frequency of the cleaning of communal areas concentrating on touch points in our sheltered housing and Extra Care Scheme.
We shall arrange for all communal areas to be deep cleaned where there has been a confirmed case of coronavirus.
Our Housing and Warden Service Teams provides us with a flexible model to continue to deliver services across schemes. In addition, our Customer Service Centre and Warden Services Team will continue to make outbound well-being telephone calls direct to customers who would usually receive a face to face visit from our Warden Service.
Everyone should be doing it. If you're over 70 or have existing health conditions you may want to take extra precautions, such as seeing if friends or family can pick up food for you or visiting outside spaces at times when they are less busy.
Shielding means staying inside as much as possible and avoiding contact with others. Previously, people who were shielding were advised to stay at home at all times but advice has now been updated so that you are able to visit outside spaces. The Government have announced further information on how shielding guidance will change from 6 July and eventually paused by 1 August, which you can view online by clicking here.
To protect everyone’s well-being, if at all possible, we strongly encourage you to meet your friends or family away from your scheme, where you can meet up to six people from different households under government guidance, you can meet one person from a different household in a communal garden as long as you maintain social distancing. If you are Shielding, you can choose to spend time outdoors, this can be with members of your own household or you may choose to spend time outdoors with one person from another household (ideally the same person each time).
So that we can continue to limit the number of visitors to our sheltered housing schemes, where possible, please meet at your family’s house rather than them visiting you. If they do visit you, please remain inside your property and do not go into in the communal areas including the gardens. Although single adult households can form a ‘support bubble’ with one other household, people who are clinically extremely vulnerable and shielding are advised not to be part of a support bubble. The government's guidance on support bubbles can be found here.
The scheme guest rooms will reopen on Saturday 4 July and we will be issuing further information on this nearer the time.
Yes. We recommend all visitors should wear a face-covering while they are in enclosed communal areas.
Lettings
Due to the further restrictions imposed by the government, our lettings process is not operating as it would usually. A member of our Lettings Team will be in touch to discuss this with you further.
Please call us to discuss your current circumstances, and our lettings team will advise and agree the way forward.
Please call us to discuss your current circumstances, and our lettings team will advise and agree the way forward.
Our lettings team will contact you with you how best to proceed, and what arrangements we will put in place for you to return your keys.
Shared Ownership
Please call us to discuss your current circumstances, and our shared ownership team will advise and agree the way forward.
Due to the further restrictions imposed by the government, our sales process is not operating as it would usually. We are keeping records of applicants ready to view and we will be in touch as soon as this is possible.
Right to Buy/Right to Acquire
We are still processing applications to buy properties under the Right to Buy and Right to Acquire schemes. Where possible please email enquires to sharedownership@lincolnshirehp.com and we will keep you up to date.
A surveyor will not be required to visit your property instead this will be carried out as a desktop valuation, if you appeal your price with the District Valuer this could result in delays if they need to visit your property, we will however advise you of this.
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Lincolnshire Housing Partnership Limited registered as a charitable Community Benefit Society under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014 with registered number: 7748. Data Protection registration number: ZA345449 Registered Office: Westgate Park, Charlton Street, Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire, DN31 1SQ