Thursday, 5 December 2013

Who Accounts For The Accounts ?

Does anyone check the States Tenants Rental Accounts before they are posted?  Are demanding / threatening  letters attached to all statements showing virtual arrears,even for the smallest amount?

Many tenants are unable to work out where discrepencies have occurred in the figures and will pay the amount demanded ;whilst this means their account will be in credit eventually,that money usually has to be taken from a diminishing weekly budget.

Help is not always available from the Housing Department, the staff are often unable to make sense of the figures and have a standard list of excuses ranging from tenant's error,computer error,Social Security Dept. error,to the desparate " It Wasn't Me! ".  When an error is proven apologies are not forthcoming.

In cases where a tenant is receiving an Income Support rental component (paid directly to the Housing Department) the amount being demanded is not the tenant's responsibility but due to the fact that the Social Security payment won't be received until a few days after the Rental Statement has been printed. There seems to be no communication between the two departments as to who is paying what to whom and when it will be paid.

What will happen next year when the Housing Department ceases to exist in its present form? Will confusion descend into complete chaos or will a sensible solution be found to stop tenants receiving worrying letters for money they do not owe?

Who will account for the accounts?